NGB Historical Notes

NGB Historical Notes

A Chronologically arranged list of prints and manuscripts (both available and unavailable) of the Rnying-ma Rgyud-'bum, based mainly on narrative historical sources.

compiled by Dan Martin

NOTICE THE DATE OF THIS FILE, May 1995. 

SOME OF IT IS CERTAINLY OUT OF DATE.  -DAN 2008

Preface (written in 2008 and revised in 2024):

Note: NGB is by now a standard abbreviation for the Nyingma Gyüd Bum, the Tantra Collection of the Ancients.

If you have a general interest in knowing about this Tantra Collection, I recommend not reading further into this document, but instead try one or both of these online resources:

As a concise outline of NGB editions, I recommend this online resource found at the Rigpa Shedra site:

https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Nyingma_Gy%C3%BCbum

Another essay recommended for similar reasons is this one by Karma Phuntshok:

https://texts.mandala.library.virginia.edu/text/nyingma-gyubum

For a much longer, more comprehensive but also confusing presentation, I might recommend the Wikipedia entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingma_Gyubum

All the information supplied here below is tentative and subject to revision.  You, the users, are responsible for tracing the references and forming your own judgments.  Prior to the Derge (Sde dge) edition of the late 18th century, all NGB's were in manuscript form.  Each individual manuscript is in a class by itself, both in the minor textual variants as well as in the texts included and their arrangement.  The interrelationships between the editions will only become clear through combining textual studies with the narrative historical sources, and these narrative historical sources are the subject of the notes that follow.  Here we emphasize the historical production of the collection and not its content.

A path-breaking paper on the subject of the history of the NGB collections was given by Franz-Karl Ehrhard (then of the University of Münster), "Recently Discovered Manuscripts of the rNying ma rgyud 'bum from Nepal," at the 7th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (Schloss Seggau, Austria; June 18th-24th, 1995). It was published in Helmut Krasser, Michael T. Much, Ernst Steinkellner, Helmut Tauscher, eds., Tibetan Studies I & II: Proceedings of the 7th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Graz 1995, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (Wien 1997), vol. 1, pp. 253-267. 

Notice that, since it was not at the time available to me, I have not included here essential information from Dudjom Rinpoche's History in its English translation by Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein.  

Orna Almogi has published a few relevant articles on various versions of the NGB, but most importantly an upcoming monograph tentatively entitled, The Collection of the Ancient Tantras (rNying ma rgyud 'bum): The History of Its Formation, Production and Transmission.  

There has also been a masters thesis by Mihai Derbac, rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum: A Tibetan Buddhist Canon (Edmonton, Alberta 2007).

At the moment of speaking (2024) quite a few lists of title contents of this collection have been published in print format or as postings on the internet. Most remarkable among these is the very detailed work of Robert Mayer and Cathy Cantwell, "The Catalogue of the Rig 'dzin Tshe dbang nor bu rNying ma'i rgyud 'bum," which might still be possible to locate. There are tables of contents by other authors that will not be listed here.

According to Matthew Kapstein, the Vairocana Rgyud 'bum (Bai ro Rgyud 'bum) represents the textual traditions belonging to the Sems sde tradition passed down within the Zur family lineage, and redacted in the mid- to late-12th century (see Germano in Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, vol. 17, no. 2 [1994], pp. 237, 266). For his more recent conclusions, see Matthew Kapstein, “The Sun of the Heart and the Bai-ro-rgyud-'bum,” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, no. 15 (November 2008), pp. 275-288 [available as a PDF online].

Why bother hanging up this three-decades-old file on the internet?  First of all, it was circulated privately over the years and was sometimes mentioned in the literature that has appeared meanwhile.  Secondly, it appears to be true that this was an early attempt to supply a reasonable coverage of this material, although it must at the same time be noted that it used as its starting point the English-language preface to the 1982 edition of the Mtshams brag edition, building upon it by searching out its sources and adding new material. Please use it to good advantage and in ways that serve for the welfare of sentient beings.

§     §     §

Here below is the original document of 1995:

Note: I have updated and expanded some of the bibliographic entries for clarity.

1.  11th-12th cent.  The NGB of Zur 'Ug bya lung monastery   A 'rough' (rags rim) collection by Kun spangs Grags rgyal.  I think the intention here is to say that it wasn't a very systematic collection of a wide range of tantras (which is another way of saying that there weren't nearly so many tantras in this early collection; certainly one could argue that it couldn't have had any of the Klong Sde or Man ngag gi Sde tantras in it.  Nyang ral's collection didn't include them, to judge from the lists in his History; neither did the long Mkhas pa Lde'u History).

This collection is said to have formed the basis for the Lhun grub Pho brang edition.  

There were still other places  besides 'Ug bya lung that, prior to the 13th century, had holdings of Rnying ma tantras, as is clear in the passage from the biography of Nam mkha' dpal (see just below). The difference between 'holdings' and 'collection' is a very subtle one, and perhaps not even worth making!

Note, too, that Zur 'Ug bya lung was founded by Zur po che (984-1045??), making it an interesting early monastic establishment of the Rnying ma pas (who according to some tenured professors, didn't have any such thing until the 17th century, when they copied from the Dge lugs pa).  Kah thog monastery in Khams was also very old; and there were still other Rnying ma monasteries founded in the same era.  Smra bo lcog Monastery was founded by Nyang ral Nyi ma 'od zer.

