The Epic of Gesar of Ling
Page 39
This authentic biography, documented by logic, words, and meaning, was written at the request of the lord of men, the earth guardian king of White Ling, who was honored with the name Wangchen Tendzin Chögyi Gyalpo Chimed Drubpei Dei by the Terchen Lama Rinpoche [Great Treasure Finder Precious Guru] Jamyang Kyentse Wangpo, like placing a diadem of flowers on the crown of his head. This king bestowed the gift of these ancient texts, writing materials, a scarf, a flower of the second precious substance [silver], and others upon me. With these gifts the king then conferred upon the crown of my head the command to write this, and I accepted that command with faith and devotion.
Through the power of receiving in my heart a small portion of the compassionate blessings of the supreme deity himself, I felt that the doubts concerning this text had been primarily severed. I have read four of five different accounts of The Birth in Ling; however, doing so has only served to further increase my trust in this one. Placing the dust from the feet of the great sublime teachers as the ornament upon my crown, including the powerful scholar of Tibet the Venerable Guru Mipham Jampel Gyepei Dorje, the Terchen Lerab Lingpa, the Vidyādhara Drodül Pawo Dorje, and many others, and with the fortunate mind to partake of the ambrosia of their enlightened speech, I, this ordinary person, a vagrant monk known as Gyurmed Thubten Jamyang Dragpa, wrote this with the prayer that the precious doctrine of the victorious ones may be exalted to the peak of existence.
SARVA MAṄGALAṂ.
May it be virtuous!
[Publisher’s note from the Chengdu edition:]
This volume was taken from the woodblocks of the Ling family in Derge and is among the numerous biographical accounts of the Great Lion Beingh of Jambudvīpa. The original is titled Trung Ling [The Birth in Ling], also known as Metog Rawa [The Flower Garden], and Ma Sa Zung [The Settling of Ma], which is sometimes called Darkar Düdpa [The Knotted White Scarf]. Using xylographs as the original, these books were typewritten, edited, corrected, and arranged by Thubten Nyima and others.
a. This is one of the four great rivers of Jambudvīpa.
b. This refers to the chief hero in the epic known as the Ramayana, King Lanka, who was dishonest.
c. Hanuman is the monkey warrior in the epic of Ramayana, the devoted general and messenger of Rama.
d. Threefold scrutiny means three forms of logic, which are inferential understanding, confidence in inferential understanding, and direct understanding.
e. This refers to the Vedic epic about King Ramana. For those who are familiar with the epic, the author of this verse is applying the subject of his praise to the examples that are similar in this famous Indo-Vedic epic.
f. “Holder of the rabbit” is a poetic epithet for the moon. The imagery of Vedic poetry includes a rabbit within the moon, much as in the West there is the image of the man in the moon.
g. An error in the original Tibetan text shows this as lci (heavy), but it should be skyid (happiness).
h. Great Lion Being is an epithet for Gesar.
VOLUME THREE
Gesar Wins the Horse Race and Becomes the King of Ling
VOLUME THREE CONTENTS
THE NARRATIVE CONTENT OF THE SEVEN CHAPTERS
I. A magical prophecy causes Trothung to be misled by false appearances. He discusses having a horse race to compete for the sevenfold wager. The people of White Ling gather and agree with his plan. This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious Wheel.
II. Zhal-lu Karpo sends Drugmo to invite Joru. They meet at Lower Ma Valley. Obstacles are cleared, and auspicious connections set. This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious Queen.
III. Following Joru’s instructions, Sengcham Drugmo sets out to capture the divine steed and accomplish the goal. Offering Wild Kyang to him [Joru], she expounds upon the horse. This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious Supreme Steed.
IV. Joru is invited to come to upper White Ling, and Drugmo presents him with the golden saddle and other necessary appurtenances signifying the words of truth of the eight great aspirations.1 This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious Minister.
V. The contest of the horse race between the fathers and uncles of White Ling gets under way. Joru, in disguise, goes to the end of the line. Drugmo introduces the men and their horses. This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious Elephant.
VI. During the competition of the horse race Joru subdues demons and devils and foils Trothung’s ruse. Diviners, doctors, and others are put to the test. This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious General.
VII. Joru obtains victory in the contest of the horse race. He is instated on a golden throne; gods and men offer him auspicious prayers. The name Gesar Norbu Dradül is conferred upon him. This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious Jewel.
PROLOGUE
THE ACCOUNT OF the Horse Race of the Great Lion Being of Jambudvīpa, called The Sevenfold Jeweled Mirror:2
NAMO GURU MAHĀ SENGHA MAṆIRA JAYE
The essence of the three secrets3 of all the victorious ones, the kāya with the major and minor marks,
Blossoming atop4 a thousand petals in the milky lake of the southwest,
In this pure land, I bow down to the guru who reveals
The path of the essential definitive secret through his wondrous and magical deeds.
In the lake of the view free from the elaborations of the eight extremes,5
Where Takshakaa always abides in a state of meditation.
You who have mastered the treasure jewel of the three trainings,
Spiritual guide known as Śāntarakṣita, please protect us.
