Abhidharma Texts in Tibetan
Summary
Anukul Chandra Banerjee surveys Tibetan translations of Abhidharma treatises. He lists works preserved in the Bstan‑hgyur and related collections, including the Dharmaskandha, Prajñaptiśāstra, Vibhasa and the Abhidharmakośa along with its commentaries by Acārya Sthiramati and Dharmapāla. Banerjee notes that Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism favoured Madhyamaka and Yogācāra texts, resulting in relatively few Abhidharma works being translated. He provides Tibetan titles, volume and folio numbers and comments on the contents of each treatise. The article discusses why early translators prioritised sūtra and vinaya over Abhidharma and suggests that the later popularity of Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa accounts for the survival of that text. Banerjee concludes that although the Tibetan canon contains only a handful of Abhidharma texts, these works continued to inform Tibetan scholastic debates and reflect the diversity of Buddhist philosophical traditions.
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Conclusion
Banerjee’s catalogue underscores the limited but significant presence of Abhidharma literature in Tibetan translation. The surviving texts, especially the Abhidharmakośa, indicate both historical selectivity and enduring interest in Buddhist scholasticism.