2.  @ 1200-1230.  The 30-vol., 375 (or 335) text collection by So ston and Smyos Grags (=Snyos Grags pa rgyal mtshan).  

See 'Dul 'dzin Mkhyen rab rgya mtsho,  Sangs rgyas Bstan pa'i Chos 'byung Dris lan Smra ba'i Phreng ba, Dzongsar Chhentse Labrang, Palace Monastery (Sikkim 1981), p. 338.2 3.

Here is nearly all of chapter 10 from the biography of Nam mkha' dpal (composed by 3 of his own disciples), son of Nyang ral, who was 23 (i.e. 22) when Nyang ral died (otherwise, it's difficult to give his date, since Nyang ral's own death date is not completely settled), the chapter on the construction of the Speech Receptacle[1] (found in Bka' brgyad bde gshegs 'dus pa'i chos skor, “reproduction of a ms. collection of texts from the revelations of Mnga' bdag Nyang ral Nyi ma 'od zer, reproduced from a collection from the library of Kyirong Lama Kunzang now preserved in the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives’’ [Dalhousie 1977], vol. 1, pp. 55.5-59.5):

de nas mnga' bdag sras [i.e. Nam mkha' dpal] kyi thugs dgongs la  mnga' bdag chen po'i [i.e. Nyang ral] sku 'dabs [sku 'das] rims pa yis / sku rten du rigs gsum mgon po bzhengs / 'phrin las rten du lha sa'i chu rags mdzad / de 'dra'i chos 'khor la sogs mang du tshar / da ni gsung gi rten gcig bzhengs dgongs nas / [56] 'phrul yig mkhas pa rol pa stag 'tsho bas [?] dang / gra byi blan chags sprul sku mched gnyis kyis / gser gyi glegs bam gzhan las khyad par 'phags / yi ge che la 'bur ba gser bzod [bzo] legs / gzugs dang skyus rdzogs phyag tshad dang ldan pa / spu ti [po ti] gcig la gnyis tsam ldang ba yi / gser dang longs spyod 'phangs pa med par gtad / gleg bam gcig la 'di las lhag pa med / sangs rgyas shâkya thub pa'i brten pa [bstan pa] la / gsang sngags don gyi snying po dar ba'i dus / smyos grags dang ni so ston[2] gnyis kyis su / gsang sngags rgyud 'bumbzhengs pa'i thugs [d]gongs b[s]kul / chos rje mnga' bdag chen po'i zhal nas su / dpe tsho la [tshol?] 'bri mnyer khyed tshos gyis gcig gsungs / yon rdzongs cha rkyen nga yis sbyar ro gsung / smyos grags bsod nams 'dul zhing dbang du 'byams / so ston khong gis mnyer [gnyer?] dang lags len byas / rab shod klong nas sems dpe'i che mo rtsal / yar lungs phyogs su spu ti bcu dgu bris / dmyal dang lho brag gnyis nas dpe rtsal nas / spu ti bcu gcig smra'o dgon par bris /  kri ya spungs bzang [dpung bzang] la sogs bya ba'i rgyud / de nyid 'dus pa la sogs yo ga'i rgyud / gsang ba 'dus pa la sogs mdo them (?) rgyud / kun byed rgyal po la syo [sogs] rdzogs chen rgyud / yang dag gshin rje dbang chen phur pa dang / [57] che mchog ma mo rigs 'dzin bla madang / dregs pa drag sngags la sogs lha srin rgyud / srid pa'i bsam chen la sogs sgrub chen bka' brgyad rgyud / rnam snang mngon byang la sogs rnal 'byor rgyud / gsang ba 'dus pa la sogs pha rgyud dang / bde mchog dges rdor la sogs ma rgyud dang / dus 'khor mtshan brjod la sogs gnyis med rgyud / gnod sbyin nor bdag lha mgon bka' gsrung rgyud / phyi nang ba'i gsang snying bka' bsrung ma lus rgyud / slob ma dbu chen mkhas pa so ston gyis / lho brag ya gsum dmyal dang rab shod klung / mi chen bzhugs tshad rnams kyi spyan sngar phyin / rgyud kyi dpe rnams ma lus thams cad bsags / rgyud kyi sgrigs dang sdebs kyi rims pa mdzad /  g.yar po'i phyogs kyi yig mkhan tshad ldan bsags / dad chen slob ma yon bdag pho mo rnams / mang po tshogs nas spong len gtod dgos zhung / bla ma mnga' bdag chen po'i zhal nas su / spong len spu ti gcig kyang mi snang gsung / khyed rang thams cad za ma bzang 'dren gyis / thams cad rnams kyis za ma bzang 'dren byas / 'bri ba'i mnyer dang las ka byed pa la / sbyar thog gcig la rgyud sde sum cu gdums / blags shing sku rags la sogs dus gcig tshar / bzhengs nas mnga' [58] gsol gsu ba chen po byas /  snyigs ma'i dus su 'dir chos la phyogs rigs byed /  la las gsar ma'i rgyud la bri zhing snying ma bzhag / la las snying ma'i rgyud 'bri gsar ma bzhag / [Some scribed new tantras and left the old be.  Some inscribed old tantras and left the new be.]  mnga' bdag chos la phyogs rigs [phyogs ris] ma byed par / gsang sngags phyi nang gsar snying bka' gter rnams / so so'i bka' srung rgyud dang bcas pa bzhengs / dbang dang nyan bshad ngo sprod phyag len mdzad / mdo 'brel [='grel] rgyud 'brel man ngag sgrubs thabs sogs / dbang po [mchan: grub mtha' dung [dang?] bstan bcos 'ga' re mdzad pa yin lags/] rab 'bring tha ma gsum dang sbyar / blo rgyud rigs dang mthun pa'i gdam pa bshad / dbus rtsang dag dang e myal lho shar nub / khams la sogs pa'i rgyal khams thams cad du / dam chos nyan bshad slob ma mang po byung / gsang sngags bka' gter chos kyi khri gdugs rdal / bod kyi yul na rgyud 'bum bzhugs tshad la / rgyud sde sum rgya dang ni sum bcu rtsa lnga (=335) bzhugs / sa stengs nyi ma 'og gi rgyal khams na / 'di dang mnyam pa'i rgyud sde gang yang med / brag mar zang blang stug po bkod pa'i zhing / thugs rje 'ja' 'od gur gyi gzhal yas na / snying rje byang sems nyi zla padma'i steng / mnyam med 'gro 'gon dbyer med kun bzang sku / mkha' 'gros byin brlabs bu bzhi sras dang lnga / nges don thugs tshad rigs lnga'i 'khor gyi skor / las sad rtogs ldan brgyad ni sems pa brgyad / [59] [several lines of similar verse omitted] rje rin po che mnga' bdag nam mkha' dpal gyis / gsang sngags rgyud sde dang / rgyas pa 'bum bzhengs pa'i rnam thar gyi le'u ste bcu pa'o //  //

