A Buddhist library desired by Lama Gangchen Rinpoche and dedicated to the memory of His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama. A place of peace dedicated to reading and print media in an age dominated by digital.
It will hold:
- The Kangyur: the complete works of Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings translated into Tibetan, English and, in the future, other languages;
- The Tengyur: the complete works of all commentaries and works written by Buddhist masters in India, in the Tibetan language and with other existing translations;
- The Sung Bum: the complete works of the Buddhist masters of Tibet, mainly of the Gelugpa tradition;
- The Sung Bum of Lama Gangchen Rinpoche, his complete works:
- Contemporary books and texts on Buddhism written in Western languages, as well as books on traditional medicine, astrology, history, language and more.The library will be open to all and will be part of the Italian interlibrary network
What has been done so far
Thanks to the generosity of various sponsors and benefactors we were able to:
- Commission from local artisans and install a custom made bookcase to house the special format of the Tibetan texts;
- Purchase rice paper to print in English the translated Tibetan books;
- Purchase 2 scanners for the digitisation of rare and precious traditional petcha format Tibetan books;
- Purchase the software to catalogue the collection;
- Start the cataloguing and organisation of the Tibetan texts by the resident lamas;
- The library is already in use as a space for private studies and contemplation and has been used for courses in Tibetan language and calligraphy and sacred art.
Next steps:
- Order and install the main door and the bookshelves to house the materials in Western languages;
- Continue the organisation and cataloguing of the books;
- Research and order UV protection and blinds for the windows to protect the books from sun damage;
- Pagination and printing of the English translation of the Kangyur.