Deities among Tibetan Divination Texts

岩尾一史・池田巧編京都大学人文科学研究所共同研究報告Among the Old Tibetan divination texts from the Dunhuang cave and other sites along the Silk Road in East Turkestan, dice divination texts are predominant in number and in diversity of provenance. These Old Tibetan dice divination texts were produced mostly during the Tibetan Imperial period, and they were certainly the most popular divination method throughout the Imperial period. This divination method is still in use in various regions of Tibetan cultural areas, as already mentioned by foreign and Tibetan scholars. Starting with an overview of dice divination texts which are prevalent at present, I shall offer the examples of divination practice in Ladakh and Bhutan, both of which were recorded during my field researches in 2009, 2011, and 2013. By comparing these views with the Old Tibetan texts, especially focusing on the deities who are in charge of the divination, I shall examine the background of Tibetan dice divination as well as its historical transition