Note it says that there were 335 texts, rather than the 375 (The number 375 is from the English language preface to the Mtshams brag NGB).  It was then (according to the above account) the biggest tantra collection existing in the whole world.   It included both Old and New Tantras, even if some of the scribes had problems with this.  As can be seen from the passage, they collected texts from all over southern Tibet.  One later Rnying ma historical work says that this NGB was made in gold [letters] and filled 82 po ti volumes.

See Gu ru Bkra shis [B], vol. 2, p. 500.3; vol. 3, p. 406.1.  

3.  14th cent.  Zur bZang po dpal, an illustrious scion of the Zur clan…:  If this is the Bdag nyid Chen po Bzang po dpal who lived from 1262 to 1324 (the one who went to the Yüan Emperor), it might be interesting to point out that he was a Sa skya pa, and abbot of Sa skya for a number of years (Blue Annals, p. 213).

4.  about 1462.  Ratna gling pa (1403-1478) combines a text of NGB with its lung.  This is called the Lhun grub Pho brang edition.

One should divide this entry into two different entries.  The Lhun grub Pho brang NGB was made by both Ratna gling pa and his son Tshe dbang grags pa.  Following Ratna gling pa's death, Tshe dbang grags pa erected still another ms. in honour of his father, basing this latter one on the Kah thog ms.

I think what's really crucial about the Lhun grub Pho brang version of Ratna gling pa was just that this was the textual version (dpe) that became the basis for transmitting the lung.  I think other scholars have misread the significance of this for the tradition, and concluded that somehow Ratna gling pa's version was somehow more 'canonized' and organized  or authoritative (misinterpreting the syllable lung) than earlier collections.  (Where is the Tibetan language evidence for this scholarly opinion?  I would like to know.)

Son of Ratna gling pa; 82 golden vols. of NGB from Kah thog.  Gu ru Bkra shis [B] II 713.5.  The son's name is Tshe dbang grags pa, and he compiled the NGB as a memorial to his father.

'Dul 'dzin Mkhyen rab rgya mtsho (=G.yag sde 'Dul 'dzin), Sangs rgyas Bstan pa'i Chos 'byung Dris lan Nor bu'i Phreng ba, The National Library of Bhutan (Thimphu 1984), p. 604.1:  gru shul lhun grub pho brang du rig 'dzin ratna'i thugs sras kyi bzhengs pa'i rgyud 'bum la'ang che chos kyi pu ti lnga cu nga drug 'dug.  56 large volumes.

5.  about 1510.  The first Bhutanese ms. ed. in 35 vols.  From preface to 1982:  <<The first Bhutanese ms. collections belong to the 16th century when the Kah thog pa Bla ma Bsod nams rgyal mtshan bestowed the transmission at O rgyan rtse mo at Spa gro Stag tshang upon Bla ma Ngang rgyud rgyal po and others.>>  On this Bsod nams rgyal mtshan, see Aris, Bhutan, p. 153.  He lived 1466-1540.  He was a follower (successor) of Dbu 'od Ye shes 'bum pa (1245-1311) who founded O rgyan rtse mo (see Biographical Dictionary of Tibet & Tibetan Buddhism, vol. III, p. 411).  A text by him on the Theg pa Dgu, as well as an autobiography, exists.

6.  about 1685.  Smin gling Rgyud 'bum ed. by Smin gling Lo chen (or Gter bdag gling pa?) in 23 large volumes.  It was written out by Gter bdag gling pa 'Gyur med rdo rje.

7.  about 1700(?).  Gong ra Lo chen Gzhan phan rdo rje (1654-1714) collected texts and had 3 NGB made; 2 of them he sent to Khams and Kong po to serve as the basis for further copies.  

