Introduction
The National Palace Museum (NPM) houses a rich collection of classic, representative Tibetan Buddhist art, of which the Kangxi Kangyur (the Tibetan Dragon Canon) is the most renowned. The Kangxi Kangyur, which comprises 108 cases of manuscripts, was made when the Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang (1613–1688) asked the Emperor Kangxi (1654–1722), her grandson, to commission a transcription of the Kangxi Kangyur in gold ink. The project took eight years to complete. Of existing government-sponsored productions of Tibetan Buddhist canons, the Kangxi Kangyur is the earliest, most voluminous, and most extravagantly decorated; it is also one of the NPM's most unique and legendary artifacts.
Tibetan Buddhism has enjoyed booming development in Taiwan. As of today, it has hundreds of thousands of followers. The Exhibition Guidebook for Oṃ-maṇi-padme-hūṃ: Tibetan Buddhist Art in the National Palace Museum, hosted by the NPM, introduces the NPM's wealthy collection of Tibetan artifacts. In addition, the essence of Taiwan's Tibetan cultural festivals and regions where Tibetan Buddhism is prevalent is presented. Visitors will also be able to listen to and recite the six-syllabled mantra of Guanyin, "Oṃ-maṇi-padme-hūṃ," which has been used as part of the special exhibition to bring good luck and blessings to the visitors.
Pamphlet for the above exhibition was planned by NPM's Tibetan artifact experts, who worked meticulously together to facilitate its publication. The said pamphlet consists of six sections, which are "Unparalleled Treasure" (in which binding accessories of scriptures are introduced), "The Three Turns of the Dharma Wheel" (in which related scripture content is presented), "Beyond the Four Seas" (in which translated Tibetan scriptures as well as those in Chinese, Manchu, and Mongolian are displayed), "Tibetan Chants on Chinese Land" (in which Tibetan Buddhism-related Chinese classics are showcased), "The Venerable Community" (in which deity images on cover planks, gold and bronze Buddha statues, dharma instruments, and paintings found in the Kangxi Kangyur are exhibited; the aforementioned elements are grouped into five categories including buddhas, bodhisattvas, and guardians of the Dharma), and "Preserved Treasury of Scriptures" (in which a modern reprint of the Co-ne version of the Kangxi Kangyur is revealed; the said reprint was donated to the NPM by Abbot chos mdzod ngag dbang bzod pa rgya mtsho of the Lanzhou Lingyan Zen Temple). The pamphlet also includes the origin and chronology of Tibetan Buddhism, allowing visitors to gain insight in the history of Tibetan Buddhism as well as embrace the good fortune that it brings.