The Mongolian Kanjur (the translated words of the Buddha) is the first part of the Mongolian Buddhist Canon translated from Tibetan into the classical Mongolian language, and consists of 108 volumes. Its translation began in the 14th century until, in the 17th century under the rule of Ligdan Khan (1588–1634), the khagan* of the Northern Yuan dynasty, the translation of the entire Kanjur was completed. This version of the Mongolian Kanjur became the basis for a 108-volume edition made from printed boards in 1717–20, under the Kangxi Emperor (1654–1722), the third emperor of the Qing dynasty.
The Mongolian Kanjur is a source of cultural identity for Mongolia and copies are stored in every monastery in the country. During the socialist period, xylographs were consigned to flames and monasteries were left bereft of their sacred scriptures. During…
