The Epic of Gesar of Ling

by Robin Kornman

  Hooves drawn in with no cleft in the sole, that’s one;

  Second, rounded with no edge;

  The third is flat and leaves no clear print behind.

  These three are the worst types of hooves.

  The quality of the four hooves is intermediate if they appear to be well proportioned.

  In general a horse must have sturdy bones.

  The sturdy upper neck bones [are like] those of a tiger,

  One likes them to be nicely rounded.

  The solid backbone is in the middle.

  If the three main joints of the back are curved, it is best.

  The lower sturdy bones are the hooves;

  The large hooves should be thick and short.

  What’s more, there is the back of the head behind the ears.

  It’s best if it is low rather than high.

  Behind the tail are the haunches,

  It is better if this is high, rather than low.

  The muscles of the thigh59 should not be bulging

  Like a pregnant woman’s belly, but are better flat.

  The forelocks on top of the head should be thick.

  It is better if this is high, rather than low.

  The mane that flows like smooth silk

  Is better long, rather than short.

  The forelock, like a pillar to the sky,

  Should be lofty rather than low.

  The neck, like a stretched-out scarf,

  Is better long than short.

  The rib cage,60 where lungs reside,

  It is better small than large.

  The back of the torso where the kidneys rest

  Is better to be pulsating than to be weak.

  And as it pulsates, it’s best if the ribs move in rhythm.

  The lungs are the vessel for the breath; it’s advantageous if they’re buoyant.

  The liver is the vessel of the blood; it’s advantageous if it’s small.

  The intestines are the vessel for the grass; it’s advantageous for them to be large.

  The spleen is the vessel of the blood; it is best to be clean.

  Those are the four vessels of the great steed.61

  An important person’s head must have a hat;

  If the horse’s head and ears are excellent then this is like having a hat.

  Even an unimportant person must have shoes on their feet;

  For a horse the four joints and hooves are best if they are large.

  Above the tail at the rump

  Must be large enough to just about place a liter of grain.

  Between the eyes and ears there should be a clear cavity, And a narrowing62 between the two nostrils.

  Between the front of the forehead and shoulders there must be definition.

  And the four limbs must be solidly built,

  The four cannon bones [lower legs] are best if spread apart.63

  Now, there are five [kinds of] horses skilled in racing:

  Falcon Breast, Yak Shoulder, and Crouching Lion,

  With one such mount [Falcon Breast], the legs of the wild northern kyang can be whipped.

  [Yak Shoulder] like an autumn yak, with its thick high mane and a head like a mattock,

  Can catch a baby wild yak on the run in the hills with a lasso.

  [Crouching Lion] with its stout loins and hunched back

  Can get close enough to a shade-dappled doe to snap it with a whip.

  [Fourth] the horse with a head like a spool of thread, flaring nostrils, and pika eyes

  Can run so fast, you can catch a rabbit on the run.

  [Fifth] the vicious horse that fights his friends looks like a rat, a tiger, or a red deer;

  His speed is equal to that of the scudding clouds in the sky.

  These are the five types of superior racehorses.

  The Ūgpa Belpo [Abundance of Owls], which can beat a hundred of the finest horses in a race;

  The Dru-gu Bershel [Turkish Lapis Crystal], which can beat a thousand;

  And then Garwa Kang-ring [Long-Legged Dancer], which beats ten thousand mules;

  And Dza Tshangpa Bumding [Rocky Brahmā One Hundred Thousand Leaps], which beats a hundred thousand:

  Those four are called the Four Competition Brothers.

  As if that weren’t enough,

  On the head of each of these excellent horses

  One finds the seven features named after seven animals:

  The forehead64 of the brown drong [wild yak],

  The protuberant eye socket like that of a tortoise,

  The pupils of an angry snake,

  The nostrils of a white snow lion,

  The lips of the red tigress,

  Fine vulture-down ears, and

  A muzzle like the chin of a deer.65

  These are the finest features that resemble seven animals;

  This horse is endowed with them all.

  As though that wasn’t enough,

  On the body of each of these excellent horses

  One can find rippling muscles named after the young of eighteen [animals]:

  The temporalis muscle shaped like the crossed neck of a crow

  Can be found on the temple.

  The muscle attached to the skull just behind the ear,

  Looks like two tigress’ necks crossed.

  The masseter muscles on the cheek look like the stomach of a sheep full of water.

  The muscle on the side of the horse’s neck looks like the form of a fish.

  The cervical trapezius muscle on the base of the neck looks like a saw.

  The dorsal trapezius muscle around the collar that connects with the whole body resembles a split shoulder of a yak.

  The muscle between the front leg and the chest resemble the form of a frog.

  The muscle on the shoulder resembles the rising moon.

  The muscles of the lower leg are like a taunt golden chord.

  The muscles of the spine resemble a slithering black snake.

  The latissimus muscle where the saddle is placed is like the pitched spokes of a golden wheel.

