Series: Mongolian authors writing in Tibetan language preserved at the National Library of Mongolia
Ngawang Pelden (Ngag dbang dpal ldan, 1797-1864), a.k.a. Aǧvangbaldan
“Abiding in the Incessant Hell for many eons
For the sake of even a single sentient being
Can be as joyful as a swan, abiding in a lotus lake;
This is because of the power of bodhicitta.”
– Verses of Praise for Bodhicitta (Byang chub sems la bstod pa)
Unlike the scholars of his previous generation and many of his contemporaries, who were educated in Tibet, Ngawang Pelden was a product of a Mongolian learning institution Tashi Chöpel in Ih Hüree, where he completed his education. Yet, he became arguably one of the best Mongol scholars, renowned in both Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhist communities. His Annotated Commentary to the Great Tenets (Grub mtha’ chen mo’i mchan ’grel) is the lengthiest work of its genre in Tibetan language literature. Ngawang Pelden’s works were printed in seven volumes in Ih Hüree, which were later reprinted in India, and some of his miscellaneous works were also printed in Tibet and Buryat.
ALL is actively preserving the National Library of Mongolia where the writings of these fascinating scholars exist.