On the date of Gong ra Lo chen:  The dates 1654-1714 given by Samten are most probably correct.  That's the dating given in Khetsun Sangpo's Biographical Dictionary (vol. 4, p. 359).  The earlier date is from Dhongthog (Important Dates in Tibetan History), in which most of the dates are wrong, anyway.  Gong ra Lo chen was a teacher of one Bres gshongs pa Chos rgyal rdo rje (1602-1677, according to Sangpo, Biographical Dictionary, vol. 3, pp. 283, 790; if these dates are right then Dhongthog might be right).  

8.  In about 1730.  The Mtshams brag ms. has 545 texts in 46 vols. (Yeshe De Project).  In the last 20 years (i.e., between 1728-1748) of the life of Mtshams brag Sprul sku Ngag dbang 'brug pa (1682-1748) he had the NGB copied from a loaned Punakha (Spungs thang) original.  On the Ngag dbang 'brug pa, see Aris 318 (n. 71).  There is a bio. entitled Rgyal Kun Brtse ba'i Spyi Gzugs Sems dpa' [Ngag dbang 'brug pa] kyi Rtogs brjod Rig 'dzin Kun tu Dga' ba'i Zlos gar, in 119 folios, dbu can ms., written by one Ma ti.  Tib-B BQ 942/.S77 B77/1975.  None of his works are in the library.  He was a disc. of Bstan 'dzin legs pa'i don grub (1645-1726), Sgang steng Sprul sku (whose bio. is pub. in 1974, by Rje Mkhan chen X, 1700-1766).  From the preface to NGB published in 1982:  <<The present ms. probably comes from a transmission received through the Third Pad gling Kun mkhyen Tshul khrims rdo rje or one of the Thugs sras in the 17th (ie. 18th) century.  This tradition incorporates numerous gter ma tantras into the corpus.  This collection traditionally is regarded as complete in 46 volumes according to the gsan yig of such great Bhutanese savants as the Pan chen Bstan 'dzin chos rgyal (Rje Mkhan po X, 1700-1766).  Rnying ma rgyud 'bum collections in 46 volumes exist at Sgang steng Dgon pa, Shar phyogs Sbra me'i rtse and at Mtshams brag Monasteries.>>

Source:  Rgyal kun khyab bdag 'gro ba'i bla ma bstan 'dzin rin po che legs pa'i don grub zhabs kyi rnam par thar pa ngo mtshar nor bu'i mchod sdong (The life of Sgang steng Sprul sku Bstan 'dzin legs pa'i don grub [1645-1726?] by Rje Mkhan chen X Bstan 'dzin chos rgyal [1700-1767]) & Rgyal kun brtse ba'i spyi gzugs sems dpa' chen po gsung dbang sprin dbyangs kyi rtogs pa brjod pa rig 'dzin kun tu dga' ba'i zlos gar (The life of Skyabs phra Mtshams brag Bla ma Ngag dbang 'brug pa [1682-1748]) "reproduced from the rare ms. from Mtshams brag Monastery by Kunsang Topgay (Thimphu 1975).  Tib-B BQ 942 .X17 B77 1975.  Both of the subjects of these biographies were followers of Padma gling pa.  Stang-steng Sprul sku was recognized in his childhood as a reembodiment of Rgyal sras Padma 'phrin las (1564-1642?), the son of Zla ba rgyal mtshan.  Mtshams brag Bla ma belonged to a lineage of nobles descended from the Skyu ra clan of 'Bri gung.  The latter's bio. was composed by one Ma ti (which might be Gdong dkar Sprul sku Blo gros) at the behest of the Rgyal tshab and Rje Yon tan mtha' yas (1724-1783).

**pp. 247-483:  The biography of Mtshams brag Bla ma.**

279.1  B. in Water Dog (1682) in his fathers 51st year.

320 ff.  Makes copy of Kanjur in 3 years.

328.4  Goes again to Stang steng and meets Bstan 'dzin legs pa'i don grub.

359.1  Age 34 (Sheep year).

389  Bstan 'dzin legs pa'i don grub dies (1726?).

395.1  Meets Zhwa nag Byang chub rdo rje.

408.2  Hears of complete printing of Bka' 'gyur in Tibet by the Mi rje Sa dbang chen po and it is like a thirsty man finding water (Info. on the new Sde dge print).

423.1  gser tshon dngos gtsang gi rgyu las bka' brgyad gral thang bzhengs shing / gzhan yang rnying ma'i rgyud 'bum 'di dkon par gzigs te / sku gzhogs spungs thang nas ma dpe g.yar po zhus / shog bu'i rtsol ba mdzad de phral du sgrub pa gnang / de dang dus mtshungs su zab gos sna tshogs las phan gdugs rgyal mtshan phye phur la sogs pa'i mchod rdzas spyan gzigs sna tshogs kyang bsgrubs shing / gzhan yang gtsug lag khang thog [424] tu gser gyi rgyal mtshan legs par btsugs shing gtsug lag khang la zhig gsos kyang mdzad / mi dbang si tu spa gro'i spyi blar bzhugs dus sil lung dgon pa gnang byung ba der yang de skabs zhig gsos bcas.

448.4  Hears that entire Bstan 'gyur is being printed in Tibet.

451.1  Rnying ma rgyud 'bum listed among books at Mtshams brag.

9.  In 1772, 'Jigs med gling pa wrote out the Padma 'od gling NGB.  

Rnying ma Rgyud 'bum 1973 XXXIIII (the entire volume):  De bzhin gshegs pas legs par gsungs pa'i gsung rab rgya mtsho'i snying por gyur pa rig pa 'dzin pa'i sde snod dam snga 'gyur rgyud 'bum rin po che'i rtogs pa brjod pa 'dzam gling mtha'i gru khyab pa'i rgyan, by 'Jigs med gling pa.  569-572:  Discussion of various recensions of the NGB.  List of patrons who donated money & materials ends on p. 588.1.

