                          TIBETAN CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES
                                  Adopted From
     TIBETAN CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES OF JAM DBYANGS BZAD PA & SUM PA MKHAN PO    
      By Alaka Chattopadhyaya, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies
      Sarnath, Varanasi, India, P.xi-xiii.
                                      NOTE:
       Originally, if the Tibetan BON scriptures are to be believed, accor-
    ding to Namkai Norbu (DRUNG, DRU AND BON, P.147 ff.), the "5 element-
    12 Animal" cycle or `Cycle of Mewa' was taught by official BON's founder
    Shenrab Miwoche, and he even "went to China and taught the Chinese...
    the method of calculating the `Black and White Mewa' according to the
    Chinese astrological system... The best known is the combination of the
    years in a 180 year cycle subdivided in to three 60 year cycles... Thus,
    combining the white `Mewa' number one with the first year of the cycle,
    that is, the Wood-Mouse-Male year, counting forward or backward, only
    after three 60 year cycles, that is, after 180 years, does there again 
    recur the white `Mewa' number one combine with the Wood-Mouse-Male year."
    Therefore, Namkhai Norbu holds this system was a astrological teaching
    which spread from Shang Shung to the Central Asia in general, and to the
    Central Tibetan Kingdom in particular.
       However, according to S.C. Das (AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GRAMMAR OF
    TIBETAN LANGUAGE, P.xi), "These Tibetan names correspond to the Chinese
    names of the twelve animals and are said to have been first introduced
    in Tibet by Queen Wenchang, daughter of Emporor T'ai Tsung, who was
    married to King MI'I LHA, surnamed SRONG BTZAN GAM PO, in about 635 (or
    641) A.D." According to (A.H. Francke, ANTIQUITIES OF INDIAN TIBET, VOL.
    II: P.84) the Mongolian Religious History, the Bodhimr states (pp.841)
    during the reign of SRONG BTZAN GAM PO, "the calendar (was) introduced
    from China." This early usage is indirectly confirmed by the ROYAL ANNALS 
    OF TIBET starting to use the twelve `Animal' system in 650/51 A.D.,
    "the year of the Dog," and H.E. Richardson (ANCIENT HISTORICAL EDICTS AT
    LHASA, P.47) says, "the Tun Huang Annals, which cover the period A.D. 650-
    763, use the regular series of animal names, without differentiation of
    male and female or the addition of the five elements,..."
       Das further says (ibit, P.xi), "About a century later the system of
    astrology then prevalent in China, which contained a cycle of sixty
    years, was introduced in Tibet." This was according to Bunkyo Aoki
    (STUDY ON EARLY TIBETAN CHRONICLES, P.14) during "the reign of KHRI
    LDE GTZUG BRTAN MES AAG TSOMS (705-755 A.D.),... the Chinese Princess,
    Kim Shing Kong jo, arrived in Tibet (707-710 A.D.) according to the
    RDO RINGS inscription."
       This is confirmed by the PADMA BKA' THANG (Toussaint's version trans-
    lated by Kenneth Douglas & Gyendolyn Bays, P. 350) which says, "King Triday
    Tsogtan (BLUE ANNALS, P.xix, KHRI LDE GTZUG BRTAN, r.705-755 A.D.) who
    had adopted the rules of Chinese astrology, protected the Tibetans by
    means of astrology...., in the first half of the tenth month... (P.351)
    in the horse year, the first spring month, the first day of the Tiger 
    month," it seems likely that they accepted their `60 year' cycle too. 
       Namkai Norbu (DRUNG, DRU AND BON, P.150) says, it was also in
    "Od%d%iyna, the small kingdom north-west of India (modern Swat in
    Pakistan) to which tradition ascribes the origin of the RDZOGS CHEN
    teaching... In fact, in the principal Tantra of the `Secret Instructions'
    (MAN NGAG) Series of RDZOGS CHEN, `The Sound That Goes Beyond,' (SGAR
    THAL 'GYUR CHEN PO'I RGYUD) we read: `In the relation to the five
    elements and the twelve animals... are unfolded the astrological
    calculations of the elements.'"
