Publisher's Synopsis
This volume is mainly a report of some results of four successive projects conducted under the sponsorship of Monbukagakusho Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Japan. These projects are: An International Interdisciplinary Field Survey of the Bon Culture in Tibet (1996-1999, #08041040), Reconstruction of the Zhangzhung Language and Formation of Written Tibetan (1999-2001, #A2-11691050), Linguistic Substratum in Tibet (2004-2008, #16102001). and International Field Survey of the Gyalrongie Languages (2009-2012. 21251007). In close cooperation with Dr Samten G. Karmay (CNRS, Paris), I led the above-mentioned projects, the results of which are being published under the Bon Studies series in Senri Ethnological Reports (SER). In these projects, I have been making an effort to develop a solid research basis for the study on Bon culture. Thanks to the generous assistance of my working place, the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, I have been able to successfully collect basic research materials, such as mandala, thangka, and a huge collection of Bonpo canonical works as well as other texts on a wide variety of topics. On the basis of those, we have already had three volumes concerning iconography published under Bon Studies series: Mandalas of the Bon Religion, Bon Studies 1 (SER 12), Feast of the Morning Light, Bon Studies 9 (SER 57), and Bonpo Thangkas from Khyungpo, Bon Studies 10 (SER 60).