In this dark land of Tibet, a land of Masang demons,
All beings are tormented by the three sufferings.6
Lord Trisong Deutsen, you brought forth the white law of the ten virtues, the moonlight of benefit and well-being,
Through the chariot of your buddha activity.
By virtue of your knowledge you are Mañjuśrī who dispels ignorance;
By your loving-kindness you are the Lord of the World [Avalokiteśvara] who accomplishes the welfare of others;
By your power you are the Lord of Secrets [Vajrapāṇi] who conquers the hordes of māras;
To the embodiment of these three protectors, to you Great Lion King, I pay homage.
You, an expert when it comes to this life story,
Have opened the eight inexhaustible treasures of courageous eloquence;7
Jampel Gyepei Dorje [Mipham Rinpoche], may you always grant protection,
May your wisdom eyes guard the doctrine and sentient beings.
The meaning of the vajra words, your secret speech
Will be clearly presented here in this Jeweled Mirror
The Account of the Horse Race of White Ling,
Explicating these wondrous deeds in the sevenfold categories.8
THE NARRATIVE CONTEXTb
The renown of the name Gesar Norbu Dradül resounds like a drum roll throughout the four corners of Jambudvīpa. Even though his life stories are inconceivable, the principal sagas are: The Birth in Ling, The Horse Race, and The Four Sagas of Subjugation: Düd, Hor, Mön, and Jang. The Account of the Horse Race of White Ling is based on the faultless meaning of the vajra verses composed by Lord Guru Mipham Jampel Gyepei Dorje in a prayer he wrote called The Wondrous Biography: The Symbolic Secret Jeweled Mirror. This account is not only an authoritative source, it is also a manifestation of Mipham’s vast enlightened mind coupled with the Great Lion Being himself. Not only that, he [Mipham] promised in all his lives to manifest as king [Gesar] as well as his ministers. Therefore, the points expressed in these verses come from remembrance of previous lives or mind terma, which are teachings drawn from the Sky Treasury Division of the Dharma.9 Due to the kindness of flawlessly receiving these unbroken transmissions from the Aural Lineage [Great Treasure Revealer of Ling] and the compassionate enlightened activity of the Great Lion Being himself, I intend to openly explain the profound meaning of the vajra words by explicating this in the form of a commentary that descr
ibes the meaning in a way easy to comprehend.
First, the homage:
OṂ SVASTI
Within the play that accomplishes welfare and well-being in Jambudvīpa,
Through the blazing glory of the garland of light rays of the wisdom jewel,
The great and powerful sorcerer has subjugated the enemy demons of the dark side.
Supreme Being Great Lion King, grant auspiciousness.
This single śloka explicitly reveals the homage, while implicitly presenting the entire meaning of The Birth in Ling and The Settling of Ma. In this passage [the first line of the śloka] the continent Jambudvīpa refers generally to the field of disciples and specifically to the land that is recognized as the birthplace [of Gesar]. Although generally there is no limit to the faculties and realms of beings, Jambudvīpa is recognized specifically as the field where he will tame his disciples through the four enlightened activities [pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and destroying]. The region of White Ling in Dokham will be tamed through the three: pacifying, enriching, and magnetizing. Düd, Hor, Mön, and Jang, these four, will be tamed through wrathful activity, along with the lands of Persia, and others. Regardless of the manner of taming, reference [in the śloka] to accomplishing benefit and well-being refers to the purpose of the appearance of the rūpakāya. Although in every country there are opportunities to tame through the four enlightened activities, from the perspective of the principal activity this was directed toward the impure perceptions of those who dwell in the land of White Ling, namely their bias and competitive nature, which was suppressed through splendor, intimidating, and overcoming. Through all of these three enlightened deeds, he [Gesar] brought benefit by pacifying the pitfalls of turmoil through reversing temporary confused perceptions.
Ultimately, having satisfied them with the amṛta of the dharma that accords with an individual’s fortune, he [Gesar] brought them the relief of the accomplishment of the spontaneous state of untainted bliss.
The demon lords and ministers who took rebirth due to their perverted prayers and wrong views had led the beings dwelling in the lands of Düd, Hor, Mön, Jang, Persia, and so forth, on an irrevocable path of killing, warfare, and conflict. When Gesar defeated them, the instigators of the wars of the age were actually tamed, the continuity of their armed conflict was cut off, and in that way he brought temporary benefit to them. Ultimately, having fully embraced great compassion, and not contradicting the inner meaning of the three ways to satisfy,10 he simultaneously slayed and guided them [to higher states of rebirth and liberation]. It was thus that he spontaneously established these beings in a state of immaculate bliss. This is how Gesar revealed the reasons for the manifestation of the rūpakāya.
