Dear friends,

the Sanskrit term 'pattra' refers to leaves specially prepared to be
written upon. This is an ancient Indian tradition, and the leaves were
taken from the Asian Palmyra Palm (Borassus Flabellifer).

According to Wikipedia, the process is as follows:

"Leaves of suitable size and shape and texture, with sufficient
maturity are chosen. The leaves are then seasoned by boiling in salt
water with turmeric powder. This acts as a preservative. The leaves
are then dried. When they are dry enough, the faces of the leaves are
polished with pumice stone.

Then they are cut in the proper size.

A hole is cut out in one corner. Each leaf will have four pages.

The writing is done with a stylus. The writing is of a very cursive
and interconnected style.

The leaves are then tied up as sheaves."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borassus

Ancient Buddhist scriptures written on pattra are called pattra sutras
(or patta suttas in Pali). They are known as Beiye or Beiduoluo (Jpn:
baitara) Jing in Chinese. I would think it is academically more
accurate to call them pattra manuscripts.

A recent news article about a Hong Kong businessman donating pattra
manuscripts containing Pali suttas to Nanjing Library (Jiangsu
Province, China) prompts me to write this mail.

http://www.chinanews.com/tp/kjxw/news/2006/11-10/818912.shtml

Further research on the web reveals that pratta sutras can be written
in Sanskrit too.

I hope someone can help with my questions.

1. Was the Asian Palmyra Palm (leaves) the only source for pattra?
2. Are the Sanskrit fragments which archaeologists have been
discovering and collecting throughout Asia also pattra manuscripts?
3. How many of these manuscripts like the one in the picture in the
webpage (link above) survived in good conditions?
4. When were they written/produced, and what are the scripts used?
5. Any further information on the topic would be greatly appreciated.



metta,
Yong Peng.