The Digital Woodblock – Reprinting the Ragya Kanjur from TBRC Scans

Using scans from the TBRC archive, a new project in Chengdu, China, the Ragya Grant Kanjur Republication Initiative (RGKRI), is printing 1,000 copies of the Ragya Kanjur and distributing them to monasteries across Tibetan cultural areas of China.

Preserve and Disseminate

In collaboration with monks from Ragya Monastery in eastern Tibet, TBRC digitized the Ragya Kanjur during an intense three week scanning project in December of last year. Following the discovery of the Kanjur, monks from Ragya Monastery worked with the TBRC team around the clock for eighteen days to scan this unique canonical collection consisting of 104-volumes, totaling 66,156 pages. The work is now online in our library.

The "Digital Woodblock"

In the past, woodblock prints were commissioned by kings and great lamas to widely distribute Tibetan works. Now with modern technology, woodblock prints are scanned, images are processed, and digital files become the source of republication. We are witnessing the advent of the digital woodblock!

The Ripple Effect of Fruitful Partnerships

The Ragya Grant Kanjur Republication Initiative is made possible by the scanning work done by TBRC, and exemplifies the ripple effect of our work. In monasteries across Tibetan cultural regions of China, indeed across the world, the Ragya Kanjur can now be studied and treasured.

Archival Scan

Processed for Print

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