ཕྱག་ལི། phyag li

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mKhan-po O-rgyan-phun-tshogs from Ngagyur Nyingma Research Centre (NNRC, NNI, Bylakuppe, Mysore) informs me that the term occurs in accounts of Tibetan masters, and it seems to be used in the sense of sho ka li (q.v.). After examining some textual sources (via BDRC), I propose the following:

(a) It is possible that phyag li is a  contracted form of phyag ka li, which is obviously to be understood as an honorifc form of sho ka li, a “dpe cha holder.” See, for example, the following passage: de brjed kyis dogs pas rje btsun gyi phyag ka li [= lir]  spyod ’jug rtag tu bzhugs pa cig [= zhig] gi bar du bris nas bcug |. But note that the expression phyag li does not occur here. Here, we understand that a slip of paper with some notes was kept within the dpe cha of the Bodhicaryāvatāra kept in a “dpe cha holder” (phyag ka li = sho ka li).

(b) Now, let us examine the following passage: … rnam thar zhal gsung rtsa tho dang | der ma ’khod pa phyin chad kyi phyag li las byung ba ji ltar bsgyur bkod dang sgro skur med nges shig bri dgos zhes gsungs pa dang du blangs nas |…. Maybe phyag li here is used as a contracted form of phyag ka li? See also: … kar rabs lha khang bzhengs te rab gnas mdzad grub pa yan chad rje nyid kyi zhal gsung gtso bor bzung | bar skabs mi gsal rigs ’thad ’os gzhan gyis cung zad brgyan | lo grangs mang tsam ring phyag tho med gras sa bcad ma stong tsam bkod pa dang | me phag lo nas sku gshegs kyi bar phyag li las phyag tho rgyas par gnang 'dug pa rnams mdor bsdus | gzhan rang gzhan gyis mthong thos rdzun med nges pa’i yid ches can rnams kyang ci rigs par bkod de |. From this context, it seems to become clear that phyag li means “note slips” (i.e., slips of paper for taking down notes; German: Notizzettel) that were usually kept with (or within) a dpe cha kept in a “dpe cha holder” (phyag ka li = sho ka li). And phyag tho means “notes” (German: Notiz). The Tibetan word phyag li does not seem to refer to a “notepad/notebook” (German: Notizblock/Notizbuch).

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