The Epic of Gesar of Ling
Page 16
jj. The first day of a lunar month (Tib. yar tshes).
kk. Literally, “provinces” or “tribes.”
ll. (Tib. khrom chen zil gnon).
CHAPTER THREE
Following the command of Master Lotus The divine child Thöpa Gawa,
In order to conquer both the Hor and Düd,178
Took an oath to come to the land of humans.
IN THE CENTER OF TIBET, in the core of the six ranges, this divine child Thöpa Gawa was to become the eliminator of misery caused by demons and rākṣasas, the destined savior of the black-haired Tibetans, the yoke upon the Yellow Hor, and the one to subdue the evil Düd. Knowing that he must come as the divine prince of the Bumpaa clan, based on his previously generated bodhicitta, the time had come for him to tame the beings of his destiny. From the Lotus Light Palace of Cāmara, King Lotus Skull Garland opened the mandala of the Fearsome Great Glorious Hayagrīva. Here, seated in rows at the feast, were one hundred and eight vidyādharas, one hundred and eight ḍākas, and one hundred and eight ḍākinīs, including the vidyādhara of the gods, the Blooming Lotus Who Quells Existence with Splendor, and Thöpa Gawa, who was the one destined to tame the barbarians dwelling at the borderlands of the snow land of Tibet.
In order to invoke the timely samaya of Thöpa Gawa and the seventy-five glorious protectors,b the thirteen gods of the chase who guard Tibet, the Masang who are among the four classes of the great nyen, and the twenty-one genyen, along with the vast assembly of gods and nāgas who take delight in aligning with virtue, he [Padmasambhava] sang this dohā proclaiming the crucial point of the vow they were to take.
[Padmasambhava enjoins Thöpa Gawa and a vast retinue of gods and spirits to go to Tibet to protect Buddhists from the attacks of demon kings.]
OṂ dharmapālas enact your samaya,
ĀḤ In the unborn empty dharmadhātu,
HŪṂ Compassionate dance magical emanation birth,
Vidyādhara Blossoming Display,c listen here!
Through the unsurpassable bodhicitta of the mahāyāna
And the not-to-be-transgressed vajra samaya,
The time has come to perform enlightened activity for the benefit of others.
In the great space dome179 of the azure firmament,
The sun and the moon have no leisure to take their ease;
This makes it possible to have an east and west.
This is how the sunny and shady slopes got their names.180
Because of the increase and decrease of the external elements,
The grasses and medicinal herbs have no leisure to take their ease;
This makes it possible to have hot and cold.
This is how summer and winter got their names.
Because saṃsāric friends and enemies come from passion and aggression,
The people have no leisure to take their ease;
This makes it possible to have hope and fear.
This is how gods and demons got their names.
In the land of Tibet, the beings of the five degeneracies
Have no chance for happiness because of their previous karma.
But if you suppress the current circumstance of the Hor and the Düd,
Then you, Noble One, will benefit beings as a matter of course.
Therefore Vidyādhara Thöpa Gawa,
In order to guard those to be tamed in the land of Tibet,
Show them the self-nature of cause and effect.
In order to uplift the Supreme Three Jewels,
Go to the land of snow without delay.
All you gods of the chase and zodor, who guard those who are virtuous,
All you dralas stand by this man.
Wermas, keep company with his body.
Don’t be idle! Support and befriend him without wavering.
Master the four enlightened activities.
Do not transgress your commitment. Samaya!
Then, child of the gods, Thöpa Gawa,
As the aspect of skillful means and compassion,
I will dispatch to accompany you now and in the future,
The mudrā of exaltation as your consort, samaya friends, and an assembly of heroines.d
Demolish the tangible enemies
At the four border regions and in the eighteen kingdoms,
Bind by oath the intangible demons and obstructing spirits,
Inspire those inclined to practice dharma,
Humble the sinners to remorsefully confess, and
Awaken recognition of cause and effect.
Don’t be idle; don’t be idle, son of noble family.
O dharma protectors and dralas who maintain virtue
And you child, keep this in your hearts.
After he spoke, each of the guardians of virtue, the dralas, wermas, zodors, hunting gods, and tenmas individually took their oaths.
[Thöpa Gawa considers Padma’s command, decides to obey, and frames his answer.]181
Then the divine child Thöpa Gawa thought to himself, “Once the gracious mahāguru, who is the nature of the omniscient buddhas of the ten directions, has conferred his command, first of all, how can such a proclamation and samaya ever be opposed? Secondly, the benefit the guru brings to others also benefits himself.” And, as the proverb goes:
All the fancy trappings182 of saṃsāra are really just to put food on the plate.
When a boy is born, he benefits himself by working for others.
When a horse is swift, he is victorious in the race.
When a weapon is sharp, it cuts meat and crushes bones.183
Thinking, “How could it not?” he said, “Oh yes, sir,” and, as the proverb states:
When a guru speaks to disciples there’s no talking back;
The karma of those who do will ripen in hell for corrupting samaya.
A worker never rebels against a master’s command;
Those that do end up in self-defeat, losing their necks and possessions.
