Abstract
This paper will examine some parallels between the tradition of buried treasure texts and ancestor cults as attested in ritual texts from the eastern Tibetan region of Khams. A series of such manuals from the 17th c. stipulate that the bones of deceased ancestors should be buried in a vase, with bone being the metonym for patrilineal descent, along with funerary gifts and a ritual seat for the departed soul. These vases provide the ancestral spirit (pha-mtshun) with a safe dwelling, ideally under the protection of a territorial deity, and enable them to bestow vitality on their living descendants. Notably, these vases are sometimes referred to as “treasures of the earth” (sa-gter) or “treasure vases” (gter-bum), and the texts explicitly state that they ought to be hidden, rather than incorporated in visible funerary monuments. There are several important parallels between these treasures (gter) and treasure texts (gter-ma). To highlight these, we will also look at a renowned genealogical treasure text from the turn of the 15th c. that contains traditions from the same region in Khams. Claiming quite similar functions as these treasure vases, I will discuss the potential underlying role of ancestral cults in informing its contents and internal logic.
Publication
(i) Langelaar, R.J., 2021. “The “Clan Castles” of Khams: Critical Editions and Provenance of Two 17th-c. Funerary Manuals.” In: D. Lange, J. Ptáčková, M. Wettstein & M. Wulff, eds. Crossing Boundaries: Tibetan Studies Unlimited. Prague: Academia, pp. 78-96. (https://www.academia.cz/crossing-boundaries-tibetan-studies-unlimited--l...)
(ii) Langelaar, R.J., 2022. “Buried Bones and Buddhas Beyond: Ancestor Cults, Buddhism and the Transcendentalisation of Tibetan Religion.” In: G. Hazod, M. Fermer & C. Jahoda, eds. The Social and the Religious in the Making of Tibetan Societies. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, pp. 283-308. (https://austriaca.at/0xc1aa5576%200x003d7e55.pdf)
