Brief Description of the Library of the
Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies
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Services and Policies
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Rebuilding the Treasury of Knowledge
The library, for many years an ideal place of study and research for Institute
students, will be relocated in September 2001 to a new facility on Dharma Drum Mountain. With more space, expanded collections, and sufficient facilities to meet the prerequisites for voluminous research work, the new library will be an even richer treasury of knowledge. Its enlarged collection will certainly make it the ideal place to conduct high-level Buddhist studies.
Since 1985, when the Institute moved into the fourth floor of the Chung-hwa Institute of Buddhist Culture building in Peitou, the library has been the place where the lnstitute students and faculty members spent immeasurable amount of time doing study and research. Many of the over 100 graduates have become today掇 outstanding Buddhist scholars and experts in Taiwan, and they still remember their days of hard work in the library.
In the library, students can always be seen concentrating on the study of Buddhist literature. Some may be burying their noses in the thick and bulky Tripitaka, some may be searching for information on the Internet, and others may be quietly discussing the problems of Buddhism. The atmosphere is one of serenity with only the occasional sound of pages being turned or a breeze whispering through the windows. There is a barely audible gurgling of the stream by the garden, and sometimes the pleasant sound of Buddhist chanting is heard through the old camphor and banyan trees surrounding the building, coming from the Institute of Buddhist Culture.
Understanding the Sutras and obtaining Wisdom as Deep As the Ocean
Among the local collections of Buddhist documents, the library of the Institute ranks at the top with a total of about 25,000 volumes. The library holds some of the most important literature for study of early Buddhism and Theravada, namely the Pali Tripitaka published by the Pali Buddhist Canon Society in England and the Burmese and Thai versions of the Pali Tripitaka, plus translated versions in Chinese, English, Japanese and Thai .
As for the Chinese Tripitaka, besides the most commonly known Taisho Tripitaka（大正新修大藏經）, the library掇 collection includes such rare versions as the Korean, Chih Sha（磧砂）, Chia-Hsing（嘉興）, Chien-Lung（乾隆）, Wan-cheng Tripitaka, Zoko Zokyo Tripitaka( continued volume), Buddhism Tripitaka based on Ping Chieh Tripitaka（頻伽藏）, Chung Hwa Tripitaka （中華大藏經）(Chinese part) printed in Beijing, Fang Shan Stone Sutras（房山石經）, Tun Huang Pao Tsang（敦煌寶藏）, and so forth. Among them, the Chih Sha version of the Tripitaka, the Golden Tripitaka （金藏）(on which the Chinese part of the Chung Hwa Tripitaka is based), the Chien-Lung version of Tripitaka, the Fang Shan Stone Sutras, and the Tun Huang Pao Tsang contain many texts that were never incorporated in the Taisho Tripitaka, making them very useful and precious for scholars when collating Buddhist texts.
With respect to the Tibetan Tripitaka, the library's collection includes the Beijing, Te Ke（德格）, Nai Tang（奈塘）, Lhasa（拉薩）, Kulun（庫倫）, Taipei, and Chung Hwa Tripitaka (Tibetan language) editions. As commonly known, the Kanjur of the Beijing edition is based on the translation edited by Tshal Pa Kun dga捯 dor ja, and the Kanjur of the Te Ke version is adapted from ‘jang sa tham and incorporates the traditions of other versions, in particular the tradition originating in the manuscript of tham spangs ma. The Nai Tang version was a reprint of the Te Ke version, with some additions. The Lhasa version was edited by consolidating and rearranging the texts in both the Te Ke and Nai Tang versions. The Kulun version is actually a reprint of Te Ke, with only minor additions. The Tibetan Tripitaka published in Taipei is a photo-stat copy of the Te Ke version with additions taken from the Nyingma （寧瑪）canon. All these versions of the scriptures are very useful for the study of Buddhist sutras and canons in the Tibetan language.
In addition, the library owns a collection of over 400 cases of precious palm-leave Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Burmese.
Naturally, the greater part of the library's collection is composed of research papers written by contemporary scholars in Chinese, English, Japanese, German, French and other languages. There are over 300 magazines and journals obtained by either subscription or donation, including Journal of Indological and Buddhological Studies, Ryukoku Journel, Toyo Jaurnal, Bodhi Leaf, Buddhist Research Information, etc. The library also keeps over 3,000 videotapes and audiotapes available for use by students and research scholars.
Seven Banyan Trees Always Accompany Students
Following the completion of the construction of Dharma Drum Mountain and the Sangha University, the library will be relocated to a very spacious 1,000-ping (36,000 sq. ft.), four-story building on Dharma Drum Mountain. The seven big banyan trees behind the building will present a special setting for the library and add a picturesque atmosphere to inspire visitors' philosophical contemplation. It is of interest to note that the blueprints for the Dharma Drum Mountain project went through several changes and modifications simply to preserve the seven gorgeous trees.
After settling on Dharma Drum Mountain, the library will continue to support research and teaching activities and will aim at offering digital and electronic services based on its comprehensive store of Buddhist works and documents. Meanwhile, the library will continue to expand its collection, with an emphasis on Buddhist historical materials published in the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties. It will include multi-media rooms, individual study rooms, and a multi-functional reading lounge.
The library, complete with its new features, is expected to provide CHIBS students with a richer and broader base of knowledge resources, steadily progressing and strengthening their academic life.