The Epic of Gesar of Ling

by Robin Kornman

On the solid gold boulder of our common welfare.

  Furthermore,

  If you don’t take three steps, a month’s journey will never end.

  If you don’t speak three words, there will be no outcome to a discussion.

  I, Chipön, yesterday, in the predawn of the eighth day of the first month of summer, while dreaming, received several clear light prophecies. I myself must reach a decision about these prophecies for the general welfare of all:

  When a lowly person’s intelligence is limited,

  The great goal of the masses will be lost.

  When a mischievous horse is allowed to run free,

  The rider will be thrown to the ground.

  When three men are in perfect agreement,

  The laws of the land will be balanced.

  When the three hearthstones are put right,

  The hearth for the copper vessel will be stable.gg

  And so in keeping with these proverbs, the guru Thangtong Gyalpo, Michen Gyalwa’i Lhundrub, and Kyalo Tönpa Gyaltsen, these three, reached a harmonious decision and all the people were successfully gathered.

  If innermost mind168 is directed to the divine,

  The four successes will be more stable than a mountain.

  If the source of the waters is the snow mountain,

  It will flow until the end of the kalpa.

  If human nature originates from the Mukpo Dong,

  Then stability, splendor, and peace, these three, will converge.

  If mind’s resolution originates from a prophecy,

  In the future there will be no regrets.

  I [Chipön] was thinking in this way when I asked Thangtong Gyalpo about my dream, and he had answered, ‘This is not a dream, this is clear light. This is not delusive appearance, this is prophecy. This concerns the future of the black-haired Tibetans. This great purpose of the six tribes of Ling should not be ignored or postponed! This gathering of the six tribes must be excellent! Chipön must explain his dream, Kyalo must arrange the celebration, and Michen must make the final decision.’ In keeping with that, since that is the way that my dream was and that is the way that Thangtong Gyalpo interpreted the prophecy, all of you in this great assembly who are of the nobility of the great tribes, listen with your ears, analyze, and keep this in mind!”

  Thus he spoke. On this day, joined together like the sun and moon, the dream and the prophecy were conjoined as well. Then Chipön, the uncle of the Mukpo clan, sang this song:

  OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ HRĪḤ

  Lu Ala is the unborn dharmadhātu.

  And Thala leads the unobstructed words of speech.

  I offer to the supreme teacher, the buddha worthy of offerings,

  To the peaceful, passionless holy dharma,

  And to the sangha blazing with the glory of noble qualities.

  May the Three Supreme Jewels remain inseparably on the crown of my head.169

  Today, in the castle of the dralas

  May the three hundred and sixty mighty dralashh

  Lead this cosmic song.170

  If you don’t recognize this place,

  It is Nyida Khatröd in the land of Ma.

  It is the place where both Ma and Yak valleys unite like the sun and moon,

  Where the guru and chieftain are unified like the sun and moon,

  Fathers and uncles are unified like garuḍas and dragons,

  Sons and nephews unified like lions and tigers.

  Here, where the two excellent ones are united like the sun and the moon,

  The happiness and joy of the six tribes are united.

  If you don’t recognize the likes of me,

  My father’s conch lineage is the trunk of the tree.

  On it blooms the golden flower of the son lineage;

  Here the turquoise cuckoo of good news alights.

  It seems that the dream, this sweet voice, and the meaning of the words originate there.

  If you don’t recognize a song such as this,

  It is the good news that unites the noble Ling.

  It is here that the dream and the prophecy are united.

  At this great celebration we come together to sit in counsel,

  The chiefs of the six tribes have gathered,

  The people have gathered.

  That being the case, right now it is time for the story.

  Greetings, great gathering of the districts, listen!

  The day before yesterday, on the eighth day of the waxing moon,

  In the course of predawn luminosity,

  The sun rose on the peak of Magyal Pomra.

  There, the light of a golden vajra

  Descended on the peak of Kyigyal Mountain.

  On the plain of Dalung the gods of the chase assembled.

  In Senglön’s hand a golden parasol revolved.

  I dreamed that its four edges were covered by fringe.

  A rainbow shaft pierced Gedzo Mountain,

  And light extended out to Lake Manasarovar.

  From Mönlam La, the conch moon rose,

  From Ser La, the morning star sparkled.

  I dreamed that the sun, the moon, and the star, these three, were united.

  In the luminosity that occurred beforehand,

  A lama, in the sky to the southwest,

  Wearing a lotus hat came riding a lion,

  Holding in his hands a vajra and a khaṭvāṇga

  And guided by a woman who held a hooked knife and a skull.

  In unison, they spoke these words to me.

  “Great chief, sleep not, but awake.

  The time of happiness in the six tribes is about to begin.

  From the midsummer month on the fifteenth day of the waxing moon,

  Let the six tribes gather on the plain of Ma Valley

  And offer a feast, drala and prosperity smoke offerings,

  And joyfully celebrate with song and dance.

  This will make a perfectly endowed auspicious connection.”

  I then dreamed that they went into the southwestern sky.

  When I awakened my body and mind blazed with bliss and warmth

  And there was the Siddha Thangtong Gyalpo,

  As if a boulder of pure gold had just rolled up to my doorstep.

