The Twelve Deeds of Buddha: A Mongolian Version of the Lalitavistara (Mongolian Text, Notes, and English Translation)

The present work is the first volume of my projected series of pre-classical Mongolian Buddhist texts, with translations and commentaries. It is devoted to the famous Arban qoyar Jokiyangyui which is often quoted in works dealing with pre-classical Written Mongolian language. Publication of a pre-classical text and its translation is by no means an easy task. In the process of working on this rather difficult text, I was helped by my friends and colleagues. Some words of Chinese origin were explained by Professor Fang-kuei Li. Important historical information contained in the Yüan-shih was supplied by Professor Yan-shuan Lao. Some Tibetan and Sanskrit words were interpreted by Professor Leon Hurvitz, and identification of some other obscure Sanskrit terms was made by Professor Agehananda Bharati. Without their help many questions would have remained unanswered.I should also mention that my English translation of the text was edited by Mrs. R. E. Conley. While reading the proofs of this book, I was helped by Miss Gladys Greenwood. In extending my warmest thanks to the persons mentioned, I should remark, however, that I alone bear full responsibility for the inadequacies found in this book. When the book had already been set up, and some portions of it had been printed, I learned from a letter of March 6. 1967, from my friend, Professor Walther Heissig, that he had just seen, in the latest issue of the Acta Orientalia Hung., an article by L. Ligeti devoted to the manuscript which is the subject of this book. Not having seen Ligeti's article, I am in no position to say how its appearance affects the present work. Seattle Nicholas Poppe March 15, 1967