Acknowledgement

I would like to sincerely thank and express my deep gratitude to my Supervisor, Prof. Hira Paul Gangnegi for his kind guidance and faith in me. It was a great inspiration and joy to study under him. I am very grateful to my Advisors, Geshe Dorjee Damdul of Tibet House Delhi, and Dr. Kalsang Wangmo of Jarkhand University. Geshe la's class at Tibet House was of immense help in understanding Buddhist philosophy and science. Dr. Kalsang Wangmo provided much needed encouragement and guidance throughout the study and reminded me now and then to get me going ahead with the papers.

I would like to thank Dr. K.T.S. Sarao, the Head of the Department for his advice and support during my research work. I am grateful to the faculty members, Dr. R.K. Rana, Dr. S.B. Pavagadhi, Dr. I.N. Singh, Dr. Galdhan Sangai, Dr. Dharmeder Kumar, Dr. Nirja Sharma and other teaching members and fellow students of the Department for all their help and suggestions during the seminars and the research work.

Library of Tibetan Works & Archives in Dharamshala, sManri Monastery Library in Solan and Tibet House Library in Delhi and were of great help in getting the primary and secondary sources of information during the study. The Librarians were most kind in identifying the books. I thank my brother Tashi Phuntsok Arya at LTWA who greatly helped me in locating the required books.

Inspiration behind by interest in the study was Prof Namkhai Norbu's work "The Necklace of gZi", which my uncle Jadhur S. Sangpo introduced to me along with the occasional discourse on Tibetan studies. Late 33rd sManri Trizin of sManri Monastery greatly encouraged me in the study and gave me books and moral support, which I took it as a great blessing.

The dissertation may not have taken the proper shape without the great editing support from Prof Tenzin Woesel [Dr. Kaveri Gill] of Shiv Nadar University, Delhi; Dr. Lauren Alderfer of Mindful study, Boston; and Dr. Tenzin Desal of Tibet Policy Institute. I am greatly indebted to them for going through the papers and for their valuable suggestions.

I would like to thank Thupten Samphel la, former Director of Tibet Policy Institute; Naga Sangye Tender of LTWA; and Prof Jampa Samten of Central University of Tibetan Studies for their advice and guidance.

My thanks to administrative staff Mr. Jai Singh, Mr. Deelip Kumar and Mr. Vijay Kumar for their service at the Department all along my study, I thank my fellow researchers Thupten Negi from Kinaur and Tsering Tashi from Arunachal for the seminar updates and for their help in sorting out the final thesis submission.

I dedicate this work to my late mother Lhamo Tsering from Yanchab Tingar [Yan chab sting ka], Tibet, who despite being illiterate, blessed us [my siblings] with many ancient tales, operas, and quotes from Tibetan classic like Manikabum, mDo gzer mig, mDo dri med gzi brjid etc. But she left so early that we could not repay her kindness fully. To her I owe the seeds of my marvel in ancient stories and learning.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the great support my wife and the two children gave me during my work and study in India. Their love and faith in me has been the driving force behind my research work. Although the years of separation cannot be compensated, to them I present this labor of my love.

T.G. Arya
New Delhi, 27, March 2019