  I told him of my prophetic dream.

  The good omen I told to these three, the guru, the chieftain, and Michen.

  They responded, “This dream is not bad, it is good.”

  The sun rising at the peak of Magyal Pomra

  Is a sign that the gods are aligned with virtue.

  The golden vajra descending on Kyigyal Mountain

  Is a sign that the thirteen gods of the chase will come to greet

  The emanation of the Buddha.

  The golden parasol Senglön holds in his hand

  Is a sign that he will hold the father lineage.ii

  The rainbow shaft piercing Gedzo and Lake Manasarovar

  Is a sign that the father will be a nyen and the mother a nāginī.

  That he is to be born the king of the Masang family171

  Is a sign that he will suppress the four directions with his splendor.

  Furthermore, if the instructions of the Lotus-Born Guru

  And the ḍākinī Vajravārāhī are taken up,

  Then White Ling’s plans will be accomplished.

  Therefore, all of you in this diverse assembly,

  Having gathered here today for the great political goals of Ling,

  Should take this golden key of our common objective

  And place it in the hand of the one with sharp mindfulness and discrimination.

  The general political goals,

  Like a medicinal bush,

  Will stimulate the minds of the wise ones.

  If called, of course there is an answer.

  If questioned, keep an open mind.

  If fog does not clear the foothills,

  The paths to the valley will not be open.

  If gentle rains do not fall from the
sky,

  The six grains will not mature on the vast plains.

  If the many don’t offer up their opinions,

  The learned will not come to resolution.

  If a horse is not primed for a race,

  The fastest steed will never get the ribbon.

  Therefore, each man’s every thought should be revealed

  And the lineage of fathers and uncles should finally decide.

  Entrust your innermost mind to the Three Precious Jewels.

  Keep this in your thoughts, great tribes of Ling!

  Thus he sang and all of the members of the nobility in the assembly went on and on with their discussions, like the proverb:

  Each man, his own song; each bird, its own voice.

  They became of one mind concerning their common future goal, and Gyalwa’i Lhundrub said, “Today, there is no one left who has any doubt about the dream of Chipön and the prophecy of the Mahāsiddha. As in the proverbs:

  Although the stars are greater in number, it is the moon which dispels the darkness.

  Although the breadth of the valley is great, it is the bridge that brings the guests.

  Although the reach of the river is long, the sovereignty of the ferry is greater.

  The minds of men and the minds of gods are in harmony, so let the gods decide.

  If the minds of one hundred men are in harmony,

  It is like the synchronized gait of one hundred horses.

  In accord with yesterday’s dream and prophecy, starting on the day of the waxing moonjj in midsummer, let each of the inhabitants of Upper and Lower Ling pack up their encampments and move them to here. From the eight golden provinces of Upper Ling to the group of ruddy Ta’u people and from the eighteen great wingskk of Tag-rong to the tribe of Karnak Tongkor, all must gather here on the plain of Ma Valley.”

  [Michen distributes responsibility for performing the rituals of the great celebration among the community.]

  As for the offering rituals to the Three Jewels and the Three Roots, the feast offering, and lofty praise to the dralas, juniper smoke offerings, protector supplications, summoning, accomplishing prosperity rituals, and the songs and dances of the celebration of auspicious connection and so forth, the individual duties and responsibilities for performing these ceremonies were delineated by song, sung with the melody known as Overwhelming the Great Gathering with Splendor,ll by Michen Gyalwa’i Lhundrub.

  E the song is as vast as the space of the sky of existence.

  Thala is the unobstructed ground of the words.

  This is the land of Ling in Dokham greater Tibet.

  If you don’t recognize it by name,

  It is Nyida Khatröd of Ling.

  Today, in this huge assembly, this ruddy crowd,

  From Kham, Amdo, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet in the land of four rivers,172

  From the land of the six ridges,173 known to all,

  Gurus, leaders of men, nobles,

  And the clergy and laity of this great province, listen here.

  Today, because of a serendipitous natural connection,

  Although of many ranks, you are of one mind.

  Entrust your innermost mind to the Rare and Precious Three Jewels

  And by listening, come to a decision.

  The sky must indeed be a great vast pervasive covering,

  For the sun and moon dispel the darkness in all four continents.174

  A clear mind must be stable at the root,

  For the holy dharma, explained to the whole world, has spread here in Tibet.

  Indeed the six tribes are broad and vast,

  Like the Siddha and Chief, they are of one mind.

  Now according to the meaning of the prophecy and the dreams.175

  On the first day of the midsummer month, let us gather

  The nobles of the assembly of White Ling

  On the plain of Ma Valley.

  Since you, Kyalo Tönpa Gyaltsen,

  Are the patron possessing great merit,

  You will sponsor this celebration.

  All the gurus and siddhas

  Will offer smoke, invoke and praise the dralas.

  Michen, Zigphen, and Tharpa, make three,

  Chipön, Trogyal, and Sengtren, make six,

  Gyapön, Treltsei, and Yuyag, make nine,

  Dongtsen, Margye, Darphen, and

  Nyima Gyaltsen, these thirteen,

  Representing the lands of Do, Ling, and Kham, these three,

  And all the subjects with their horses must gather.

