The Spread of Buddhism

336 karénina kollmar-paulenz

snga-dar period was not limited to Central and Western Tibet, we also
possess supporting evidence from archaeology. In the 1980s two Tibetan
scholars discovered rock-carvings of Buddhist images and inscriptions
in the sKye-rgu-mdo region of Khams.^60 sKye-rgu-mdo is better known
as Jyekundo, a place which was visited quite often by Western travellers
in the region. A rock inscription dating to the reign of king Khri-lde-
srong-btsan (776–ca. 815) bears witness to the importance the new
religion had already gained among the nobility:

Holy texts of prayers were inscribed in the reign of the emperor Khri

lDe-srong-btsan, for the lord, ministers, benefactors, and all sentient

beings; [.. .]

Whatever sentient beings may see them, touch them, prostrating them-

selves before them, hear of them or remember them will have moral

reward...

By virtue of their devotion, may the Emperor, the father and his offspring

and all sentient beings realise Enlightenment, the supreme goal!^61

Around the rock-carvings and inscriptions in the area the legend of
Wencheng, the Chinese wife of king Srong-btsan-sgam-po, is deeply
engraved in the cultural memory of the local Tibetans. Even today
people believe that Wencheng is responsible for the Buddhist relics in
this region, which from the point of view of Central Tibet is quite
remote.
The advanced state of administrative institutions even in the frontier
districts of the Tibetan empire of the royal period are also documented
in some texts found in Dunhuang. One such text, Pelliot No. 997, deals
with the inventory of the property of the Yu-lim temple (gtsug-lag-khang)
in the Kva-cu district bordering on China in Northeastern Tibet. The
document attests to the highly structured organisation of the small
monastic communities which must have been numerous in that time,
even in these remote areas.^62

(^60) Karmay 1998, pp. 55–65.
(^61) Karmay 1998, p. 62. The Tibetan text is also given by Karmay, ibid.
(^62) See Richardson 1998e, p. 280, referring to Thomas 1935–1963, vol. 2,
p. 109.