  The intercostal muscles where the saddle sides touch are like a turquoise dragon entering its cave.

  The croup muscles are like a heap of wool.

  The gastroc muscles are like piglets asleep in their sty.66

  The muscles of the loins are like a sack of barley,

  The inner thigh muscle like a tightly wound ball of yarn.

  The muscles under the intestines are like the tributaries of a great deep river.

  Muscles that look like fingers are located at the base of the tail.

  These are called the eighteen kinds of rippling muscles;

  This horse is endowed with them all.

  As though that wasn’t enough:

  The domed cranium should be thick,

  The cheekbone should be prominent,

  The cranial cavity67 should be elevated three finger widths.

  The poll should be like palms pressed together.

  The head and the neck should be elegantly joined,

  The withers should be thick.

  The scapula should be fine and wide,

  The humerus should be short and relaxed,

  The fore cannon bones should be straight and supple,

  Where the saddle is placed, the horse should be slightly broad.

  The three intervertebral joints should be flexible.

  The ribs should splay out like feathers.

  The shape of the pelvis should be long,

  The femur should be short, and the head of the femur should be wide.

  The hind cannon bones should be straight, and the femur should be curved.

  The four pastern bones just above the hooves should be long.

  The four fetlocks are better to be short.

  The root of the coccyx should be short and thick.

  These are the twenty bones of a hero.

  It is said that each superior horse has them;

  All of these are complete within thi
s horse.

  This is a general explanation about horses.

  Now as to this divine horse:

  He is elegant and shimmers with the colors of a rainbow.

  He is eager to run, and is dazzling as he goes.

  He is an emanation of Hayagrīva.

  He is not the usual piebald sorrel but is altogether red,

  The color of a ruby.

  The hair on his body is entirely red,

  Indicating that he magnetizes the assembly of Hayagrīva deities.

  He tosses his dark tail and mane,

  Indicating that he magnetizes an assembly of wrathful annihilating deities.

  His teeth and muzzle are exceptionally white, like the rays of the radiant moon,

  Indicating that he magnetizes an assembly of deities who pacify illness and demonic forces.

  His underbelly is a rich golden color,

  Indicating that he magnetizes an assembly of enriching deities who increase longevity and merit.

  The downy vulture feathers on the tips of his ears

  Indicate that he magnetizes guardians who illuminate like a torch.

  His shoulders are wheels of wind,

  Indicating that he magnetizes the dralas who have mastery of long life.

  The iron petals of his four hooves

  Indicate that he magnetizes the dralas who tame the four māras.

  This ever-increasing steed Lord of Horses

  Has all the marks of a sovereign of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa: The height and beauty of his head

  Is a sign that he venerates the Three Jewels.

  That the size of his body is comparable to that of all other horses

  Indicates that he has mastered bodhicitta in his being.

  His tail and mane being thick and long

  Indicates his emanations are unceasing.

  That his eyeballs are clear and sparkling

  Indicates that he has the direct realization of the nature of phenomena,

  And that there is a pair [of eyes]

  Indicates that the scope of his knowledge encompasses both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.

  That they see congruently

  Indicates the ultimate inseparability of the two [saṃsāra and nirvāṇa].

  That both ears are extremely beautiful

  Indicates that he is in harmony with the path of the two truths.

  That these sense organs are complete on a single head

  Indicates that everything is subsumed as a single nature.

  That he is adorned with six sense faculties

  Indicates that he maintains the conduct of the six perfections.

  That he dances and prances with his four hooves

  Indicates that he nourishes beings through the four gatherings.68

  The white of his pale underbelly

  Indicates that he is unstained by the faults of existence.

  That he occasionally speaks human language

  Indicates that he can reveal that the sound of words has no true inherent existence.

  That he flies in the sky from time to time

  Indicates that all appearances are an illusory play.

  His bond of affection toward humans

  Indicates that he sees all beings with loving wisdom and compassion.

  That he could be caught with a lasso

  Indicates that his buddha activity is ever-increasing.

  If he is ridden, that he can carry a great being

  Indicates that he can lead all beings on the path to liberation.

  That his gait that is comfortable and swift

  Indicates that he will accomplish the benefit of beings through skillful means.

  For any other ordinary stallion

  An explanation like this would be pointless.

  But to praise this divine horse, the white-muzzled one,

  Matches the truth of what he really is.

  Just look at how pleasing this horse is!

  That’s not all; what a wonderful marvel this horse is!

  For among the thirty winged horses of White Ling,

  Once Dongtsen’s colt Turquoise Bird

  Was said to have the strength of a garuḍa in flight.

  He may, but that’s no great wonder;

  Any animal that can fly has that quality.

  Denma’s Ngültrug Denpa

  And Tag-rong’s Gu-gu Rogdzong

  Are both said to be horses with the gift of speech;

  Even though everyone says this is amazing,

  It’s no great wonder.

