This paper introduces a small Tibetan book from Dunhuang kept at the IOM,
RAS. It is a copy of ’Phags pa ting nge ’dzin mchog dam pa, one of the Buddhist sūtras
that emphasize the importance of the practice of samādhi. Some paleographical features
of the manuscript as well as its contents are characterized. The manuscript presents a
version of ’Phags pa ting nge ’dzin mchog dam pa that is different from those of later
editions of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon. Its comparison with fragments of two other
Dunhuang copies of the same text found in Paris supports my assumption that an old
version of the sūtra did exist.
The Annual IOM Academic Session “The Written Heritage of the Orient as the Basis for Classical Tradition of Oriental Studies” will be held on December 4–6, 2023. The program of the Session is now available.