Encyclopedias


Blo bzang 'phrin las, Dung dkar. Mkhas dbang Dung dkar Blo bzang 'phrin las mchog gis mdzad pa'i Bod rig pa'i tshig mdzod chen mo shes bya rab gsal (= Dung dkar tshig mdzod). English colophon title: Dungkar Tibetological great dictionary. Pe-cin: Krung-go'i Bod rig pa'i dpe skrun khang; Mtsho sngon Zhing chen Zhin hwa dpe tshong khang gis bkram, 2002.

Dung dkar Blo bzang 'phrin las & Dar mdo Bkra-shis dbang 'dus. Bod kyi rig gnas dang lo rgyus kyi re'u mig ngo mtshar kun snang. [Chengdu] : Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1997.
    This nearly bilingual chronology of Tibetan history is full of useful reference material, much of which has no doubt now been included in the dictionary listed above, but grouped here topically and in easy to use charts and lists. Lists in chart form the incarnations of the Dalai, Panchen and Jamyang Zhepa Lamas (including their birthplaces), as well as the lineages of the Sa skya (including its various bla brang and the lam 'dras tradition), the various lineages of the Bka brgyud schools (including the Black and Red Hat incarnations, the Stag lung abbots, the Dga' ldan abbots, etc. Lists of special importance to political history include the Yuan emperors' Ti shri (imperial preceptors) and Sa skya dbon chen, the various sde srid of the Dalai Lamas (1642-1952), a list of the actual rulers of Tibet from (1642-1951) pp. 82-86, a list and description of the Lhasa administartive offices of power (from the Dalai Lama to Finance Office and so forth) pp. 87-93. Also includes useful bilingual charts dealing with administrative divisions of Tibet (giving old and new names in Chinese and Tibetan).

Phun tshogs tshe ring, Shar-yul. Bod kyi lo rgyus zhib 'jug la nye bar mkho ba'i lo rgyus don chen re'u mig rgyas pa ke ta ka. Pe cin: Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2005 [1987].
    Chronology of Tibetan history, from one of the most important historians in modern Tibet. Straightforward listing of events by date from 126 BCE to 1956; then various charts organizing information about key figures from the Tibetan imperial period to the Sa skya, Phag dru, Gtsang pa sde srid rulers of Tibet, and much more detail about the later period of Tibetan history.

Danzhu’angben (ed.). Zang zu da ci dian (= Bod rigs tshig mdzod chen mo). Lanzhou Shi : Gan su ren min chu ban she, 2003. In Chinese.  Ref: DS731.T56 Z35 2003 

Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas. Kongtrul's Encyclopedia of Indo-Tibetan Culture. Parts 1-3. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture. 1970. See also:

Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas. Shes bya kun khyab:Theg pa'i sgo kun btus pa gsung rab rin po che'i mdzod blab pa gsum legs par ston pa'i bstan bcos shes bya kun khyab. Delhi : Shechen Publications. 1997. Columbia Special Collections: BQ4005 .K67 1997
    See Gene Smith, Among Tibetan Texts, Chapter 15 for an introduction to a fifteenth-century Tibetan Encyclopedia, and Chapter 17, pp. 236-7, for an introduction to Kong sprul's encyclopedia. Many parts of the latter text seem to have been translated into English:

  1. Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas; translated and edited by the International Translation Committee founded by the V.V. Kalu Rinpoché. Myriad worlds:Buddhist cosmology in Abhidharma, Kālacakra, and Dzog-chen. Ithaca, N.Y. : Snow Lion Publications. 1995.
  2. Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas, Rinpoche Bokar. The treasury of knowledge. Book one, Myriad worlds. Ithaca, N.Y. : Snow Lion Publications. 2003;
  3. Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas, Thrangu Rinpoche, Peter Alan Roberts, trans. The practice of tranquillity and insight:a guide to Tibetan Buddhist meditation : a commentary on the eighth chapter of the Treasury of knowledge by Jamgön Kongtrül. Ithaca, N.Y.: Snow Lion Publications. 1998.
  4. Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas, Elio Guarisco; Ingrid McLeod, trans. The treasury of knowledge:book six, part four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra. Ithaca, N.Y.; Boulder, Colo.: Snow Lion Publications. 2005.
  5. Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas, Ron Garry, trans. The teacher-student relationship:a translation of the explanation of the master and student relationship, how to follow the master, and how to teach and listen to the dharma. Ithaca, N.Y.: Snow Lion Publications. 1999.
  6. Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas, Elizabeth M Callahan, trans. The treasury of knowledge:book six, part three : Frameworks of Buddhist philosophy : a systematic presentation of the cause-based philosophical vehicles. Ithaca, N.Y.: Snow Lion Publications. 2007.
  7. Kong sprul Blo gros mtha' yas, Sarah Harding, trans. The treasury of knowledge: Book eight, part four: esoteric instructions: a detailed presentation of the process of meditation in Vajrayana. Ithaca, N.Y.: Snow Lion Publications. 2007.