Hence the spontaneously present rūpakāya of benefit and well-being manifests through root causes and contributing circumstances, so it is referred to as having manifested. The cause of the play of joyful pleasure is both Senglön, the father of the clan, and Gedzo, the lord of the Nyen. The condition is the mother nāgī, who united with them in coemergent union. This brought about the condition for Gesar to enter his mother’s womb, although the fact that he was unsullied by the obscurations of the womb is what is referred to by the words mentioned in the second line of the verse, a blazing wisdom jewel. Just as when a wish-fulfilling jewel is underground, its nature is always free from the fault of increase or decline, likewise [Gesar] was always free from any stain of faults. Not only had he perfected all the noble qualities of the rūpakāya, he had inherently perfected the powers of wisdom. This is comparable to a blazing jewel. Reference to the garland of light rays refers to the deeds performed from the time of his birth all the way up to the horse race.
When a wish-fulfilling jewel is still underground, it does not radiate light. As soon as it is taken from the earth, the light rays will arise unimpeded. Likewise, this reveals that at the moment of his birth his qualities arose unceasingly. Although the essential quality of a wish-fulfilling jewel is that it fulfills whatever wishes mind desires, nevertheless in this context that is not the main point. Here the radiance of light rays is reference to the display of his manifest qualities, such as his birth, the settling of the land of Ma, and all the events up to the horse race, which he performed in disguise through his yogic conduct as deeds that accomplished the benefit of beings. All of these unceasing enlightened activities performed [by Gesar] in the aspect of Joru are represented by the metaphor of the garland of light rays. His true bodily form and, similarly, the extent of his noble qualities were not revealed, but rather, until the moment he settled the land of Ma, he disguised his natural qualities and accomplished the benefit of beings by engaging in many feats based on magic.
The words the dark side refer to the māras of nonvirtue. As a result they are karmically destined to be reborn in the lower realms. That, combined with the circumstances of their perverted prayers, causes these creatures of the class of nonhumans to possess the power to be able to lead sentient beings along the wrong path. All such beings are generally considered to be of the dark side. He tamed those specifically considered to be members of the class of demons: Black Bird; Amnye Gompa; Vulture Demon; Colt Demon; Khase Rulu; the cannibal demoness Child Eater; Trothung, who was both overtly and covertly the hateful enemy; and the māras, Hor, and so forth. Reference to the Great Powerful Sorcerer means that, not only did he just slay and expel these warriors, he also intimidated, suppressed, and overcame them. In doing so his ability to benefit others through astonishing power and strength became unrivaled. This is a summary of the majority of his deeds while he was still known as Joru.
Furthermore, the passage that Supreme Being implicitly shows how the main emphasis of his supreme life story is the enlightened deeds that he performed from the time of his birth until the land of Ma was settled. Among his many names, reference to the name Great Lion King shows the fact that, although his ability and power to quell others through splendor was primordially complete, still, according to the ordinary perception of beings, his powers appeared to gradually mature, like the qualities that are innate within a lion cub. When a lion cub reaches maturity, its strength is complete and it naturally follows that it becomes the king of all wild animals of the jungle. Likewise, when the time was right, he [Gesar] became the king of White Ling; how this came about will be told in the course of the Account of the Horse Race of White Ling. Saying Supreme Being Great Lion King, grant auspiciousness, refers to the content of his life story during the period when, through his enlightened deeds, he actually becomes the king of Jambudvīpa.11 This passage also indicates the prayer that uninterrupted peace and virtue be granted to the minds of those to come in future generations who will read and sustain this epic.
The extensive meaning of this homage was already explained in the contents of The Birth in Ling: The Flower Garden and The Settling of Ma: The Knotted White Scarf.
When Gesar abandons his yogic conduct of poor attire and ugly body, the manner in which he reveals the actual rūpakāya just as it is will be explained in the verses:
At the moment the lotus appears from the mud,
The garland of lightning dawns in the center of the red mirror.
Thus, these verses present the meaning of the horse race.
Recounting The Horse Race: The Sevenfold Jeweled Mirror begins with a prophecy and a playful game, as reflected in the Saga of the Precious Wheel. The way Drugmo goes to invite him [Joru, back to Ling for the horse race] is reflected in the Saga of the Precious Queen. The story of how the horse is captured is reflected in the Saga of the Precious Supreme Steed. The story of acquiring and taking possession of the horse’s gear is reflected in the Saga of the Precious Minister. The account of how a disguised Joru entered the race of White Ling at the back of the line, displayed magical emanations to tame whoever needed taming, and instantly traversed the paths and stages12 is reflected in the Saga of the Precious Elephant. The way he sought out his opponents and challenges, quelling humans and nonhumans with his splendor, is refle
cted in the Saga of the Precious General. Achieving the sovereignty of the golden throne, the way in which he accomplishes the deeds of gaining the admiration of gods and humans is reflected in the Saga of the Precious Rūpakāya Wish-Fulfilling Jewel. These are the seven [chapters].
a. There are eight classes of nāgas, and Takshaka is a king of one of the eight.
b. This introductory commentary is present in the original woodblocks by Gyurmed Thubten Jamyang Dorje. Any clarifications that we, the current translators, have added appear in brackets.
CHAPTER ONE
A magical prophecy causes Trothung to be misled by false appearances.
He discusses having a horse race to compete for the sevenfold wager.