The Alexander-books and their influence on Krsi Csomas activity

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all I would like to express my thanks to the Ministry of Culture of Hungary
and personally to Gza Bethlenfalvy for the invitation to participate in the work of
this seminar. I consider as a special honour to be here in the cradle of Buddhism,
and it is also honour for me to have the possibility of talking about an interesting
part of Csomas activity.
In general it is well known that the so-called Alexander-books served as first
sources for ACSK for his first approach to the Tibetan culture. However, some
questions connected with these sources according to my view require further
clarification.
It is indisputable that Alexander Csoma de Krs did a preterhuman effort among
the rigid walls of the Lamaist monasteries. As a result, his Tibetan-English
Dictionary is well-known by the educated, but besides this, a Sanskrit
terminological dictionary and his articles demonstrate that he opened up not only
the wonderful treasury of linguistics, but also that of the history of religion,
literature and science.
It is also well-known that these latter achievements were based on the so called
Alexander Books, that is on the short studies in Tibetan language that were written
by educated lamas upon Krsis request in the first period of his pioneer work.
These compendiums became known for the scientific public through A.H.
Franckes and Lajos Ligeti's activity, but their publication and detailed elaboration
are to Jzsef Terjks credit. (The text of compendiums has been edited by Jzsef
Terjk in the Sata-Pitaka Series in 1976, and the most complete description of the
compendiums has been written by him too in the same year: Tibetan Compendia
Written for Csoma de Krs by the Lamas of Zangs-dkar, New Delhi 1976.,
Collection of Tibetan MSS and Xilographs of Alexander Csoma de Krs)

Csoma arrived at Zangla, near the River Zanskar in 1824. The inexperienced
student spent sixteen months in a monastery belonging to the wBrug-pa order,
above the village, in the mountains. During this sixteen months, he collected about
30,000 words for his dictionary and got to know the Lamaist Canon as well.
Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi

With this enormous work did Ga-Ga Sangye Pncog help him, who, as the adviser
of the ruler of Leh, the secretary of correspondence with Great-Tibet, and at the
same time, the chief physician of Ladak, was really a man of influence. His fields
were medicine, astronomy and astrology. Earlier, he had travelled much in Tibet,
Nepal and Bhutan. At the arrival of Csoma he was 52 years old, and had been
married to the widow of the king of Zangla for 12 years.
Before the help of Sangye Pncog, the literary, scientific, etc. technical terms of
Buddhism might have been inextricably mingled together for Csoma at first glance.
That is why he thought it necessary to ask Sangye Pncog and two other lamas to
write descriptive reviews about the most important topics of the Canon, on the
basis of his questions.
Lets see what we know about the authors of these compendiums.
Sangye Pncog was an open-minded, impulsive man with a wide intellectual
horizon, interest in the Western culture and great enthusiasm for travelling. As we
can see, it was no coincidence that, in spite of some disagreement, he could work
together with Krsi Csoma for such a long time.
Besides his compendiums, written upon the request of Csoma, no other works of
his are known.
After the publication of Franckes article about the Alexander Books, an inaccurate
view spread that Sangye Pncog was a Gelukpa-lama, like Knga Csleg, the
relative and friend of the Lama, the author of another compendium.
In truth, however, both belonged to the wBrug-pa order, like the monasteries of
Zangla and Rdzong-khul. The abbot of the latter was Knga Csleg.
Rdzong-khul monastery was an important educational and artistic centre in the 18 th
and 19th centuries. Four famous lamas worked here, who, forming a master
disciple [disaipl] chain, were the abbots of the monastery one after another. Into
this chain were also involved Knga Csleg and Sangye Pncog, as it was shown
by Gza Bethlenfalvy.
It is an important contribution, because the contradicting view that Knga Csleg
and Sangye Pncog were gelukpas appears again and again in the literature.
Among Csomas lamas, Knga Csleg was the most important person, from the
point of view of the Bothia-tradition. His Gsung-bum (collected works) is still
Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi

preserved in Dzonkul and the other monasteries of the region, together with his
rnam-thar (hagiography) and five other works involving the one written for Csoma,
which is perhaps the longest piece of his life-work.
Knga Csleg left a significant impact on the oral tradition at the area of Zanskar,
Ladak, Kannaur, Lahul and Spiti. In his dictionary, Sarat Candra Das calls Knga
Csleg one of the reincarnations of Zangs-dkar lo-ca-va, that is of the famous
translator from Zanskar.
The third author of the compendiums, is Rab-wbyams-pa Cltrim Gyaco, which is
known from the colophon of one of his works. At the same place, the author
denotes as the time of writing the 18th year of the 14th cycle that is 1824, the year
when Csoma was in Zanskar. We can also state on the basis of his work written for
Csoma that Cltrim Gyaco had established knowledge about the Gelukpa jig-csha
logic. We cannot exclude, therefore, that out of the three lamas he was who
belonged to the Gelukpa order. Unfortunately, that this assumption cannot be
confirmed as we find no information about him at all in other Tibetan sources
After we got acquainted with the authors, let us pay our attention now to the
content of their works. We can find these compendia in the Krsi Csomas
personel collection of Tibetan MSS and Xilographs. It was Jzsef Terjk who gave
a detailed description of this collection.
The first Alexander Book is the work of Cltrim Gyaco (No. 3 in the Collection
mentioned above). Its title is The Ship Entering Into the Sea of the Educational
Systems. Its subject is the meaning of the word Buddha, the origins of great
and small sciences, with an emphasis on the history of logic, its essence; the
explanation of some basic terms; the heretic views contrasting Buddhism; the
philosophical systems spread in Tibet and the arts and virtues coming in Tibet from
abroad.
The work has much in common with the works of the 1 st and the 2nd Dalai Lamas,
and what is more, its title is the same as that of the 2nd Dalai Lama, Dge-wdunrgya-mtshos work about the same subject.
The author of the second compendium is Knga Csleg (No 4.), and its title is:
The Answers [given] to the Questions of the European Sken-dha. The word
Skendha comes from Iskander, that is Alexander.
The topic is discussed in six numbered chapters.

Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi

The first chapter gives a description of the Buddhist cosmology and cosmogony,
with details about the six methods of living in the lower world, enumerating the
time phases from the second to the Kalpa; and describing the world eras.
The second chapter is devoted to the essence of the Three Gems; the third is about
the life of Buddha.
In the fourth one, the author answers the question about how the sutras and tantras
spread in Tibet with an emphasis on the Bka-brgyud-pa order. As it well known the
Bka-brgyud-pa order is part of the abov mentioned Drug-pa order. Therefore this
fact also proves indirectly that Knga Csleg belonged to this order. In the fifth
chapter he answers questions concerning the essence of Buddhism.
The sixth chapter describes the eight stages of gradual deliverance (prtimoksa).
The third lama, Sangye Pncog wrote three treatises for Csoma. Out of them two
are edited into a single book (no 6). The first of these, that is, the third Alexander
Book is a representation about medicine, based on the Rgyud bzhi, The tract in
four parts, which is the principal work on medicine in Tibet.
Fernand Meyer, a specialist of ethnomedicine calls our attention to the accuracy of
this analysis, which proves the fact that Sangye Pncog was experienced in
medicine. However, Meyer lays stress also on some faults, and disputes a view
generally accepted after Csoma, according to which this treatise is a mere
translation of lost Sanskrit sources. He says that the basis wich had been borrowed
evidently from the Indian medical tradition was completed by elements of Chinese
origin and Tibetan characteristics, like counting the pulse or the urinal analysis.
The work in the second part of this book (6b) does not have a title, but it turns out
from the detailed colophon that it contains a chronological study, which was
written on the basis of Suresamatibhadra (Lha-dbang Blo-gros Bzang-po), a monk
of the Brug-pa order, who lived in the 16th century. Later, Csoma acquired
Suresamatis work as well (No. 31,), and other three works of him (No. 30, 7, 29.)
and used them for his own works.
This book has an appendix, the table of rab-byung, the sixty-fold chronological
cycle (without any explanation). It is the enumeration of the twelve zodiacal signs,
and the name of all the sixty years in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and the usual Tibetan
elements plus zodiacal signs with names from fire-sheep to fire-tiger.
The last one, the fifth Alexander Book, the third work of Sangye Pncog (No 8) is
a manuscript of 35 pages.

Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi

The work presents, the sciences concerning the theories of literature and language
(linguistics, metrics, theory of drama, the science of metaphors, and poetry) in five
chapters but very concisely.
The fifth chapter is a review of Dandins Kvyadarsa.
Csoma translated and published Sangye Pncogs work about medicine, in the
Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal, in 1835, and this is the only Alexander Book
that was released so directly. He used the other Alexander Books as well, but he put
them together with information brought from elsewhere, so the material of the
compendiums cannot always be traced further. For example, he published two
chronological table in the Appendix of his Grammar. The first involves the list of
years done by Sangye Pncog, but Csoma doesnt mention the name of Lama, nor
of Suresamati. The second table, as he refers, is an account extracted from a work
entitled Baidrya dkarpo written by Sangye Gyaco, a famous regent at Lhasa in the
17th century.
Thus, the questions about what he got from the compendiums, what from the book
recommended by the lama, and what from other sources, can only be answered
after a deeper analysis of these works.
(Csomas article about the Tibetan chronology, published in the appendix of his
grammar, was analysed and the faults in his calculations he was mistaken in two
years were corrected by the French sinologist, Paul Pelliot.)
This is true of the other Alexander Books, too. But it is sure that Csoma was
especially interested in the secular sciences within the general knowledge, that is
why the studies concerning these got so much emphasis in the works written for
him.
Finally, lets have a look at the Alexander Books from a more comprehensive point
of view: Where is the place of these works in the Tibetan literature?
It is important to emphasize that the Alexander Books came into being through
posing questions by Csoma and the authors gave answers to these questions. In
Tibetan this genre is called dris-lan, i.e. question-answer.
Francke, with some exaggeration, compares Csomas questions with one of the
pearls of the Indian prose, with the Milindapanha, born from the mixture of the
European and the Asian cultures. However, this comparison is made only on the
basis of the similarity of the genres. Milindas Questions, however, resemble the

Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi

dialogues of Socrates, or the catechisms of the Christian culture, rather than the
guided composition-like dris-lans.
A dris-lan (questionanswer an answer given to a question) is a popular literary
genre with Indian antecedents. In a wider sense it joins the letter- (in Sanskrit
lekha) tradition, which flourished in the 10th and 12th centuries in India. In Tibet it
spread early, too, but it became really popular only at the time of the great Buddhist
text translations. The Indian letters, soon after they were written, were translated
into Tibetan, and then, with the spreading of Buddhism, Tibetan authors also
started to write in this genre, in their mother tongue as well.
The letters are generally about the moral principles of Buddhism, and about some
particular questions such as sufferings, asceticism, heretic views, etc. The works
became famous, and wandered through the country in several copies, then they
were placed in the libraries of the monasteries. Among the collected works of the
Dalai Lamas or of other churchmen we always can find some yi-ge, bka-yig, that
is, letters. It is important to emphasize, however, that this genre was basically of a
theoretical, scholastic nature, so the tantriks did not use it.(27)
The dris-lan is a special formation within the letter literature, since dignitaries of
the church answer questions referring to the important issues of the Lamaist faith,
to another, also prominent person.
We do not know how honouring Csomas lamas felt the task given to them. From
the colophons, from the prefaces, and from the outlook of the text we can feel a
kind of reluctance, except for the work of Cltrim Gyaco. He made his work
according to the traditions in every sense. He describes the difficulties of the
question in the preface, which is a usual, indirect way to overestimate the work.
Let us recall our assumption that out of the three lamas it was Cltrim Gyaco, who
may have belonged to the Gelukpa-order. In the Gelukpa tradition, as we could see,
this genre was cultivated at the highest level, as opposed to the wBrug-pa sect,
which the two other lamas belonged to, and which was connected to the tantric
traditions.
Sangye Pncog did not solve his task in a dris-lan form. His medical and linguistic
poetics work is an abstract of the content of some widely known books, a so-called
sdoms-tshig, a well-known genre again, but with works of longer extent. Sangye
Pncog himself apologises because of the shortness of the books, claiming that this
was the Csomas request.
The compendium about chronology is of different nature: the description of
Suresamatis theory, a so-called sa-bcad (=order, arrangement).
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Knga Cslegs compendium about Buddhism was written in the genre of dris-lan,
and in spite of the humble words of the preface, it became rather popular, which is
proved also by its spreading in many copies.
There is a dris-lan in the Csoma-collection that could have been a model for the
work of Knga Csleg: an exchange of letters between the governor of a small
province and the first Grand Lama, which grouped around the philosophical
questions of the sher-phyin. This, relatively easy-to-understand work may have got
in the hands of Csoma and may have given to him the idea to encourage Knga
Csleg to write a similar dris-lan. (28)
Summing up what has been said, we can say that the Alexander Books basically fit
into the Lamaist literary tradition, apart from some smaller differences in form and,
let me put it this way, tone. It cannot be doubted that they played a significant role
in Krsi Csomas scientific success, although it is not apparent in all cases.
But why he took these books very seriously?
For Csoma it was evident that these books are based on buddhist Canon or on
writings of well-known buddhist scholars. Therefore, he was conveinced that he
could rely on the content of these five books.
For intance, it can be shown that the first chapter of the compendium written by
Knga Csleg, dealing with the origin and decline of the world is based on the
Abhidharmakosa of Vasubandhu and on the Smritiupasthna sutra. Similarly, the
second chapter discoussing the essens of Trhee Gems is based on the Uttaratantra
of Asanga, and the third devoted to the life of Buddha on the Vinaya-uttaragrantha
(Dul-ba gzhung dam-pa), on the Abhidharmakosa, on the Uttaratantra and on the
Mahvibhs.
In his publications Csoma often use another works as sources, but it is indisputable
that his firm beliefe in the authencity of the books written for him by the three
Lamas enabled him to create a general, however superfacial frame of knowledge of
fundamental buddhist philosophy.
Considering the enormous volume of the material, only some details could be
clarified by a single person. And this is the reason why only specific questions of
primordial interest for him were discussed in his publications.

Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi

Concerning other fields he attempted to give a simple description of the relevant

topics, without going into any interpretation.
But the lack of interpretation did not mean that his approach to buddhism was not
empathic, in contrast to his predecessors and contemporal collegues. Here it is inaf
to compare, for instance, the writings of Aug. Giorgi, the author of Alphabetum
Tibetanum, with those of AcsK about the life of Buddha.
It is characteristic, too, that such an authority as H. H. Wilson considers the activity
of CsK as the first real attempt to get a reliable picture about Tibetan culture.

Alexander Csoma de Krs a reformed theologian attracted by Buddhism was, for

many, a linguist. Others saw him as the discoverer of a culture unknown in Europe.
The facts mentioned in connection with the compendiums, however, seem to
strengthen that the knoledge of Tibetan language was for him only a tool.
According to my oppinion, he was a scholar creating both the tool and the object of
his scientific activity. Therefore any attempt to separate these two sides that is the
linguistics and philosophy is not acceptable.
If we would like to characterise Csomas way of thinking, first of all we should
mention his openmindingness connected with his wild knowledge in theology,
linguistics, history and oriental studies. This combination with the strict coherence
in the solution of problems enabled him to open this new world for the science.
And besides this statement, we have to accept that Csomas lifework could have
never come to being if he had seen Tibetans as uncivilised savages, like so many
did before, and even after him; if he had not been touched by the beauty of the
mountains and the spirituality of the monasteries, if he had not been able to enter
into the spirit of Tibetans in a way, that is, to approach this world free from the
boundaries of European thinking.
Similarly, it was also a fortunate circumstance that he could find a susceptible
research fellow in the person of Sangye Pncog who was extraordinarily interested
in Western culture.
Closing my lecture I would like to express my sincere thanks to my theachers
opening for me the way to the Tibetan Culture.
Thank you for your attention.
Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi

Szegedi Mnika tibetologist 1999. Delhi