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"Sung-due" collection of sutras

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 12:26 am
by Sherlock
Can anyone tell me more about this collection of sutras by Tsongkhapa called the "Sung-due". I found some information that might be relevant here:

http://www.lamayeshe.com/?sect=article&id=310

I got advice from Lama Dawa regarding this collection.

Re: "Sung-due" collection of sutras

Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:30 pm
by Malcolm
Sherlock wrote:Can anyone tell me more about this collection of sutras by Tsongkhapa called the "Sung-due". I found some information that might be relevant here:

http://www.lamayeshe.com/?sect=article&id=310

I got advice from Lama Dawa regarding this collection.

The gzung 'dus is a mainly a compendium of dharanis [gzungs]. But I don't think it was assembled by Tsongkhapa. I could be wrong, but I think it is older than him. Anyway, it contains many extracts of the dharani portions of sutras, small sutras, for healing, repelling obstacles, it has aspiration prayers, etc.

Re: "Sung-due" collection of sutras

Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 1:32 am
by aparajita
I know that Erick Tsiknopoulos has translated portions of it, and might have a larger translation in the works. Other than that, has it been translated at all? This is, IMO, one of those areas where work is needed.

Re: "Sung-due" collection of sutras

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 11:50 pm
by sherabzangpo
Yeah, I translated some of it (I'm Erick). Actually, it's not one single textual collection. There are several "Zungdus". They are collections of various sutras, mantras, dharanis, prayers, etc., which vary according to the compiler. There does seem to be a standard "format" but there is also a lot of variation. I know of 2 different Zungdus published in India off-hand. There might be a tradition of each publishing house having their own Zungdu which is compiled by a different lama, at least that is the case with the two I know, from Dharamsala and Delhi. I am not sure how this works exactly.

I have had the idea to translate the entirety of one of them, but it's such a huge project. I agree that there are a lot of important texts in the Zungdu collections. I might start to think about it after I'm done with my current projects (probably in a couple years). For the meantime, I will probably translate things from it sometimes. Frankly, I'm surprised that people don't want to translate those kinds of things more, but then I think most Tibetan translators don't even really know about it.