       King KHRI LDE SRONG BTZAN RAL PA CAN, on his stone pillar commemorat-
    ing his peace treaty with China outside the LHA SA JO KHANG, uses the
    system three times: to signify its signing in China (`Female-Iron-Ox'/
    821 A.D.), its signing in Lhasa (`Male-Water-Tiger'/ 822 A.D.), and the
    erection of its treaty on a stone pillar on the border between China and
    Tibet (`Female-Water-Hare'/ 823 A.D.). This proves it was in use by then.
       S.C. Das (AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GRAMMAR OF TIBETAN LANGUAGE, P.xi) 
    says "At a later period... with the introduction of the Klacakra Tantras,
    the Indian Cycle of sixty years called the `virhaspati chakra' was brought 
    to Tibet from Shr dhnya kat%aka (DPAL LDAN 'BRAS SPUNGS=Sanchi Topes?),
    situated on the River Kr%is%n% near modern Amraoti, in Southern India."
       Furthermore, S.C. Das (ibit, P.xvii) says "With the year called
    Prabhava in which Shkya is believed to have been born, the date of intro-
    duction of the Tibetan RAB BYUNG cycle begins. Tibetan historians affirm
    that Klachakra Tantras and the `vrihaspati' cycle were brought from
    Kshmir by an Indian Budhist named Tsi lu pan%d%ita (TZI LU PAn dI TA)."
       Bunkyo Aoki says (STUDY ON EARLY TIBETAN CHRONICLES, P.13), "We learn
    by comparing the `vrihaspati chakra' to the Chinese sexagenary cycles
    that they both rotate with the cycle of 60 years, and that the `vrihaspati
    chakra has a distinct name for each year of the series, while the Chinese
    sexagenary cycle has the combination of 12 animals and 5 elements for
    making up the cycle of 60 years, and also that the `vrihaspati chakra' 
    commences with the `Fire-Female-Hare' year (the 4th in the series) of
    the Chinese 60-year cycle, which begins (3 years earlier) with the year
    of `Tree-Male-Mouse' (1024 A.D.)."
       Bunkyo Aoki says (STUDY ON EARLY TIBETAN CHRONICLES, P.21), "that
    `Prabhava' or RAB BYUNG corresponds to the year of `Fire-Female-Hare'
    with which the RAB BYUNG cycle commences, and that the `Fire-Female-Hare'
    year falls definitly upon the year 1027 A.D."
       Therefore, given that this `cycle' could have started earlier than
    in 1027, I have additionally applied in reverse the 60 year cycle to the
    10 previous cycles,

         FIRE       EARTH           IRON          WATER       WOOD      FIRE
          f   |   m       f    |   m     f   |   m     f  |  m     f  |  m
         Hare | Dragon Serpent | Horse Sheep | Monkey Hen | Dog   Pig | Mouse
  10     427     428     429      430   431     432   433   434   435    436
  9      487     488     489      490   491     492   493   494   495    496
  8      547     548     549      550   551     552   553   554   555    556
  7      607     608     609      610   611     612   613   614   615    616
  6      667     668     669      670   671     672   673   674   675    676
  5      727     728     729      730   731     732   733   734   735    736
  4      787     788     789      790   791     792   793   794   795    796
  3      847     848     849      850   851     852   853   854   855    856
  2      907     908     909      910   911     912   913   914   915    916
  1      967     968     969      970   971     972   973   974   975    976
  Istart 1027    1028    1029     1030  1031    1032  1033  1034  1035   1036
  II     1087    1088    1089     1030  1091    1092  1093  1094  1095   1096
  III    1147    1148    1149     1150  1151    1152  1153  1154  1155   1156
  IV     1207    1208    1209     1210  1211    1212  1213  1214  1215   1216
  V      1267    1268    1269     1270  1271    1272  1273  1274  1275   1276
  VI     1327    1328    1329     1330  1331    1332  1333  1334  1335   1336
  VII    1387    1388    1389     1390  1391    1392  1393  1394  1395   1396
  VIII   1447    1448    1449     1450  1451    1452  1453  1454  1455   1456
  IX     1507    1508    1509     1510  1511    1512  1513  1514  1515   1516
  X      1567    1568    1569     1570  1571    1572  1573  1574  1575   1576