  Likewise, bring along materials for the grain offering, the smoke offering, and the select offering.

  And bring the windhorse flags, longevity arrow, and mountain offerings,

  Armor, offering trophies for protectors, and animals saved from slaughter.176

  Suit the mounted men with hats, clothes, and the six ornaments,

  Together with helmets and shining armor.

  The stallions should be well prepared in grooming and gait.

  Likewise, the saddle, saddle blanket, and bridal ornaments should be well arranged.

  Garza, Gyaza, Rongza, these three,

  Ragza, Driza, and Draza

  Dartsho, Chötrön, and Sönam, these women,

  Peldzom, Derge, Yangzang, and so forth,

  These are the thirteen ladies, mothers and aunts.

  While the heroes dance, these heroines sing,

  And a feast will be performed to promote the auspicious connection.

  Make this assembly so great that

  Even the sun and moon won’t dare to circle above,

  Mount Meru won’t rest in the plain,

  And demonic forces will be unable to bear it!

  From the bottom of their hearts, the vindictive enemies will shrink in terror.

  Your relatives will be filled with pride.

  Prepare the auspicious connection and

  Ensure that Ling will be undaunted by the enemies of the four directions.

  Whatever this great human lineage is capable of doing,

  Let this fame spread across a thousand districts.

  If any individual does not publicize this,

  Then he will be interrogated by the two laws.177

  Here in this great assembly of the gathering of Ling,

  Those of the nobility and the commoners must bear this in mind!

  Having thus spoken, accordingly, this decree was transcribed and copies were distributed. The Guru, Chief, and the multitudes who gathered for this great assembly took the decree to heart and made their plans. Their hearts in agreement and minds in accord to accomplish the promise, they each dispersed to their own place.

  a. Rongtsha Tragen is the chief of the Lesser Lineage.

  b. “Thirty Skulls” (Tib. thod pa sum cu): literally, “the thirty foreheads.” This means that Chipön is principal among the Thirty Mighty Warriors.

  c. Charisma (Tib. dbang thang [pronounced wang thang]) authentic presence and field of power.

  d. A zodor is an epithet for a drala or a werma. A zodor can also be understood to be a local guardian spirit of the land.

  e. (Tib. dngul gyi zla ba tshes). The full moon.

  f. Named after a great nyen (or mountain spirit) called Gedzo.

  g. Potala Mountain is the pure land of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteśvara. The physical location of this mountain in our world is in northeast China.

  h. “White” refers to virtues or that which is positive in terms of karmic intention.

  i. One of the Elders of Ling.

  j. OM MANī PADME HūM.

  k. “A” (pronounced Ah) is the primordial sound of emptiness and represents the source of all sound, including the Tibetan alphabet.

  l. This is the third month of the lunar calendar. The dragon is widely famed since his thunder is heard throughout the land.

  m. Ceremonial scarf (Tib. kha btags).

  n. (Tib. las dbang). Literally, “the power of karma.”

  o. There are t
hree sessions or watches of the predawn to dawn period: the first, middle, and last sessions of dawn (Tib. skya rengs dang po, skya rengs bar ma, and skya rengs tha ma).

  p. Lunar mansion or Lord of Constellations (Tib. rgyu skar dbang), is a poetic figure for the moon, which shines all the more beautifully because it is adorned with a surrounding retinue of stars.

  q. The kumuda flower is a water lily that opens in the moonlight.

  r. (Tib. mgur). Spiritual hymn.

  s. The aspect of the god Brahmā with four faces.

  t. The “all-illuminating sun” refers to Thangtong Gyalpo.

  u. (Tib. gral). A row of ceremonial seats, positioned in order of rank.

  v. (Tib. gzan; pronounced zen). The large shawl that monks wear over their shoulders.

  w. (Tib. mi chen). A pun on Michen’s name.

  x. The wealthy Kyalo Tönpa Gyaltsen was Queen Drugmo’s father and another great Elder of Ling.

  y. When one gazes up into the heavens the sky appears to be like an eight-spoked wheel based on the geomancy of the mountains that reach into the sky. This indicates that the area has these signs of auspiciousness.

  z. (Tib. bde legs skyid ring mo).

  aa. (Tib. dung gi skar). Venus, “the morning star.”

  bb. Mön may refer to Bhutan, Sikkim, or Nepal, or it may just be a general reference to southern borderlands that have a tropical climate.

  cc. Place of the upper six districts.

  dd. Tsampa is roasted barley flour.

  ee. (Tib. skyems pa chang). Tibetan chang is almost always beer, however the word can refer to any alcoholic beverage.

  ff. Those who live in the monastery.

  gg. This refers to the way that tea is made in Tibet. The “foreheads” of three stones are placed in a tripod such that a pot can be balanced upon them. The nomads will then make a fire underneath, and this becomes their fire stove.

  hh. Refers to the drala retinue of the drala Nyentag Marpo.

  ii. Senglön is destined to be the father of the future Gesar.