Tibetan Buddhist scriptures written on pattra leaves

Tibetan Buddhist scriptures written on pattra leaves are called "Beiyejing", dating back to some two thousand years ago. A six-year project to preserve the scriptures has recently wrapped up in Tibet, and a huge volume of these has been collected and in printing.

Preserving and protecting religious culture on the world’s highest land, "Beiyejing" or pattra leaf scripture, is Buddhist scriptures carved on pattra leaves by pens made of iron or bamboo. Originated in ancient India, it has a history of some two thousand years, and is one of the most precious Buddhism treasures. Thanks to the dry weather and stable religious environment in Tibet, most of the remaining scriptures have been kept well and safe there.

Lhagpa Phuntshogs, Director General, China Tibetology Research Center, said, "It’s the source of Buddhism all over the world. It is very significant for the study of Buddhism and South Asia. And not just Buddhism, there are a lot of other information contained in the pattra-leave scriptures."

In the past six years, experts covered over 17,000 kilometers throughout Tibet, finding and sorting out some 60,000 pieces of the scriptures. Most of them date back to the period between 800 AD to 1400 AD, while the earliest was before the 7th century. Small or large, every piece was copied and assembled in a huge volume. Its content includes Buddhism classics, literature and poetry, laws and astronomy.

Lhagpa Phuntshogs said, "It provides great information on the history and relationship of countries around us, as well as of cultural communication in Asia. With this we have the academic authority of the world."

The pattra-leaf scriptures have been collated in five languages: Devanagari, Tibetan, Tibetan transliteration, Latin transliteration and Chinese.

The project greatly enriches the understanding of Tibetan Buddhism for tourists travelling to Tibet as well as Tibetan culture researchers. Mr Phuntshogs says as studies of Beiyejing gets more in-depth, it is promising to become an academic subject of its own.