The ''Blue Annals'' (), completed in 1476, written by
Gö Lotsawa Zhönnu-pel
gZhon-nu-dpal (1392-1481), also known as 'Gos Lo-tsa-ba (full name: Yid-bzang-rtse gZhon-nu-dpal) was a famous Tibetan historian and scholar, known as the author of the "Blue Annals".
Life and achievements
He was born in 1392 at lho kha 'phyongs ...
(, 1392–1481), is a Tibetan historical survey with a marked
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
(
Rimé movement
The Rimé movement is a movement or tendency in Tibetan Buddhism which promotes non-sectarianism and universalism.Sam van Schaik (2011). ''Tibet: A History'', pp. 161-162. Yale University Press. Teachers from all branches of Tibetan Buddhism - ...
) view, focusing on the dissemination of various sectarian spiritual traditions throughout
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
.
An English translation by
George de Roerich
George Nicolas de Roerich (Russian: Юрий Николаевич Рёрих, ; August 16, 1902 in Okulovka, Novgorod Governorate – May 21, 1960 in Moscow) was a prominent 20th century Tibetologist. His name at birth was Yuri Nikolaevich Rerikh ...
with help from
Gendün Chöphel
Gendun Chompel or Gendün Chöphel () (1903–1951) was a Tibetan scholar, thinker, writer, poet, linguist, and artist. He was born in 1903 in Shompongshe, Rebkong, Amdo. He was a creative and controversial figure and is considered by many to ha ...
was published in 1949 and has since remained one of the most widely consulted sources on the history of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
up to the fifteenth century.
The
Tibetan and Himalayan Library
The Tibetan and Himalayan Library (THL), formerly the Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library (THDL), is a multimedia guide and digital library hosted by the University of Virginia focused on the languages, history and geography of Tibet and the Him ...
is working on a new online translation of the ''Blue Annals''.
A similar work from a later period is Tuken Lozang Chö kyi Nyima's ''Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems'' () completed in 1802. Tuken favored the
Gelug
file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India).
The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous ...
school, but he nonetheless provides broad and useful historical information, relying heavily on the ''Blue Annals'' himself.
Editions
The following modern editions
[Source]
(accessed: November 5, 2007) are in print:
*Chandra, Lokesh (Ed. & Translator) (1974). ''The Blue Annals''. International Academy of Indian Culture, New Delhi. This edition is a reproduction from block prints kept at
Kundeling Monastery
Kundeling Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, China. It was founded around 1794, and follows the Gelug school. The head of the monastery belongs to a lineage of incarnations that dates back to 1402. There is dispute over the ...
,
Lhasa
Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level city, prefecture-level Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Regio ...
. The colophon (Chandra 970; Chengdu 1271; Roerich 1093) was composed by Rta tshag 8 Ye shes blo bzang bstan pa’i mgon po (1760–1810).
*Chengdu () (1984). ''deb ther sngon po''. Two volumes, paginated continuously. According to Martin (1997), this modern edition is based upon the Kundeling Monastery blockprint and collated with the edition of ''Dga’ ldan chos ‘khor gling'' (Ganden Monastery),
Amdo
Amdo ( am˥˥.to˥˥ ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being U-Tsang in the west and Kham in the east. Ngari (including former Guge kingdom) in the north-west was incorporated into Ü-Tsang. Amdo is also the bi ...
.
*
Roerich, George N. and Gendün Chöphel, translator (1988). ''The Blue Annals'' by Gö Lotsawa. Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1976, Reprint in 1979.
eprint of Calcutta, Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1949, in two volumes
Etymology
The term Blue Annals () or Bamboo History was a word found in the Tang dynasty poem by
Du Fu
Du Fu (; 712–770) was a Tang dynasty poet and politician. Along with his elder contemporary and friend Li Bai (Li Po), he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets.Ebrey, 103. His greatest ambition was to serve his country as ...
(722–770) 唐·杜甫《赠郑十八贲》诗：“古人日以远，青史自不泯。” translating as, "The ancients' times are long gone, but their names carved on bamboo remain fresh." The word is also found in the famous Chinese novel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...
, a work that is estimated to have been completed in 1367. The original sentence reads 《三国演义．第三十六回》：「愿诸公善事使君，以图名垂竹帛，功标青史。」An excerpt from the thirty-sixth chapter of Three Kingdoms, this translates as, "May all your public and good deeds make your lordship hang down bamboo and silk with your name, and your achievements make their mark on history."
Notes
References
*Martin, Dan.
Tibetan Histories: A Bibliography of Tibetan-Language Historical Works'. London, Serindia Publications, 1997.
{{Buddhism topics
Tibetan Buddhist treatises