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500 Rare Bon Manuscripts Discovered


Text below from the Tibetan Review:


(TibetanReview.net, Jul14, 2010) A research group cataloging ancient Tibetan books had recently discovered in a Tibetan-inhabited area in Longnan, Gansu province, more than 500 handwritten Bon religious scriptures written in the old Tibetan “language”, reported China’s online Tibet news service eng.tibet.cn Jul 13, citing Gansu Daily. The report called it “an extremely rare and significant discovery”.


The scriptures were reported to contain prayers that monks said when performing religious ceremonies and accounts of life and customs of ancient Tibetans. They are said to be rare and precious materials for studying the medieval Tibetan language, religious beliefs, medicine, astronomy and calligraphy.


The report said that after a few books of the Bon religion had been found in Dunhuang in the early 20th century, this was the first time so many well-protected Bon religious scriptures were discovered in Gansu.


The report said the scriptures were written in abbreviated old Tibetan “language”. It said, “The characters are as clear as (if) they were written yesterday, the illustrations are still colorful and the pages are elegant with classic simplicity.”


The books are believed to have been written between the 9th and 11th century, given the “writing style, choices of words, paper materials and other aspects”.