Shepherds cannot push a landslide back up the hill;
If they could, their heads would crack.
For as the proverbs tell us:
Without good reason, samaya must not be broken,
Without benefit there is no reason to boast.
“Although I have not broken your commands, O guru, nevertheless dear Chief, they seem heavy, for it is:
Like a tax laid on a beggar’s son,
Like the saddle bags heavily packed by your nephews
In early spring when the cattle have no fat or strength.184
In order to accomplish the great benefit of enlightened activity that you, Guru, command, I will require worldly support from humans, and spiritual blessings from the divine ones.185 Just as:
Asses and deer depend on the mountain,
And the great buck, the rack on his head.
Otters and fish depend on the lake,
And the undulating fish, their brows’ dancing eyes.186
The monastery depends on the guru,
And the karmic result depends on his noble qualities.
The soldier depends on the chieftain
And his skills depend on the outer display.
Though a boy is brave,
He still needs a weapon to slay the enemy.
Though the herd looks powerful,
Whether or not a bull has the strength to carry burdens depends on the grass.
Even though empty words like the bark of a mastiff may be impressive,
There is no way they can please our loved ones.
Even though empty-handed anger arises,
There is no way this can kill the enemy.187
Therefore:
The subjects below magnify the leader,
Fine monks are an ornament to the guru,
Good fortune is a catapult for wealth
And weapons are what make the warrior capable.
Since there is nothing left uncovered by the azure firmament
The southern clouds have no need to be upset.
The zodor have no need to be jealous.188
If my father, mother, paternal and maternal lineages, servants and subjects are not fully endowed, then even if I the divine child accept your command, don’t you think it will be difficult to accomplish this noble goal?” In this way the divine child, Thöpa Gawa, presented his account of the situation and sang this song to Master Padmasambhava:
The song begins with Ala.
Thala shows the way the words are sung.
From the unborn dharmadhātu pure land,
Unobstructed five families of the victorious one, know me!
The ignorance of the five poisons is pacified in its own place.189
May I meet self-awareness wisdom.
Supremely kind unrivaled Lord of Dharma,
Glorious Buddha Lotus Born,
Do not lose your watchful eye of compassion
But listen with your ear of great loving-kindness.
I will work for the benefit of beings in the land of Tibet
And tame the difficult to tame in the borderlands;
No doubt there will be great hardship.
I, the Powerful Blossoming Vidyādhara Nangsid Zilnön,
Will stir saṃsāra from its quiver for the benefit of others.
Nevertheless, if this single arrow of compassion
Does not rely on the bow of skillful means,
The target of the difficult to tame will be hard to hit.
If the waves do not crest from the ocean below,
Then pleasant rains will not fall from the azure firmament above,
Nor wet the deep soil of the pristine earth,
And the six grains of the vast plain will not mature.
If the flesh and blood of one’s kind mother and father do not come together,
Then the divine child will never be transferred to a human body.
And if the good fortune of the black-haired Tibetans does not coincide,
Then I will not be able to benefit beings.
Even though an indestructible, deathless wisdom holder
Is not attached to blood, flesh, and bones,
The black-haired Tibetans can die for their patriarchal clan.
Although the southern clouds have no fear of falling
And the kingly eagle soars through the sky,
I need a father who descends from the nyen
And comes from an important family bloodline.
Self-awareness that fulfills all wishes
Is not attached to illusory wealth.
However, among the humans, who rival the high and disparage the low,
High rank and power depend on gaining material wealth.
A mountain rises up from dirt and stone,
While its height comes from its jutting crag.
I need a mother who comes from the nāgas,
Whose maternal lineage is endowed with wealth.
In this dharmatā of coemergent bliss and emptiness,
Although I am not attached to the deceptions of a worldly household,
I need a wife who is a wisdom ḍākinī,
Who is without the biased conduct of a worldly life,
And who is free from faults.
Although the six classes of sentient beings are not other than
This pure land of self-appearing great bliss,
In order to compassionately protect disciples,
I need a land that is endowed with splendor and glory.
In the magical wheel of self-radiance,
Although there is no shortage of ordinary attendants,
I need manifest subjects who will fully serve me
And accompany me when we tame the hordes of demons.
With the armor and weapons of patience and knowledge,
What need is there for an iron bow and sharp weapons?
But in order to purify the karmic ripening of the difficult to tame,
I will need a horse, and a warrior’s armor and weapons.
If you cannot grant your blessings for this,
Although it is easy for me to make promises,
It will be difficult to fully accomplish the benefit of others.
Therefore Master, do not be idle; hold me with your compassion.
If there was any confusion in my song, I confess it.
If these have been idle words, I beg your forgiveness.
[Lotus Born seeks a birthplace for Gesar.]190
Thus he sang, and Lotus Born sat leisurely contemplating for a moment, thinking, “Now, in order for this emanation to accomplish the welfare of beings, there is no question that all these auspicious connections are indeed necessary for the spontaneous accomplishment of his enlightened activity.” Then Padma first looked over the snow land of Tibet, seeking, on behalf of the bodhisattva Thöpa Gawa, a zodor endowed with glory and splendor and a place where the hero could reside.
