An annotated reading of the Tangut fragment with Tibetan phonetic glosses Or. 12380/3910 from the British Collection, and its relationship with similar fragments from the Russian Collection

Abstract

<p>This paper provides a direct decipherment, without an identified collated version, of the Tangut fragment with Tibetan phonetic glosses Or. 12380/3910 from the British Library. The Tangut content of this fragment is likely to be an instruction for inner fire meditation (<em>tummo</em>) of the Six Yogas of Nāropa in Tibetan Buddhism. It shares the same theme with the Tangut content of the similar Tangut fragments with Tibetan phonetic glosses under Tang. 1075 with the old inventory number инв. 8363 from the Russian Collection, and they should be originated from the same manuscript. Since the fragments Fr. 3(8), Fr. 9(14) and Fr. 1(6) of Tang. 1075 teaches breathing during the entering of meditation, and the fragment Or. 12380/3910 teaches the visualization during exit from meditation, the position of Or. 12380/3910 from the British Collection in the original manuscript should be after Fr. 3(8), Fr. 9(14) and Fr. 1(6) of Tang. 1075 from the Russian Collection.</p>

本文在没有对勘版本情况下直接解读英国国家图书馆藏附有藏文注音的西夏文残片 Or. 12380/3910，指出这份残片的西夏文内容很可能是藏传佛教“那洛六法”中“拙火定”的修练方法，应该与俄藏 Tang. 1075 里旧藏号 инв. 8363附有藏文注音的西夏文残片属于同一份文献。又因为俄藏 Tang. 1075 旧藏号 инв. 8363 的残片 Fr. 3(8)、Fr. 9(14) 和 Fr. 1(6) 教导入定的呼吸方法，而英藏残片 Or. 12380/3910 则教导出定的观想方法，因此英藏残片 Or. 12380/3910 在原文献的位置应当在俄藏 Tang. 1075 的 Fr. 3(8)、Fr. 9(14) 和 Fr. 1(6) 之后。