Today is the last day for me to read Dunhuang manuscripts in Paris. As I walked out the BnF à Richelieu, I felt quite special. From Nov.19, 2012 to today (Jan. 25, 2013), I have been to this reading room (Manuscrits des orientaux) many times, reading through 33 medical manuscripts from the Pelliot collection. When it is time to say goodbye, I somewhat felt melancholic, as if departing from an old friend. After the routine of summarizing today's reading at a nice café, I took a random promenade in the 2ème Arr, and walked into a very nice market street (Marché Montorgueil). Looking at many beautiful bakeries and chocolate shops, with the familiar melody of Kitaro's "Mirage," my mind went back to the days I spent at BnF with my old friends (yes, they are very very old)...
After I finished my research in London, I came to Paris in early November to continue working on Dunhuang manuscripts. I didn't expect too much at the beginning, given my experience in London. I only read five manuscripts there. Perhaps I could read a bit more here in Paris, I thought at the time. And the goal is different. Because all manuscripts here have been digitalized with good quality images, I don't have any justifications to consult any manuscript because the textual information is lacking or of low-quality. They are all there online. Therefore I switched my focus from the content to the format, that is, to study the ex-textual features of these manuscripts. For example, the quality of paper, the size and collation of leaflets, the basic form of the manuscript, the red marks, the grid, the handwriting, the recto/verso information, among others. I am not an expert on manuscript culture, but I was eager to give a shot.
The experience is quite fulfilling. The most important, thanks to the generosity of Madame Monnet, the librarian at the manuscript department, I was able to consult many more manuscripts here in Paris, altogether 33. In London, since that was the first time for me to read Dunhuang manuscripts, it was a "wooooo" kind of jaw-dropping experience. And I certainly focused more on the content rather than the format of those five manuscripts. Here in Paris, the initial excitement receded, replaced by a more mature sensitivity to examine these manuscripts more professionally. The room is perfect: it is small and cozy. The reference books are just nearby. Madame Monnet is quite present. And sometimes I met interesting people in the room. It made the whole reading experience very enjoyable.
So what is my routine of reading these manuscripts. I usually consulted 2 to 3 manuscripts each day, and 5 to 6 manuscripts each week. I tried to arrive there at 10am, the time it opened, and stay until 6pm, the time it closed. Before entering the library, I always listened to Kitaro's "Mirage." Maybe it is too sentimental, but for me it was a ritual that helped settle my mind to the right mood. And I was never tired of listening to it, because it made me imagine a bright future. Then I entered the room, and usually read some books to get the basic information about the manuscript I was about to read (typically Despeux's, MJX's, and the French catalogue). After that, I came out to wash my hands, re-entered the room, and started reading the manuscript. Each one took me about 2 hours or a bit more. For lunch, a sandwich from "Au 140" near where I live is perfect - quick and convenient, since I didn't want to waste time on this. But a café inside the building was necessary; it warmed me up, bringing energy to me. Then, the same process again for the afternoon reading. After the work, I would meander to a café nearly, summarizing all my discoveries for the day. After that, if it is a Wednesday or Friday, I would walk to the Luvre, which is not very far, and enjoyed a nocturnal section there. From the medieval Chinese manuscripts to the gorgeous Western arts, that transformation excited my soul!
To be honest, I don't know how much of my work here on Dunhuang manuscripts will be eventually incorporated into my thèse. Maybe not too much, my intuition tells me. But this experience is surely one of the most unique in my life. I don't just mean the reading experience of these precious scrolls and cahiers, which is an essential part. I also mean the ambient parts - the nice library, the kind Madame Monnet, the diligent Sakamoto san who works on paper in Dunhuang, the nice neighborhood around BnF, the walk along the seine and inside the Luvre. All of these, together with the core experience of reading the manuscripts, are perfectly integrated and become one memory, the memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It is also a motivating force for me to continue walking on the pathway, assuredly and steadily, that I chose some time ago and never regret.
Au revoir, Dunhuang. I hope that I will see you again, perhaps not in the near future. But you are always with me, in my heart, driving me to move forward...
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