| PIS'MENNYE PAMYATNIKI VOSTOKA Vol. 15, No. 1 (32) Spring 2018
Journal based in 2004 Issued quarterly
Selected Materials as a *.PDF file
PUBLICATIONS
Vasubandhu, the Abhidharmakośa (“Encyclopedia of Abhidharma”),
a fragment from the section “Jnàna-nirdeśa” (“The Teaching on Knoweledge”).
Preface, Translation from Sanskrit and Commentaries by Helena P. Ostrovskaia — 5
The work offered to your attention contains a Russian translation of the fragment from the 7th section
of the famous Buddhist encyclopedia Ahidharmakośabhāṣya ascribed to Vasubandhu (4th–5th centuries).
This fragment focuses on the problem of correlation between knowledge (jnāna), vision (dṛṣṭi),
intellectual receptivity (kṣānti) and wisdom (prajnā) as their intrinsic nature. The translation is based
on the Sanskrit text of the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya edited by P. Pradhan (1967).
Key words: Abhidharma, the Abhidharmakośa, Buddhism, India, Sanskrit, Vasubandhu
RESEARCH WORKS
Alexandr L. Khosroyev. A Commentary on the Word ϪꞶΚM̄ (λουτρόν? βάπτισμα)
in the “Second Logos of the Great Seth” 58.15–16 (NHC VII.2) and Early Christian
“Baptism” Generally. Part 1 — 17
To explain an obscure excerpt from the Gnostic treatise “The Second Logos of the Great Seth” which
concerns “the third ablution” (or “baptism”?), the author traces that phenomenon in the texts of the
New Testament, Christian writings of the first half of the 2nd century, and Gnostic texts as well. After
researching into the sources to know whether Early Christians performed the rite of “baptism by water”,
the author answers in the negative. The article will be continued in the next issues of the journal.
Key words: Early Christianity, baptism, the New Testament, Christian authors, Gnosticism
Youli A. Ioannesyan. The Bab’s Teaching about a Greater Prophet Coming after Him
(the “One Whom God Will Make Manifest”) — 53
The Bab was not only the founder of an independent religious system, the Babi Faith, but also the
precursor of another prophet coming after him, whom he considered to be greater than himself, that
would be made manifest by God at a certain time in the future. In his texts known under the general
name the Bayan, the Bab attached great importance to preparing the Babi community for the recognition
of the new prophet and repeatedly warned it against causing him any distress or suffering by
refusing to recognize him similar to what the Bab had experienced at the hands of those who rejected
him. The article contains an analysis of the main principles of the Bab’s teaching concerning this
future prophet, based on primary sources, i.e. original texts of the Bab himself.
Key words: the Bab, the Babi Faith, religion, post-Islamic religions and religious teachings
HISTORY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY
Shimon M. Iakerson. Hebrew Incunabula within the Context of the Manuscript Tradition — 63
Hebrew book-printing appeared on the Italian and Iberian Peninsulas around the same time, in the last
third of the 15th century. The genesis of the Hebrew printed book coincided with the period of the
final establishment of the manuscript tradition in these regions. The present article seeks to analyze
the influence of the manuscript tradition on the making of the original typefaces and describes the
elements of manuscript design in the early printed books.
Key words: Hebrew Incunabula, paleography, fonts
Ilya V. Zaytsev. Persian Lithographed Books and Manuscripts at the Library
of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg — 75
This is a brief overview of the modest collection of Persian medical texts kept at the Library of the
Institute of Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg. Five lithographs from the second half of the
19th — early 20th century represents very popular products of Indian printers. One of the manuscripts
(commentary on a treatise by Chaghmini) has been copied in Kabul, in 1799. The other is a compilation
on children’s diseases copied in 1877.
Key words: Medicine, Persian manuscripts and lithographed books
Kirill M. Bogdanov. Tangut Book Illustration as Historical Evidence
(Case Study of one Engraving from Tangut Fund, IOM RAS) — 83
This article is a case study of intro illustration to the Buddhist text A Compendium of wisdom 懺鈍倖
written by the Buddhist monk, State Preceptor Xibi Baoyuan. For a long time, the left and right parts
of this illustration existed separately in two editions of this work. For this reason, the person of the
text’s author depicted on this illustration was identified incorrectly. Some scrupulous study of engraving’s
fragments allowed joining two parts of the engraving in its original way that in turn gave evidence,
of a real episode from the life of State Preceptor Xibi and helped to identify correctly his image
on the engraving. There are some other interesting moments in this picture’s content that give
grounds to advance a bold hypothesis that on this engraving you can see at which probable act of
proselytism a people of different faiths are accepting Buddhist dharma.
Key words: Tangut Fund, engraving, Tangut Buddhism, Manichaeists, Nestorians
COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES
Report on a Research Voyage to Kazan by Mikhail N. Sokolov. Foreword, Publication,
Notes by Dmitry A. Nosov — 96
The history of the largest Mongolian manuscripts’ collection in Europe is still under research. The
date of transferring the collection of manuscripts from Kazan Theological academy to Asiatic Museum
in St. Petersburg/Leningrad is uncertain. The report below was taken from St. Petersburg branch
of RAS’ Archive. It helps to reveal the date. According to the report, Michail N. Sokolov (1890–
1937) went to Kazan in November 1927 to save manuscripts from Theological Academy’s library. He
managed to send almost five hundred items to AM.
Key words: Mongolian studies, collections of manuscripts, Asiatic Museum, Michail N. Sokolov
Pavel B. Lurje. Vladimir A. Livshits and His Method. In Place of an Obituary — 106
Vladimir Aronovich Livshits, the outstanding Iranologist, the patriarch of study of Middle Iranian
written records, passed away on June 10th, 2017, on his 94th year. The present paper does not focus
on the life and achievements of Vladimir Aronovich — an obituary has been published elsewhere, it
is attempting to understand and explain the methods which Livshits used in deciphering Iranian writing
systems of pre-Islamic period. Although Parthian, Sogdian and Chorasmian languages (the main
object of this paper) are evidently related, and the scripts used for writing them are derived from a
single source, working with each one required different approaches to texts. This variability of methods,
together with personal talents and inspiration of Livshits, did radically change our understanding
of the languages, written traditions as, well as history and culture of pre-Islamic Iran and Middle Asia.
When writing this paper its author used the published works of Livshits and some of his colleagues,
the materials of his scholarly library and archive, and especially the twenty years of communication
with the renowned champion of Middle Iranian epigraphy, while being his disciple.
Key words: V.A. Livhsits, Middle Iranian writing, Parthian language, Sogdian language, Chorasmian
language, decipherment, methodology
ACADEMIC LIFE
Alexander V. Zorin. The Sixth St. Petersburg Tibetological Seminar
(St. Petersburg, September 19, 2017) — 122
Dmitry A. Nosov. Research Conference “St. Petersburg Seminar on Mongolian Studies”
(St. Petersburg, September 27, 2017) — 127
Anna A. Turanskaia. The 10th Anniversary Scholarly and Practical Conference “Russia–China:
History and Culture” (Kazan, October 5–7, 2017) — 130
Tatiana V. Ermakova. The 11th All-Russian Oriental Conference in Memory of O.O. Rozenberg
(St. Petersburg, November 13–14, 2017) — 133
REVIEWS
Indische Handschriften. Teil 19. Die Śāradā-Handschriften der Sammlung Janert
der Staatsbibliothek — Preusischer Kulturbesitz. Beschrieben von Gеrhard Ehlers.
Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2016. 145 p. (Safarali H. Shomakhmadov) — 139
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