The Collected Works of Kun mkhyen 'Jigs med gling pa, Sonam T. Kazi (Gangtok 1972).  Vol. 3:  rnying ma'i rgyud 'bum gyi rtogs brjod (p. 427.4).

569.2:

gtsang 'ug bya lung nas kun spangs grags rgyal gyis bzhengs pa'i rgyud 'bum rags rim / gong lo gzhan phan rdo rjes bzhengs pa gtsang sog gi dus kong por bshugs ste thang 'brog na bzhugs pa / snga 'gyur rgyud 'bum rin po che'i dpe lung gnyis ka'i rgyun la gcig tu bka' drin ldan pa ratna gling pa yab sras kyis bzhengs pa'i lhun grub pho brang[3] gi rgyud 'bum rnams dpe lung gnyis ka'i rtsa bar gyur la /  

gtsang 'ug bya lung nas kun spangs grags rgyal gyis bzhengs pa'i rgyud 'bum rags rim / gong lo gzhan phan rdo rjes bzhengs pa gtsang sog gi dus kong por bshugs te thang 'brog na bzhugs pa / snga 'gyur rgyud 'bum rin po che'i dpe lung gnyis ka'i rgyun la gcig tu bka' drin ldan pa ratna gling pa yab sras kyis bzhengs pa'i lhun grub pho brang gi rgyud 'bum rnams dpe lung gnyis ka'i rtsa bar gyur la / 

spyir lhun grub pho brang pa la sogs te bla ma gong ma dag gi gsan yig sogs las gter rgyud mang pos kha bskang bas pod chung bzhi bcur thal ba sogs kyi ka tha snang yang /  bka' dgongs pa'i rgyud mang po ni chos sde de pa'i sde tshan du dpe lung gnyis ka'i rgyun zam ma chad par 'byung bas phyogs 'dir 'dri ba'i dgos pa lhag po'ang mi snang / 

spyir lhun grub pho brang pa la sogs te bla ma gong ma dag gi gsan yig sogs las gter rgyud mang pos kha bskangs pas pod chung bzhi bcur thal ba sogs kyi ka tha snang yang / bka' dgongs la sogs pa'i rgyud mang po ni chos sde de pa'i sde tshan du dpe lung gnyis ka'i rgyun zam ma chad par 'byung pas phyogs 'dir 'dri ba'i dgos pa lhag po'ang mi snang //

'dir ni ldang ma lhun rgyal dang / gter kha gong 'og gi chos sde nas spyi ti la sogs pa'i chos kyi bzhugs tshul la nges par gces shing / gzhung don rmad du byung ba 'ba' ['ga'] zhig ma gtogs / gtso bor bka' nas bkar brgyud pa rnams phyogs gcig tu bzhugs pa'i sde tshan gtso bor 'du byed pa la rgyal dbang lnga pa'i gsan yig dang / smin gling gi rgyud 'bum phyogs mthun pa byung bas chos kyi bzhugs tshul de bzhin du byas / 

'dir ni ldang ma lhun rgyal dang / gter kha gong 'og gi chos sde nas spyi ti la sogs pa'i chos kyi bzhugs tshul la nges par gces shing / gzhung don rmad du byung ba 'ga' [428] zhig ma gtogs / gtso bor dka' nas bkar brgyud pa rnams phyogs gcig tu bzhugs pa'i sde tshan gtso bor 'du byed pa la rgyal dbang lnga pa'i gsan yig dang / smin gling gi rgyud 'bum phyogs mthun pa byung bas chos kyi bzhugs tshul de bzhin du byas / 

[570.3] rgyud so so'i phyogs gtogs kyi ngos 'dzin la yo ga gsum ka'i skabs bzhed tshul mi 'dra ba mang du byung ba ni / gzhung gi ngo bos gsal bar ston pa dag gang zag gi blo mthus nyam nyes pa ma yin pa'i phyi na [phyir] / rgyal ba gnyis pa kun mkhyen ngag gi dbang po'i grub mtha' mdzod kyi dgongs pa ma 'khrul zhing ma 'dzings pa sngon du bshad nas 'phros don la sangs rgyas kyi gsung rnam pa thams cad pa yin pa'i rgyu mtshan gong du bkod pa bzhin yan man gnyis kar rtogs pa'i rgyud kyang yod pas don lam i 'gal mod / 

rgyud so so'i phyogs gtogs kyi ngos 'dzin la yog gsum ka'i skabs bzhed tshul mi 'dra ba mang du byung ba ni / gzhung gi ngo bos gsal bar ston pa dag gang zag gi blo mthus nyam nyes pa ma yin pa'i phyir na / rgyal ba gnyis pa kun mkhyen ngag gi dbang po'i grub mtha' mdzod kyi dgongs pa ma 'khrul zhing ma 'dzings ba sngon du bshad nas 'phros don la sangs rgyas kyi gsung rnam pa thams cad pa yin pa'i rgyu mtshan gong du bkod pa bzhin yan man gnyis kar rtogs pa'i rgyud kyang yod pas don la mi 'gal mod / 

