31^st May to 2^nd June 2005

Written Treasures of Bhutan:
a mirror of the past, a bridge to the future

 

General objectives of the Conference:

1. To provide opportunity to objectively reflect on Bhutan's past, which in turn would provide insights into the present and help us determine the future direction in the area of literary and scriptural heritage and document the results.
2. To strengthen the National Library to perform its mandated institutional role as the national repository of all documents in print, audio and video forms produced in any language, emanating from or relating to Bhutan, through the contributions of both the local and international scholars participating in the conference.
3. To provide an impetus to the implementation of the institutional strengthening project supported by the Danish Government through the Royal Library of Denmark, Copenhagen, especially in the area of cataloguing, analyzing and describing of materials for present and future collection.
4. To create a forum for interaction with scholars, who are established authorities on Bhutanese history, religion, literature, medicine, astrology and art internationally.
5. To enhance research capacity of the National Library of Bhutan staff in particular and the local researchers in general.

Participants

Foreign Participants

• Prof. David Germano, Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Virginia, USA
• Prof. David Jackson, Professor of Tibetan, Asia & Africa Institute, Hamburg University, Germany
• Ven. Dobum Tulku, Director, Tibet House, New Delhi, India
• Dr. Françoise Pommaret, Senior Research Fellow, CNRS, Paris, France
• Dr. E. Gene Smith, Director, Tibetan Buddhist Research Center, New York, USA
• Dr. John Ardussi, Independent Scholar & Research Associate, CNRS, Paris, France
• Dr. Karma Phuntsho, Research Associate at CNRS, Paris; Research Associate, Mongolia &Inner Asia Studies Unit, Department of Social Anthropology, Cambridge University
• Mr. Lobsang Shastri, Librarian & Researcher, LTWA, Dharamsala, HP , India
• Mr. Olaf Czaja, Researcher, Institute for Indology & Central Asian Studies, Leipzig University, Germany
• Dr. Yoshiro Imaeda, Director of Research, CNRS, Paris, France.
• Dr. Peter Skilling, Visiting Professor, Harvard University; Director, Fragile Palm Leaves Foundation, Thailand
• Prof. Samten Karmay, Emeritus Director of Research, CNRS, Paris, France
• Dr. Shashibala, Research Professor, International Academy of Indian Culture, New Delhi

Participants from the Twinning Project

• Ms. Anne Burchardi, Research Librarian, Royal Library, Copenhagen; Associate professor, Department of Cross Cultural & Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen
• Mr. Gregor Verhufen, Computer Consultant, Danida Twinning Project
• Prof. Per K. Sørensen, Professor, Institute for Indology & Central Asian Studies, Leipzig University; Research & Project Counterpart, Twinning Project
• Mr. Jonas Palm, Head, Conservation Division, Royal Library of Denmark , Copenhagen

Other Guests from the Twinning Project

• Mr. E. K. Neilsen, Director General, Royal Library of Denmark, Copenhagen
• Mrs. Birgit Hansen, Academic Conservator, Royal Library of Denmark, Copenhagen

Local Participants

• Dr. C.T.Dorji, Joint Director, National Museum of Bhutan, Paro
• Mr. Chang Dorji, Consultant Lecturer, ILCS & Ex-Chimmi
• Mr. Damchoe Lhendup, Independent Researcher & Ex-Dungpa, Lobesa
• Mr. Dorjee Penjore, Research Officer, Centre for Bhutan Studies, Thimphu
• Mr. Tandin Dorji, Curriculum Officer, CAPSD, MoE, Paro
• Dasho Khandro, Independent Researcher & Ex-Hon'ble Judge, High Court
• Mr. Kunzang Thinley, Writer & Researcher, KMT Publishers, Thimphu
• Dasho Lam Sang-ngag, Independent Reseacher & Ex-Principal, ILCS, Thimphu
• Mr. Lham Dorjee, Research Officer, Centre for Bhutan Studies, Thimphu
• Mr. Phendey Legshed, In-charge, Thram Records, DCP, Department of Culture
• Mr. Singye Namgyal, Principal, National Institute of Education, Paro
• Mr. T.S.Powdyel, Director, Centre for Educational Research & Development, Paro

Conference Schedule

Day One: Tuesday, 31^st May 2005

Opening Ceremony

Time	Event
09:00	Arrival of the Participants
09:10	Arrival of the Invited Guests
09:20	Arrival of the Chief Guest, H.L. the Hon'ble Chief Justice of Bhutan
09:25	Marchang Ceremony
09:30	Welcome Address by Secretary, Department of Culture
09:40	Address by the Director General of the Royal Library of Denmark
09:50	Inaugural Address by the Hon'ble Chief Guest
10:00	Vote of Thanks by the Director, National Library of Bhutan
10:10	Refreshements

