. esoteric buddhism under the xixia (–) 473
ritual texts, clearly served public purposes and focused on the apo-
tropaic ends of state and dynastic protection.
Prominent Monk-Translators
Monks whose names and titles appear regularly in the Khara Khoto
collection as translators of works from Tibetan or Sanskrit into Tangut
and Chinese, or as authors of original compositions, feature promi-
nent figures like Zhou Huihai , Dehui , (Li) Demiao ( )
, Xibi Baoyuan [ ] , Fahui : (possibly two per-
sons), and Li Huiming (Huizhao) ( ), all resident Tanguts
or Chinese. Clerics of Tibetan or Himalayan origin holding positions
in Xia and involved in the production of new works or translations
from Tibetan or Sanskrit originals include the above named Jayānanda
(Kashmiri) and Ānanda-kīrti (Tibetan, Kun-dga’ grags), Fashizi
(Tibetan, Chos-kyi seng-ge; also styled a supreme preceptor),
and Baoshizi (Tibetan, Rin-po-che Seng-ge or *Dkon-mchog
seng-ge) (Van der Kuijp 1993; Kychanov 1999).
Of particular interest are Xibi (or Xianbi) Baoyuan and Fazhizi.
Baoyuan was the Chinese translator of the Sheng shenghui dao bi’an
gongde baoji jie. (‘Phags-pa śes-rab-kyi
pha-rol-tu phyin-pa yon-tan rin-po-che bsdud-pa ttshig-su-bcad-pa),
which survives in a bilingual Tibetan-Chinese edition of 1447 (Luo
1983). In the twelfth-century Chinese edition, he appears with the title
“Dharma Explicating Preceptor [in the] Tangut-Han Academy and
concurrent Superintendent [of the Sangha Office], rank.... Śramaṇa
Xianbei Baoyuan [rank]
.” Baoyuan and Zhou Huihai teamed up with Jayānanda to pro-
duce the Chinese and Tangut translations, respectively, of another text
from Tibetan, Shengguan zizai dabeixin zongchi gongneng yijing lu,
sheng xiang dingzun zongchi gongneng yijing lu
. Baoyuan rose to the rank of state preceptor and redacted
a Tangut translation from the Chinese Diamond Sūtra (Jin’gang ban-
ruo boluomiduo jing ), affixing his title as Faxian
State Preceptor Xibi Baoyuan of the Dadumin Monastery of the Great
White High State. (The faxian
in this title could be a reference to the fourth-century pilgrim, or to
the exoteric or revealed dharma.) The notation to this text informs
us of his ability to read Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tangut commentaries
(Kychanov 1999, entry 53, tang. 386, inv. 3834).