This series contains the opening pages of the Kanjur. The Kanjur, a revered compilation of the Buddha’s profound teachings, holds a distinguished place as one of the primary canonical scriptures in Tibetan Buddhism. Like other temples in Bhutan, Lhadzong Tashigang Gonpa houses a set of the Kanjur, printed from the Narthang woodblocks. However, the initial page, or tog, of each volume is uniquely inscribed with gold ink on dark blue paper. Notably, the tog of the first volumes of the Vinaya, Prajnaparamita, Sutra, and Tantra sections feature intricate depictions of various Buddhas, enhancing the sanctity and reverence of the text. Preserved as sacred relics, the Kanjur of Lhadzong Tashigang Gonpa is stored within the Lhamo Goenkhang, the shrine dedicated to Lhamo, located on the ground floor of the temple. The volumes rest on specially crafted aluminum bookshelves reserved for the Kanjur, each carefully wrapped in layers of protective cloth and secured between two wooden boards, fastened tightly with string. These protective measures reflect the profound reverence and care devoted to this spiritual treasure. However, two volumes—Tsha of the rGyud section and Ki of the mDo sDe section—are missing from the set. Additionally, the Ba volume of the rGyud section has been combined with the Pha volume. While other Kanjur sets typically include an extra volume called Kha skong, this set also lacks that supplementary text.
Extent: 12 volumes of manuscripts.
Arrangement: In this series, I've adhered to the structure of the Narthang Kanjur system, prioritizing the Vinaya followed by the Prajnaparamita section, which further divides into One Hundred Thousand Lines, Twenty Five Thousand Lines, Eighteen Thousand Lines, Ten Thousand Lines, Eight Thousand Lines, and Miscellaneous collection. Next in sequence are the Ratnakutta, Buddha Avatamsaka, General Sutra, and Parinirvana Sutra sections, concluding with a collection of Tantra texts.
Author(s)/Creator(s): As noted in the description, this Kanjur is a xylographic print from the Narthang woodblock. It was procured from Tibet by Chogyel, a disciple of Tenzin Namgyel, and offered to the temple during his tenure as Paro Drön-nyer (Treasurer of Paro). However, details about the creator of the elaborately crafted opening pages (tog) remain unknown.