chos 'byung rnying pa kha gcig dang / mnga' ris pan chen la sogs pa'i gsan yig la dpyad na dpe lung gnyis ka'i rgyun nub pa'ang 'ga' zhig ['ga' shas] mchis pa las / 'dir smin gling gi rgyud 'bum pod chen nyi shu rtsa gsum pa phyi mor bzung /  der yang rgyud bcu bdun gyi sde tshan 'ga' zhig la rtog dpyod med par grangs yig btab pa'i rgyun 'byams nas le grangs yan man [yin min] nor ba sogs kyi gol 'phyug slar [slad] yig dkyus su shor ba re mang 'dug pa zhus dag gi dus tshor bas ma phyi la mchan bus btab cing 'di la skyar bris byas /[4]

chos 'byung rnying pa kha cig dang / mnga' ris pan chen la sogs pa'i gsan yig la dpyad na dpe lung gnyis ka'i rgyun mud pa'ang 'ga' shas mchis pa las / 'dir smin gling gi rgyud 'bum pod chen nyi shu rtsa gsum pa phyi mor bzung / der yang rgyud bcu bdun gyi sde tshan 'ga' zhig la rtog dpyod med par grangs yig btab pa'i rgyun 'byams nas le grangs yan man nor ba sogs kyi gol 'phyugs slar yig dkyus su shor ba re mang 'dug bzhus dag gi dus tshor bsam phyi la mchan bus btab cing 'di la bskyar bris byas / 

sde tshan rnams la'ang dang por phyog sgrigs zhig yod tshod la / phyi mo 'dir pod kha [la] snyoms phyir 'dir bris gya tshoms su brgal ba'ang mang du 'dug pa slar phyogs sdebs su gang 'grig gyis te gtan la phab / la la 'thol [mthol/ 'grol] ba las dbyung / 

sde tshan rnams la'ang dang por phyogs bsgrigs shig yod tshod la / phyi mo 'dir pod la snyoms phyir 'dir bris zhes gya tshoms su brgal ba'ang mang du 'dug pa slar phyogs bsdebs su gang 'grig bgyis te gtan la phab / la la 'grol ba las dbyung / 

yi ge pa'i slad skyon dang / zhu dag mkhan gyi dpyod tshul nor ba [dang] / bri nor byung bas shin tu brtag dka' ba mang du mchis pa rnams las po ti gnyis gsum tsam ma gtogs phal che rang nyid kyi mig lam du dong bas 'byin 'jug gang shes byas / 

yi ge pa'i lhad skyon dang / zhu dag mkhan gyis dpyod tshul nor ba dang / bri nor byung bas shin tu brtag dka' ba mang du mchis pa rnams las po ti gnyis gsum tsam ma gtogs phal cher rang nyid kyi mig lam du dong bas 'byin 'jug gang shes byas / 

sngags rnams ni sngags btu la sogs pa dang tshad mas 'gal bar shes pa rnams bcos shing / cis kyang the tshom dang bral bar ma nus pa dag / pi sha tsi dang / a wa bhram sha dang / pra ti ka'i skad dang / brda skad shin tu gsang ba dang / kla klo'i skad la sogs pa yod par shes nas bcos nas bcos su mi btub pa rnams phyi mo dang mthun pa tsam rgyu mtshan du byas nas sor bzhag pa nyid nyes dmigs chung ba'i gnas su byas ste /

sngags rnams ni sngags btu la sogs pa dang tshad mas 'gal bar shes ba rnams [429] bcos shing / cis kyang the tshom dang bral bar ma nus pa dag // bi ga tsi dang / a wa bhram sha dang / pra kri ta'i skad dang / brda skad shin tu gsang ba dang / kla klo skad la sogs pa yod par shes nas bcos su mi btub pa rnams phyi mo dang mthun pa tsam rgyu mtshan du byas nas sor bzhag pa nyid nyes dmigs chung ba'i gnas su byas te /  …

10.  about 1771-2.  'Jigs med gling pa (1728-1798) makes the first printing of the Sde dge xylograph edition using the Smin gling Rgyud 'bum as a basis.  It contains 446 texts in 26 vols. (data from Yeshe De Project).  At least 2 copies exist in Europe, one in the library of Gyurme Dorje at Sde dge in 1989, the other given to Tucci by the Dalai Lama in 1949 in Lhasa now at the ISMEO (Rob Mayer's dissertation is the source for this).  The carving of the woodblocks was supervised by Dge rtse Pandi ta of Kah thog 'Gyur med tshe dbang mchog grub.  The carving was done under patronage of Tshe dbang lha mo, ruling queen regent of Sde dge at the time (her husband died in 1790 when he was age 22).  

11.  1790's (after the carving of the Sde dge woodblock version).  Dge rtse Pandi ta made a NGB ms. in 26 vols.

12.  about 1830.  The Gting skyes Dgon pa Byang manuscript, as published in 1971.  This monastery, just to the north of Sikkim, was built by Padma chos 'phel (1773-1836), who furnished it with a copy of the Rnying ma Rgyud 'bum; most likely the same as the one published in 1971.  His line especially followed the Byang Gter. 