  There are other animals that know how to speak;

  Sengtag’s Tong-ri Darjam [Smooth Silk Thousand Mountains],

  Gyatsha’s Gyaja Sogkar [Pheasant White Shoulder],

  And Chipön’s Sha-kyang Drelgo [Ochre Mule Head], and others,

  Have all the qualities of great steeds, yet

  I think that’s not such a great marvel.

  For their outer bodies and inner thoughts

  Are none other than those of animals.

  But this horse outwardly appears as a beast of burden, a horse,

  While inwardly possessing the wisdom mind of a buddha.

  He is an emanation of the mighty Hayagrīva.

  Just meeting him is enough to close the door to the lower realms.

  Just riding him is to be carried to the citadel of peace.

  Such a supreme horse as this,

  It’s amazing that we have encountered him today.

  As if that’s not enough:

  When we saw this horse on the mountain

  He was captured by the gods, nāgas, and nyen, these three.

  The rope was a magical lasso.

  He has wings that soar in the sky.

  He has hooves to land on the earth.

  When he lives outdoors, he is free and easy.

  If one were to have a horse such as this,

  If he flew, he would find the path of the birds.

  Unrivaled even by a garuḍa,

  If he raced, the swiftness of his speed

  Would be difficult for the horses of Ling to equal.

  The finish line is in the palm of your hand.

  Now, don’t stay, Joru, come to Ling,

  Let the fame of this steed become public,69

  And let it be that the boy Joru holds the throne.

  If you heard this, let it be a melodious offering to your ears.

  If you didn’t, there is no way to explain it.

  Boy Joru, take this into your heart.

  Thus she sang, and Drugmo’s previous karma awakened, and she realized the qualities of the horse just as they are. Although she knew that Joru possessed magical powers, she didn’t understand that his poor appearance and ugly body were also his magical manifestation. She was hoping Dongtsen would win, but at the same time she fully understood that the winner of the wager would be Joru and this horse.

  This completes the account of how the horse was caught, called the Saga of the Precious Steed, and concludes the third chapter.

  It is Hayagrīva who appears as the Sorrel Steed.

  The magical legged one is captured by the magical lasso.

  Thus the meaning of this is that Great Power Lotus Hayagrīva emanates as the Sorrel Steed to be captured on the mountain by gods, nāgas, nyens, along with humans, showing how they mastered the power of the magical legged one. The account is now complete.

  a. A variation of the name Dungkhyung Karpo.

  b. This is a district in Tibet.

  c. A medicinal herb with small leaves.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  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.

  This gives rise to the Saga of the Precious Minister.

  THE FOURTH [CHAPTER] on the way Joru returns to Ling is as follows:

  Joru says to Drugmo and his mother, “I can go to upper
White Ling, but since this horse of mine isn’t the least bit broken in, I won’t be able to ride him. Furthermore, I don’t yet have any gear such as a saddle, saddle blanket, or bridle. If I try to mount him without these, I could have a fatal accident and, if that happens, the blame will fall on Drugmo’s head. Instead, it’s better if Mother can lead my horse, and we go on ahead. But Drugmo, you have your own horse and I am holding a stick, so it might be hard to keep up with you.”

  Drugmo replied, “Joru, you ride Dromug [Roan], and I can walk. I can keep up with you on foot.” Saying that, she came down a bit. Joru was gazing at a musk deer on the far side of the mountain, and he said to Drugmo, “Over there, hidden in the shady side of that mountain, is a deer called Chung-la Rogchung [Black Demonic Deer]. If he’s not immediately bound by oath there will be trouble. You sing a song, and, and while he’s distracted by listening to it, I’ll rope him with the lasso.” He started off, and Drugmo sang this song:

  It is Ala Ala Ala.

  Thala is the melody of the song.

  Through the mountain pass ridge of Sa-nag of the shady side of Ma70

  Joru and Drugmo are journeying to Ling.

  Although we are trying to proceed, it seems like we are not moving,

  Yet we are on our way.

  Joru said that he would bind the demon musk by oath,

  Not because he’s a demon, but because of his musk.

  He is thinking only of getting the buck’s musk

  And intending to eat the doe’s meat.

  Generally phenomena are not truly existent;

  It seems that today nothing is true.

  There’s no reason this musk deer lives in shady Ma;

  Why would he have left behind one untamed demon?

  Joru himself is not real, he is just magical;

  The musk deer is not real, he is an illusion.

  Drugmo is not real; her song is merely false.

  If all of this actually turns out to be true,

  Keep in mind that Joru means to kill

  And that Drugmo is planning to deceive you with this little song.

  The musk deer are distracted by eating grass.

  The way confusion occurs in our minds is similar.

  Either the musk deer’s life is over,

  And Joru and I are on the same team,

  Or Drugmo has been deceived,

  And Joru and you and the musk deer are in cahoots.