  XI     1627    1628    1629     1630  1631    1632  1633  1634  1635   1636
  XII    1687    1688    1689     1690  1691    1692  1693  1694  1695   1696
  XIII   1747    1748    1749     1750  1751    1752  1753  1754  1755   1756
  XIV    1807    1808    1809     1810  1811    1812  1813  1814  1815   1816
  XV     1867    1868    1869     1870  1871    1872  1873  1874  1875   1876
  XVI    1927    1928    1929     1930  1931    1932  1933  1934  1935   1936
  XVII   1987    1988    1989     1990  1991    1992  1993  1994  1995   1996
    
         FIRE     EARTH          IRON            WATER         WOOD      FIRE
          f  |   m     f   |   m       f    |   m     f   |   m     f  |  m
         Ox  | Tiger  Hare | Dragon Serpent | Horse Sheep | Monkey Hen | Dog
  10     437    438   439     440     441      442   443     444   445   546
  9      497    498   499     500     501      502   503     504   505   506
  8      557    558   559     560     561      562   563     564   565   566
  7      617    618   619     620     621      622   623     624   625   626
  6      677    678   679     680     681      682   683     684   685   686
  5      737    738   739     740     741      742   743     744   745   746
  4      797    798   799     800     801      802   803     804   805   806
  3      857    858   859     860     861      862   863     864   865   866
  2      917    618   919     920     921      922   923     924   925   926
  1      977    978   979     980     981      982   983     984   985   986
  I      1037   1038  1039    1090    1041     1042  1043    1014  1045  1046
  II     1097   1098  1099    1100    1101     1102  1103    1104  1105  1106
  III    1157   1158  1159    1160    1161     1162  1163    1164  1165  1166
  IV     1217   1218  1219    1220    1221     1222  1223    1224  1225  1226
  V      1277   1278  1279    1280    1281     1282  1283    1284  1285  1286
  VI     1337   1338  1339    1340    1341     1342  1343    1344  1345  1346
  VII    1397   1398  1399    1400    1401     1402  1403    1404  1405  1406
  VIII   1457   1458  1459    1460    1461     1462  1463    1464  1465  1466
  IX     1517   1518  1519    1520    1521     1522  1523    1524  1525  1526
  X      1577   1578  1579    1580    1581     1582  1583    1584  1585  1586
  XI     1637   1638  1639    1640    1641     1642  1643    1694  1645  1646
  XII    1697   1698  1699    1700    1701     1702  1703    1704  1705  1706
  XIII   1757   1758  1759    1760    1761     1762  1763    1764  1765  1766
  XIV    1817   1818  1819    1820    1821     1822  1823    1824  1825  1826
  XV     1877   1878  1879    1880    1881     1882  1883    1884  1885  1886
  XVI    1937   1938  1939    1940    1941     1942  1943    1994  1945  1946
  XVII   1997   1998  1999    2000    2001     2002  2003    2004  2005  2006

         FIRE     EARTH        IRON          WATER           WOOD       FIRE
          f       m    f      m     f      m       f        m     f      m
         Pig  | Mouse Ox  | Tiger Hare | Dragon Serpent | Horse Sheep | Monkey
  10     447    448   449    450   451    452     453     454    455     456
  9      507    508   509    510   511    512     513     514    515     516
  8      567    568   569    570   570    571     572     573    574     576
  7      627    628   629    630   631    632     633     634    635     636
  6      687    688   689    690   691    692     693     694    695     696
  5      747    748   749    750   751    752     753     754    755     756
  4      807    808   809    810   811    812     813     814    815     816
  3      867    868   869    870   870    871     872     873    874     876
  2      927    928   929    930   931    932     933     934    935     936
  1      987    988   989    990   991    992     993     994    995     996
  I      1047   1048  1049   1050  1051   1052    1053    1054   1055    1056
  II     1107   1108  1109   1110  1111   1112    1113    1114   1115    1116