Sgrol ma skyabs, Bla brang (ed.). Gser gyi sbram bu'i ming tshig mchan 'grel nor bu'i do shal. [Lha-sa]: Bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang. 1997. Ref: PL3635 .S48 1997

Krung go Bod brgyud Mtho rim Nang bstan Slob gling. Gangs can rig brgya'i sgo 'byed lde mig (= Zang wen wen xuan). Pe cin: Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1987- (1997 printing).
    This 30 volume collection is not exactly an encyclopedia, but it was created to instruct reincarnate lamas in the PRC and aims to give a comprehensive introduction to the various traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as religious history (vol. 18), so it is worth browsing:

v. 1-6. [No specific title] If memory serves me, these are specific to each of the traditions (Nyingma, Kadam,   Jonang, etc.)

v. 7. Blo sbyong Don bdun ma'i rtsa grel

v. 8. Spyod jug rtsa 'grel dang Lam sgron rtsa 'grel

v. 9. Sems sems byung gi sdom tshig Nor bu'i 'phreng ba dang de'i 'grel ba Blo gsal mgul rgyan

v. 10. Dpal Mnyam-med Ri-bo Dge-ldan-pa' grub mtha'i rnam gzhag ... Jam-mgon bstan pa'i mdzes rgyan / Bse-tshang Blo-bzang-dpal-ldan

v. 11  n/a

v. 12. Gangs-ljongs Rgyal bstan yongs rdzogs kyi phyi mo Snga-'gyur Rnying-ma'i lugs kyi lta sgom spyod gsum gyi rnam gzhag ... Tshes pa'i zla ba / Khro-ru Tshe-rnam

v. 13  n/a

v. 14. Bstan-pa'i-mnga-bdag Dpal-ldan Sa-skya-pa'i lta grub theg pa'i rnam dbye Kun-dga'i bstan pa mdzes pa'i rgyan Yid bzin dbang gi rgyal po'i do sal / Slob Bzhi

v. 15. Rgyu bras theg pa mchog gi gnas lugs ... Rje Jo-nang-pa Chen-po'i rin lugs Jigs med gdong lnga'i na ro / Yon-tan-bzang-po

v. 16. Bka-gdams kyi man ngag Be'u bum sngon po'i rtsa 'grel / Dge-bshes Po-to-ba sogs

v. 17. Dpe chos dan Dpe chos rin chen spungs pa / [Po-to-ba] dang Slob Bzhi

v. 18. Bod Sog chos 'byung / Skal-bzang-chos-kyi-rgyal

v. 19. Snyan ngag gi me long gi dka 'grel Dbyangs can dgyes pa'i glu dbyangs / Rgyal-ba Lnga-pa Blo-bzan-rgya-mtsho

v. 20. Lam rim thar rgyan

v. 21. Bshes sprins dan slob sprins kyi rtsa grel / 'Phags-pa Klu-sgrub

v. 23. Bslab pa kun las btus pa / Rgyal-sras Zhi-ba-lha

v. 24. Byang chub sems dpa'i sa dan (ched du brjod pa'i] tshoms

v. 25. Rnal byor spyod pa'i sa las Byang chub sems dpa'i sa'i rnam par bshad pa

v. 26. Thub-pa'i gsung gi gi snying por 'gyur pa Ched du brjod pa'i tshoms rnam 'grel / Pradznya-warma

v. 27. Theg pa chen po Mdo sde' rgyan dang Rgyud bla rtsa 'grel

v. 30. Jo-bo'i chos byung brgya rtsa.

Wang Yao & Chen Qingying, 王尧, 陈庆英.eds. Xizang li shi wen hua ci dian西藏历史文化辞典. [Lhasa] : Xizang ren min chu ban she ; [Hangzhou] : Zhejiang ren min chu ban she, 1998.

Xie Qihuang. Zang zu chuan tong wen hua ci dian. Lanzhou : Gansu ren min chu ban she, 1993.