The Gting skyes Dgon byang Monastery was founded by Padma chos 'phel (1773-1836), a follower of the Byang gter, whose reincarnation lineage includes the Yol mo bas of Nepalese fame.  At the time of founding, more or less, he furnished it with a copy of the NGB.  I think it most likely that it is the same one reprinted in 1971.  We have a text called Mtshungs med Dpal Mgon Bla ma Dam pa Gting skye Dgon byang Mchog sprul 'Khrungs rabs Bcu'i Rnam par Thar pa Mdo tsam Brjod pa by Mtha' grol rdo rje, a disc. of the 9th in the 'khrungs rabs, who wrote the work in Sikkim, apparently in 1965 (Kunzang Topgyel & Mani Dorje, Thimphu 1979).   The biography of Padma chos 'phel (his ordination name; other names are Bya btang Mkhas grub lha rje and Tshe ring don 'grub) is told from pp. 34 through 51 (as the 6th of the 10 reincarnations referred to in the title).  His main teacher was his own uncle Kun bzang rdo rje (chief disciple of Padma chos 'phel's previous incarnation).  The ref. to his 'erecting' of a NGB is on pp. 49 50, where it also says he had two complete copies of the Kanjur and Tanjur made, among other books made to furnish the temple.  The accounts of his successors at Gting skyes mention that they received ljags lung of the Rnying ma Rgyud 'bum, but with no mention of them erecting new manuscripts.  Note also that there have been two separate publications, in 1974 and 1979, of his two-volume collected writings.  I'm satisfied that the NGB ms. made by Padma chos 'phel is the same one published in 1971, although to be sure one ought to find some reference in a scribe/patron colophon, if there is such a thing.  

Mtshungs med dpal mgon bla ma dam pa gting skye dgon byang mchog sprul 'khrungs rabs bcu'i rnam par thar pa mdo tsam brjod pa, by Mtha' grol rdo rje, a disc. of the 9th (see below) who wrote the work in Sikkim, apparently in 1965, Kunzang Tobgyel & Mani Dorji (Thimphu 1979) [322].  Tib C BQ7662.9 .M82 1979::

VIth in incarnation lineage.  34.6.  Padma chos 'phel (ordination n.), =Bya btang Mkhas grub lha rje, Birthn.: Tshe ring don 'grub.  B. in Zar phud nang to a brother of Kun bzang rdo rje in a Water Snake (1773).  Mother died when he was 5.  Ordained by Sa skya chen po Kun dga' blo gros (1729-1783) at age 8.  Main teacher was Kun bzang rdo rje.  Studied medicine with Sman bla Tshe dbang rnam rgyal.  Kun bzang rdo rje died when Padma chos 'phel was 33.  This part of the bio. is found elsewhere.  41.2:  Gting skyes nyin phug.  He travels extensively.  47.4:  He is urged in a vision to build Dgon byang pa.  Among the furnishings of the temple, he had two complete copies of the Kanjur & Tanjur made and a Rnying ma rgyud 'bum, among other books (pp. 49-50).  Died in Fire Monkey (1836).  Ends by referring us to the Rnam thar Rgyas pa.  His Collected Writings pub. in 2 vols. in 1974 and 1979.  Tib-B BQ 7662 .P28 1974.  Tib-C BQ7662 .P28 1979.

* * *

Here are some more notes added after 1995, not in much if any order:

E. Kaneko, An Annotated Catalogue of the rÑiṅ ma rgyud 'bum, Kokusho Kankôkai (Tokyo 1982).  Japanese title: Ko-Tantora zenshû kaidai mokuroku.  This is a catalog of the Gting-skyes version of Rnying-ma Rgyud 'Bum.  Idem., “Ratna gliṅ pa and the rÑiṅ ma rgyud 'bum,” contained in: Research on Apocryphal Sûtras, ed., T. Makita, Kyoto University (1976), pp. 369-386.

Giacomella Orofino, “I centomila tantra degli antichi: l'edizione di Sde dge del Rnying ma rgyud 'bum nel Fondo Tucci della Biblioteca dell'IS.I.A.O.,” contained in: Alfredo Cadonna & Ester Bianchi, eds., Facets of Tibetan Religious Tradition and Contacts with Neighbouring Cultural Areas, Orientalia Venetiana series no. 12, Leo S. Olschki Editore (Florence 2002), pp. 211-223.

Ruldolph Kaschewsky, “Bericht über eine literarische und buddhologische Sammelarbeit in Nepal 1968/9,” Zentralasiatische Studien, vol. 3 (1969), pp. 289-325, at p. 311, with its mention of a NGB in 33+ vols. in Kathmandu.  This is evidently the one found at Nepalese National Archives in Kathmandu by Ehrhard, who says it originated from Skyid grong in the 18th or 19th centuries.  This version is said to have 545 texts, including 36 unique texts not found in other collections (Yeshe De Project).  It should have 37 volumes, but a few volumes are missing.  The catalog of this collection by Brag dkar Rta so Sprul sku Chos kyi dbang phyug, entitled Rnying ma Rgyud 'bum Phyi Glegs bam Nang gi Chos tshan Bzhugs byang dkar chag Dpe Rdzi Bsam 'phel Nor bu'i 'Phreng ba, also exists in the microfilm collection of the Nepalese National Archives.

There is a ms. in at least 28 vols. at Oxford (R.A. Stein, “La Gueule du Makara: un trait inexpliqué de certains objets rituels,” contained in: A. Macdonald and Y. Imaeda, ed., Essais sur l'art du Tibet, Librairie d'Amérique et d'Orient [Paris 1977], pp. 52-62, at p. 57).  Evidently this is the same as the one procured by Waddell during the Younghusband Expecition in 1904 in Lhasa.  At present, vol. 1 is in the Bodelian Library in Oxford, while the others are in London. Originally it had 33 volumes, but vols. 3, 9, 15 and 31 are missing.  Described by Rob Mayer (with information from Michael Kowalewski).  