Session One

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
11:00–11:30	Contribution of Gaden Serkong Dorjechang Towards Development of Religious and Cultural Life of the People of Bhutan.	Ven. Dobum Tulku	Dr. Karma Phuntsho
11:30–12:00	mDa dar gyi skor las bshad pa	Dasho Khando	"
12:00–12:30	Notes on Drukpa Kagyud and Bhutanese Painting	Prof. D. Jackson	"
12:30–13:00	The TBRC Database and its Relevance to Bhutanese History	Mr. Gene E. Smith	"

Session Two

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
14:00–14:30	'Od gsal lha yi brgyud pa ’brug lu 'byung tshul gyi lo rgyus pad dkar 'phren mdzes	Ven. Dobum Tulku	Prof. Y. Imaeda
14:30–15:00	Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye and the Celebration of Tshechu in Bhutan	Dr. John Ardussi	"
15:00–15:30	Bhutan and Thailand: Shared Literary Values Shared Texts	Mr. Peter Skilling	"

Session Three

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
16:00–16:30	Gantey’s Untold Treasure	Dr. Karma Phuntsho	Mr. Gene Smith
14:30–15:00	Literature & the Construction of National Imaginaries	Mr. T.S. Powdyel	"

Day Two: Wednesday, 1^st June 2005

Session Four

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
09:00–09:30	Hevajra in Buddhist Literature & Imperial Ceremonies	Dr. Shashibala	Mr. T.S Powdyel
09:30–10:00	Religious Life and history of the Emanated Heart son Thuksay Dawa Gyeltshen	Mr. Lham Dorji	"
10:00–10:30	Scriptural Peculiarities in Tibetan and Bhutanese Administrational Documents	Mr. Gregor Verhufen	"

Session Five

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
11:00–11:30	The Role of Rimdro in Buddhist Practices: An Analysis of Jabzhi	Mr. Singye Namgyel	Lopon Lungten Gyatso
11:30–12:00	The Role of Guru Rinpoche and the Lha srin sde brgyad as protectors of Bhutan	Dr. Françoise Pommaret	"
12:00–12:30	Appropriation of Lha ’Ode Gong rgyan: Scriptural Analysis	Mr. Dorji Penjore	"
12:30–13:00	A Survey of Bhutanese Literature by Indigenous Writers with Annotations	Dr. C.T. Dorji	"

Session Six

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
14:00–14:30	Shakya mchog ldan on Buddha Nature	Ms. Anne Burchardi	Ven. Dobum Tulku
14:30–15:00	dGe slong gi mi tshe	Mr. Phendey Legshed	"
15:00–15:30	Preliminary Study of a locally documented text on the words of good wishes sung during ramming mud walls	Mr. Tandin Dorji	"

Session Seven

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
16:00–16:30	Mi pham dge legs rnam rgyal (1618-1685) and His Reply to the Famous Pamphlet of Zur mkhar ba Blo gros rgyal po (1509-1579)	Mr. Olaf Czaja	Prof. D. Jackson
16:30–17:00	A comparative view of Bhutanese and Japanese Buddhism through the funeral rituals	Prof. Yoshiro Imaeda	"

Day Three: Tuesday, 2^nd June 2005

Session Eight

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
09:00–09:30	Literature on Bhutan in LTWA	Mr. Losang Shastri	Dr. F. Pommaret
09:30–10:00	Digitization of Tibetan & Himalayan Buddhist Resources	Prof. David Germano	"
10:00–10:30	Yi gu’i khungs dang dgos pa gces srung brtsi bskur ’bad dgos pa’i bskul ’debs	Mr. Kunzang Thinley	Mr. Singye Namgey

Session Nine

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
11:00–11:30	In the Trail of Jamgon: His Visit to the Court of the Derge Ruler in Kham	Prof. Per K. Sørensen	Dr. John Ardussi
11:30–12:00	’Brug gi ’das mchod rnam gzhag	Mr. Damcho Lhundrup	Mr.Tandin Dorji
12:00–12:30	The Letter of Zhabdrung Written to the King of Tsang	Prof. Samten Karmay	Dr. John Ardussi
12:30–13:00	’Brug gi bzo rig bcud bsdus	Mr. Chang Dorji	Mr.Tandin Dorji

Session Ten

Time	Title of the Paper	Speaker	Chairman
14:00–15:00	Wrap up session for the Conference	Mr. Dorjee Tshering	Prof. P. K. Sørensen

Closing Ceremony

Time	Event
16:00	Arrival of Guests
16:10	Arrival of the Chief Guest, H.E. the Hon'ble Minister for Education;
16:15	Welcome Address by the Director, National Library
16:20	Highlights/Summary of the Conference by one of the Participants
16:30	Address by the Chief Guest, the Hon'ble Minister for Education
16:40	Vote of Thanks by the Joint Director, Department of Culture, MoHCA
16:50	Refreshements

Conference Proceedings

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