In the uppere region of Ngari there are three areas: Purang, surrounded by snow mountains; Gugey, surrounded by barren cliffs; and Mangyul, surrounded by rivers. The four regions of central and western Tibet [Ü-Tsang] have the branch areas of the right and central and the left and upper.
In the lower regionf are the six mountain ranges of Mardza, Pombor, Tshawa, Ngülda,g Markham, and Minyak. In that region are also four rivers,191 along with the four farms,192 the four castles, and the four hidden lands. Although he gazed over the entire land of Tibet, each one of these places was suitable in its own right but still not perfect, as it was rare to find a single land endowed with every attribute of the noble qualities.
Then he looked to see who would be the capable subjects inhabiting these places, and he saw that in the upper part [west] of Tibet, the region of Ngari, there were three lands divided into nine great wings: Purang, Mangyul, and Zangkar, these three; plus Li, Drusha, and Bey, making six; plus Zhangzhung and Upper and Lower Tri-te, making nine. Within the middle region, in the four regions of Ü-Tsang were: Tshalpa Gyama and Drigung, those two; and the twofold Yazang and Phagdru, making four altogether. In the northern land of Tag-lung there are the two: Lho and Drug. In Tsang there are the two, Lho and Ngari, plus Chang and Chumig, making four. Zhal-lu and Dramigung make two more, and between Ü-Tsang there was Yardrog. These are the thirteen myriarchies.193 But even though Ü and Tsang and Ngari were dharma lands, they were not lands capable of sustaining the majestic splendor of the divine child Thöpa Gawa. These were not lands where taming of both form and formless wrathful beings would be likely to occur.
Below [to the east] are the six ridges of Dokham, which are divided into three sections: in Upper Ling were the regions known as the eight brothers of Ser; in Middle Ling, the six districts of Ombu; and in Lower Ling, the four divisions of Muchang.194
Within this area is the Prosperous Wealth Enclosure of the River Ma;195 the country of Ling known as the Wishing Land of Ling; and the landmark of Dokham, called Kyidsö Nyima Rangshar [Self-Arising Sun of Happiness and Leisure].196 Between Middle and Lower Ling is a land possessing all ten virtues: where authentic presence flourishes and where the subjects are capable of serving. It is there that the qualities of both place and subjects unite in perfection.
Gazing at the paternal and maternal families,197 he saw the six clans of Tibet: in Drigung, the Kyura clan; in Taglung, the Gazi clan; in Sakya, the Khön clan; in Chögyal, the Nam clan; at Kyungpo, the Cha clan; and at Ne’u Dong, the divine, or Lha, clan. Although these were all highly regarded families, the land around them and the subjects to be tamed were incomplete and had not united.
From among the clans, Ga, Dru, Dong, these three; Sed, Mu, and Dong, these three; and Pel, Da, and Tra, these three, his paternal lineage was that of the Mukpo Dong. His father lineage was to descend from the Masang nyen. From among the three clans of Upper, Lower, and Middle Ling, the maternal lineage was that of the Muwa clan. The mother lineage was to descend from Changmoza,198 the youngest of the three daughters of Dzagyal Dorje Phenchug. Chang
moza had three sons:h her oldest son was King Chipön, the middle was King Trowo, and the youngest was King Senglön.199 Senglön was of the family of great bodhisattvas with a peaceful heart and a gentle mind, excellent by nature and very open-minded. His family lineage was excellent. The zodor here is the great, supreme Nyen Gedzo, the principal protector of that family, and so, fitting to become Gesar’s spiritual father.
However, his mother was not yet there, for she had to be of the race of the nāgas. The nāgas are divided into four castes: the royal, the merchant, the brahman, and the ordinary (that is, the commoners and the lower castes).200 It would not do for his mother to come from the caste of the common folk or the untouchables. Befitting this role, from the kingdom of the pure nāgas, was the youngest of the daughters of the nāga king, Tsugna Rinchen, called Metog Lhadzei [Flower Divine Beauty], a ḍākinī who had attained the bodhisattva grounds. He knew that she would be summoned by skillful means. His companion ḍākinīi from the pure land of Turquoise Leaf Array would be an emanation of wrathful Tārā, called Light Rays of the Grimacing One, and would manifest as the daughter of Kyalo.
The armor and weapons would be empowered by the nine brother dralas, and the steed would be blessed by Hayagrīva, and so on. Thinking this, Padma knew all would be spontaneously accomplished, and he then spoke, “Oh this is excellent. Son of noble family, in order to tame those who are vicious and hard to tame in the kingdom of the snow land of Tibet, I will reveal the details of the dependent circumstances that will make all of this possible. Keep this in your mind!” He then sang this song in the melody known as the Self-Proclamation of the Unobstructed Vajra That Suppresses the Hosts of Māras through Splendor:
OṂ Ami Dewanaye
In the pure land of the five lights of self-appearance,
Bhagavan, victorious one of the five families, know me.