Francke, Antiquities, vol. 2, p. 97:  King of Ladakh named Lha rgyal (dates circa 1230 1260?) "caused to be written a copy of the Rgyud Rdo rje rtse mo, of the Ngan song sbyong ba'i rgyud and of the whole Rgyud 'bum, all in gold."  This may or may not be a NGB.

Langthang ms.:  Part on microfilm at Nepalese National Archives L99 and thereabouts.  Ms. colophon located at Reel L8/9 folio 25 recto:  Gnas chen Blangs grangs 'Od gsal gling du 'bris"

37 vols. in NGB; see Collected Works of Sog bzlog pa Blo gros rgyal mtshan, "reproduced from an incomplete dbu can manuscript from the library of Ven. Bdud 'joms Rin po che," Sanje Dorji (Delhi 1975), vol. 1, pp. 379.3, 396.1.  

Ms. in Yon po do at Yar 'brog.  Gu ru Bkra shis's History [version B], vol. 1, p. 620.6.  More notes from Gu ru Bkra shis [B]:  III 423.2:  Lung for NGB.  424.1:  New edition.  437.3:  46 vol. version.  454.3:  Three copies made; one sent to Khams and one to Kong po, in time of Dzungars.  IV 188.3:  Rnying rgyud Dkar chag by Kah thog Tshe dbang mchog grub dpal 'bar.  IV 201.6:  Copies of NGB taken from Gter bdag gling pa and spread in Khams.  IV 269.6:  Abbot of Rdzogs chen, 'Gyur med theg mchog bstan 'dzin (b. 1699) made 5 copies of NGB.  On the Sde dge version, see IV 306.4, 508.5 ff., V 106.5.  On 'Jigs med gling pa and the NGB, see III 376.3.

Gsan yig of Dalai Lama V: Dalai Lama V Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho (1617-1682), Thob yig Gangga'i Chu rgyun, Nechung & Lhakhar (Delhi 1970-1).  in 4 vols.  Vol. 2, 389.2  [Pt. 5:]  the rgyud 'bum.  393.4  History of Tantra polemics.  Discussion of Rnying ma rgyud 'bum editions.

* * *

The Collected Works of Kun mkhyen 'Jigs med gling pa, Sonam T. Kazi (Gangtok 1972).  Vol. 9:  The biography of 'Jigs med gling pa.  p. 236:  bstan pa dang sems can la phan thogs na mi 'grub tshad tshad kyi bya ba brtsam pa la'ang the tshom med pas lcags mo yos kyi lo'i [1771] sok nas phyi lo'i [1772] dbyar gyi bar rgyud 'bum rin po che bzhengs pa'i bya ba mang pos brel bar gyur to // de la 'jig rten gyi skye bo phal mo che ni rgyud 'bum …

END NOTES:

1. The sons of Nyang ral made five kinds of 'receptacles' in memory of their father—Body (images of the Lords of the Three Families), Speech, Mind (the Sku 'bum Mthong grol chen mo), Quality (108 Nepalese-style thang-kas) and Activity (the Lhasa dike).  What's not clear to me is exactly how much of a role Nyang ral (mnga' bdag chen po in the passage) played in the instigation of the NGB collection that was 'erected' after his death as a memorial to him.  It looks like the letter experts Rol pa Stag 'tsho ba and Gra byi (Grwa phyi?) Blan chags are the two scribes who made the memorial NGB.  So ston and Smyos Grags must have collected the texts at the orders of Nyang ral himself.  (There are some problems with working out the chronology, and feeling sure that Mnga' bdag Chen po in the passage necessarily refers to Nyang ral and not to Nam mkha' dpal...)

2. So ston was one of the three disciples who composed this biography of Nam mkha' dpal.  He seems to have done most of the work on the NGB, while Smyos grags tried to raise donations.

3. Karma mi 'gyur dbang rgyal, hierarch of Zab bu lung Monastery, Gter bton Brgya rtsa'i Mtshan Sdom Gsol 'debs  Chos rgyal Bkra shis stobs rgyal gyi Mdzad pa'i 'Grel pa Lo rgyus Gter bton Chos 'byung, Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche Pema Wangyal, Orgyan Kunsang Chokhor Ling (Darjeeling 1978), pp. 171.1 4, 172.1, 173.2.

4. The tradition of assigning numbers without close thought to some of the collections of 17 tantras has become widespread.  And there are rather many blunders, including such errors as too many or too few chapter numbers and interpolated letters/words that have escaped into the text.  At the time of editing we attached annotations to the prototype, which have been copied here.  (A very provisional translation!)

Note the existence of this recent catalogue:  Mi nyag Thub bstan chos dar (b. 1960), Rnying ma rgyud 'bum gyi dkar chag gsal ba'i me long, Mi rigs dpe skrun khang (Beijing 2000), in 305 pages.  A catalogue of the Sde dge edition of the Rnying ma rgyud 'bum collection of Old Translation tantras.  No index, which would have made it useable. Best if it had just been published electronically!  Now there are a number of listings of title contents of various NGB's mostly made available in internet sites and electronic journals.