  III    1167   1168  1169   1170  1171   1172    1173    1174   1175    1176
  IV     1227   1228  1229   1230  1231   1232    1233    1234   1235    1236
  V      1287   1288  1289   1290  1291   1292    1293    1294   1295    1296
  VI     1347   1348  1349   1350  1351   1352    1353    1354   1355    1356
  VII    1407   1408  1409   1410  1411   1412    1413    1414   1415    1416
  VIII   1467   1468  1469   1470  1471   1472    1473    1474   1475    1476
  IX     1527   1528  1529   1530  1531   1532    1533    1534   1535    1536
  X      1587   1588  1589   1590  1591   1592    1593    1594   1595    1596
  XI     1647   1648  1649   1650  1651   1652    1653    1654   1655    1656
  XII    1707   1708  1709   1710  1711   1712    1713    1714   1715    1716
  XIII   1767   1768  1769   1770  1771   1772    1773    1774   1775    1776
  XIV    1827   1828  1829   1830  1831   1832    1833    1834   1835    1836
  XV     1887   1888  1889   1890  1891   1892    1893    1894   1895    1896
  XVI    1947   1948  1949   1950  1951   1952    1953    1954   1955    1956
  XVII   2007   2008  2009   2010  2011   2012    2013    2014   2015    2016
    
         FIRE     EARTH         IRON         WATER          WOOD         FIRE
          f      m     f       m     f       m    f       m       f       m
         Hen  | Dog   Pig  | Mouse  Ox   | Tiger Hare | Dragon Serpent | Horse
  10     457    458   459    460    461    462   463     464     465     466
  9      517    518   519    520    521    522   523     524     525     526
  8      577    578   579    580    581    582   583     584     585     586
  7      637    638   639    640    641    642   643     644     645     646
  6      697    698   699    700    701    702   703     704     705     706
  5      757    758   759    760    761    762   763     764     765     766
  4      817    818   819    820    821    822   823     824     825     826
  3      877    878   879    880    881    882   883     884     885     886
  2      937    938   939    940    941    942   943     944     945     946
  1      997    998   999    1000   1001   1002  1003    1004    1005    1006
  I      1057   1058  1059   1060   1061   1062  1063    1064    1065    1066
  II     1117   1118  1119   1120   1121   1122  1123    1124    1125    1126
  III    1177   1178  1179   1180   1181   1182  1183    1184    1185    1186
  IV     1237   1238  1239   1240   1241   1242  1243    1244    1245    1246
  V      1297   1298  1299   1300   1301   1302  1303    1304    1305    1306
  VI     1357   1358  1359   1360   1361   1362  1363    1364    1365    1366
  VII    1417   1418  1419   1420   1421   1422  1423    1424    1425    1426
  VIII   1477   1478  1479   1480   1481   1482  1483    1484    1485    1486
  IX     1537   1538  1539   1540   1541   1542  1543    1544    1545    1546
  X      1597   1598  1599   1600   1601   1602  1603    1604    1605    1606
  XI     1657   1658  1659   1660   1661   1662  1663    1664    1665    1666
  XII    1717   1718  1719   1720   1721   17Z   1723    1724    1725    1726
  XIII   1777   1778  1779   1780   1781   1782  1783    1784    1785    1786
  XIV    1837   1838  1839   1840   1841   1842  1843    1844    1845    1846
  XV     1897   1898  1899   1900   1901   1902  1903    1904    1905    1906
  XVI    1957   1958  1959   1960   1961   1962  1963    1964    1965    1966
  XVII   2017   2018  2019   2020   2021   2022  2023    2024    2025    2026
    
         FIRE       EARTH         IRON          WATER         WOOD       FIRE
          f        m      f      m     f       m      f      m     f      m
         Sheep | Monkey  Hen  | Dog   Pig  | Mouse  Ox   | Tiger  Hare | Dragon
  10     467     468     469    470   471    472    473    474    475    476
  9      527     528     529    530   531    532    533    534    535    536
  8      587     588     589    590   591    592    593    594    595    596
  7      647     648     649    650   651    652    653    654    655    656
  6      707     708     709    710   711    712    713    714    715    716
