FOREWORD . . 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . 3 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FUNERARY DOCUMENTS OF THIS STUDY . . 5 Part I . . 5 Part II . . 6 Part III . . 9 Other sources . . 11 PART I THE ILLUMINATED FUNERARY MANUSCRIPT Philological and Historical Analysis of the Illuminated Funerary Manuscript . . 15 System of Notation and Translator's Note . . 29 Division One: The Psychopomp Ritual . . 30 Division Two: The Ste'u Ritual . . 78 PART II THE GATHANG BUMPA FUNERARY DOCUMENTS An Introduction to Rnel dri 'dul ba'i thabs sogs . . 117 Rnel dri 'dul ba'i thabs sogs: Chapter I . . 121 Rnel dri 'dul ba'i thabs sogs: Chapter II . . 128 Rnel dri 'dul ba'i thabs sogs: Chapter III . . 167 An Introduction to Sha ru shul ston rabs la sags pa . . 177 Sha ru shul ston rabs la sags pa: Chapter I . . 182 Sha ru shul ston rabs la sags pa: Chapter II . . 193 PART III: SELECTED ORIGINS MYTHS AND RITUALS FROM THE DUNHUANG FUNERARY MANUSCRIPTS The Origins Myth of the Skyibs-lug in Pt 1194 . . 213 The Origins Myth of Lhe'u yang-ka' rje in Pt 1134 . . 221 The Do-ma Funerary Transport Horse Ritual in ITJ 73 lr . . 236 CONCLUSION . . 249 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . 257 INDEXES . . 269