6th International Symposium Oriental Studies

The 6 th International Symposium on Oriental Ancient Documents Studies 80 compactness and an easement of daily use makes them indispensable in the verbal accompaniment of Buddhist rituals. The material for these spells collections for a free distribution was a cheap white paper, soft to the touch and porous in structure. This type of paper was used in the Tangut state for current documents and was not intended for a long-term preserving. This paper has easily visible fibers and clumps of material (usually crushed linen or cotton rags) that was the basis for a paper- making in the Western Xia. Undoubtedly, the Tangut Buddhists scriptures were translations not only from the Chinese or Tibetan languages but also directly from Sanskrit — the language of the Indian written culture that had an enormous influence on the Tangut spiritual life. The Buddhist culture is so firmly rooted in the ideology of Xi-Xia that Tangut Buddhist texts, in particular, spells, often contain fragments missing from the Chinese and Tibetan versions of similar works that defined the uniqueness of the religious Tangut written culture. Key words: Tangut, Kara-Khoto, Xi-Xia, Buddhist texts, Indian Siddha ṃ Script, Gupta script, Buddhist spells.