The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c9.12

c9.12

Besides the above mentioned Niṣpannayogāvalī, there are numerous Tāntric texts which furnish considerable material for the study of Buddhist iconography of the Tāntric period with which this work primarily concerns itself. Some of the more important materials can be found in the original Tantra works such as the Heruka and the Hevajra Tantras, Caṇḍamahāroṣaṇa Tantra, Vajravārāhī Tantra, Kriyāsamuccaya, Vajrāvalī nāma Maṇḍalopāyikā, Yoginījāla Tantra Abhidhānottra Tantra and many others The list of such original Tantras furnishing valuable information on Buddhist deities can by no means be exhausted. The works above mentioned are all unpublished, and their handwritten copies can be found in the manuscript libraries such as the Durbar Library, Nepal; Asiatic Society’s Library, Bengal; University Library, Cambridge; Musee Guimet, Paris; and the Russian Academy of Sciences in Leningrad. Numerous such manuscripts are also to be found in the hundreds of Buddhist monasteries of Nepal at Kathmandu, Pattan and Bhatgaon. Thus there is still an inexhaustive field for research and original work in Buddhist iconography alone It is a pity that these valuable and original source books of Buddhism should remain unpublished in this country, and sooner attention is drawn to this field of work, the better it will be for the history of our cultural past. It is a matter of deep regret that even to-day there are lakhs of handwritten manuscripts in India in private houses, and no effort is being made to collect or preserve them. Thus these valuable source books of Indian history and culture are allowed to perish in India. Sanskrit being the most important member of the Indo-European family of languages is world property to-day, and it is the duty of every scholar in the world to see that this precious heritage is not allowed to be dissipated in an irresponsible manner.