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Evans-Wentz (W.Y.) Buddhism and Eastern Religions Collection
M0205  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Preferred Citation
  • Scope and Contents
  • Conditions Governing Use

  • Language of Material: Multiple languages
    Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
    Title: Evans-Wentz Buddhism and eastern religions collection
    Identifier/Call Number: M0205
    Physical Description: 23 Linear Feet (29 boxes, one oversize folder)
    Date (inclusive): cIrca 1600-1922
    Abstract: Asian religious texts, largely collected by professor Walter Evans-Wentz.

    Conditions Governing Access

    Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.

    Biographical / Historical

    Walter Yeeling Evans-Wentz, born February 2, 1878 in Trenton, New Jersey, attended Stanford University where he received his B.A. and his M.A. Evans-Wentz traveled extensively in Mexico, Europe, and the Far East. He spent several years in Tibet where he became a Buddhist monk. He was a pioneer in the field of Tibetan Buddhism and authored several books on the subject.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Gift of Dr. Evans-Wentz, 1923; Louise Evans, 1975, transfer from Stanford Museum, 1981, and likely other sources.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item] Evans-Wentz Buddhism and eastern religions collection, M0205, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

    Scope and Contents

    A collection relating to the religions of Asia, principally Sri Lanka, but also China, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. The bulk of the collection consists of Buddhist textual works assembled by Evans-Wentz on his travels, including palm leaf manuscripts and other medical and religious texts. Note that some material was added later to the collection and were not originally collected by him.
    Identification of the works in this collection is based on the notation of Evans-Wentz. Similarly, the descriptions (dates, nature of the work, etc.) are as quoted from him, as well as from a pamphlet entitled, Catalogue of Pali, Sinhalese, and Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Colombo Museum Library (Colombo, Government Printer, 1901). Although there was consultation with various scholars in the process of reorganizing the collection in 2017-2018, some items remain unidentified.

    Conditions Governing Use

    These materials are believed to be in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use of public domain materials.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Buddhism -- Sri Lanka
    Buddhism -- China -- Tibet Autonomous Region
    Taoism -- China
    Evans-Wentz, W. Y. (Walter Yeeling)