  5      767     768     769    770   771    772    773    774    775    776
  4      827     828     829    830   831    832    833    834    835    836
  3      887     888     889    890   891    892    893    894    895    896
  2      947     948     949    950   951    952    953    954    955    956
  1      1007    1008    1009   1010  1011   1012   1013   1014   1015   1016
  I      1067    1068    1069   1070  1071   1072   1073   1074   1075   1076
  II     1127    1128    1129   1130  1131   1132   1133   1134   1135   1136
  III    1187    1188    1189   1190  1191   1192   1193   1194   1195   1196
  IV     1247    1248    1249   1250  1251   1252   1253   1254   1255   1256
  V      1307    1308    1309   1310  1311   1312   1313   1314   1315   1316
  VI     1367    1368    1369   1370  1371   1372   1373   1374   1375   1376
  VII    1427    1428    1429   1430  1431   1432   1433   1434   1435   1436
  VIII   1487    1488    1489   1490  1491   1492   1493   1494   1495   1496
  IX     1547    1548    1549   1550  1551   1552   1553   1554   1555   1556
  X      1607    1608    1609   1610  1611   1612   1613   1614   1615   1616
  XI     1667    1668    1669   1670  1671   1672   1673   1674   1675   1676
  XII    1627    1778    1729   1730  1731   1732   1733   1734   1735   1736
  XIII   1787    1788    1789   1790  1791   1792   1793   1794   1795   1796
  XIV    1847    1848    1849   1850  1851   1852   1853   1854   1855   1856
  XV     1907    1908    1909   1910  1911   1912   1913   1914   1915   1916
  XVI    1967    1968    1969   1970  1971   1972   1973   1974   1975   1976
  XVII   2027    2078    2029   2030  2031   2032   2033   2034   2035   2036
                
         FIRE        EARTH         IRON         WATER         WOOD       FIRE
          f         m     f       m     f      m     f       m    f       m
         Serpent | Horse Sheep | Monkey Hen  | Dog   Pig  | Mouse Ox   | Tiger
  10     477       478   479     480    481    482   483    484   485    486
  9      537       538   539     540    541    542   543    544   545    546
  8      597       598   599     600    601    602   603    604   605    606
  7      657       658   659     660    661    662   663    664   665    666
  6      717       718   719     720    721    722   723    724   725    726
  5      777       778   779     780    781    782   783    784   785    786
  4      837       838   839     840    841    842   843    844   845    846
  3      897       898   899     900    901    902   903    904   905    906
  2      957       958   959     960    961    962   963    964   965    966
  1      1017      1018  1019    1020   1021   1022  1023   1024  1025   1026
  I      1077      1078  1079    1080   1081   1082  1083   1084  1085   1086
  II     1137      1138  1139    1140   1141   1142  1143   1144  1145   1146
  III    1197      1198  1199    1200   1201   1202  1203   1204  1205   1206
  IV     1257      1258  1259    1260   1261   1262  1263   1264  1265   1266
  V      1317      1318  1319    1320   1321   1322  1323   1324  1325   1326
  VI     1377      1378  1379    1380   1381   1382  1383   1384  1385   1386
  VII    1437      1438  1439    1440   1441   1442  1443   1444  1445   1446
  VIII   1497      1498  1499    1500   1501   1502  1503   1504  1505   1506
  IX     1557      1558  1559    1560   1561   1562  1563   1564  1565   1566
  X      1617      1618  1619    1620   1621   1622  1623   1624  1625   1626
  XI     1677      1678  1679    1680   1681   1682  1683   1684  1685   1686
  XII    1737      1738  1739    1740   1741   1742  1743   1744  1745   1746
  XIII   1797      1798  1799    1800   1801   1802  1803   1804  1805   1806
  XIV    1857      1858  1859    1860   1861   1862  1863   1864  1865   1866
  XV     1917      1918  1919    1920   1921   1922  1923   1924  1925   1926
  XVI    1977      1978  1979    1980   1981   1982  1983   1984  1985   1986
  XVII   2037      2038  2039    2040   2041   2042  2043   2044  2045   2046

