The Epic of Gesar of Ling
Page 52
I will wave this whip three times over the heart,
But not too hard, so as to disturb his hair,
And not too weakly, or the great secret will not open.
If there is a great secret, then may it open it today.
The great secret, which is the crucial point of the Secret Path,
I will symbolically open today through skillful means.
I will open the great secret that brings benefit to others
Through the divine horse, the white-muzzled kyang colt.
The body of this horse is composed of the four elements
Obstructed by this narrow passageway based on material substance.
Unimpeded travel is the outer secret;
Today may this open with Sengcham’s words of truth.
The supreme horse possesses an enlightened mind,
Yet the temporary five poisons represent the narrow passageway of fixating upon true existence.
Freedom from accepting and rejecting is the inner secret;
Today may it open with Sengcham’s words of truth.
The wisdom of omniscience, loving-kindness, and power,
Is obscured by the secret narrow passageway of the dualistic mind.
Freedom from conceptualization is the secret of the great secret;
Today may this open with Sengcham’s words of truth.
Just like beating a drum with a stick,
Opens the great secret of sound,
For this divine horse today
May the great secret of enlightened activity be opened through this wish-fulfilling whip.
In addition to that,
The wool saddle blanket Meiwa Druzhi, marked with the nine astrological diagrams at the four corners,
The special treasure of Tsugna Rinchen,
Is the place where the white prosperity sheep’s life force abides;
Today may this be placed upon the back of Wild Kyang.
Joyful wish-fulfilling jewel, Joru,
May you become the ruler of Jambudvīpa
And take your seat on the imperial golden throne.
This is my first aspiration prayer.
On the golden saddle patterned with nine circles, called Rimo Gu-kor [Nine Circular Designs],
With a yellow pommel made of gold in front, and
In back, a pale cantle made of silver,
Is the place where the great steed’s life force abides.
This is the karmic treasure of the middle nyen;
Today may this be placed upon the back of Wild Kyang.
May this divine son of Gogmo
Be able to place yokes upon the māras with perverted views, and
May you be able to sponsor and serve
All beings who uphold the scriptures and realization.
This is my second prayer.
The wish-fulfilling golden bridle and
This golden girth that accomplishes all desires
Are the karmic treasure of the gods above,
And the place where the prosperity life force abides.
Today, may Wild Kyang be adorned with them.
May you, Joru, the divine son of Gogmo,
Keep all beings confused by bad karma
Away from the path of the lower realms,
And may you be able to turn their minds to the dharma.
This is my third prayer.
These white stirrups with a conch ring
Suspended by silken fenders,
And the front girth called Drug-gi Shagyur [Dragon’s Blood],
And the cinch called Lhadrei Chingthag [Rope that Binds Gods and Demons];
All these are the inner wealth of the local deities.
Today, they will adorn the golden saddle.
May you, Joru, the divine son of Gogmo,
Fully perfect the four buddha activities and
Accomplish uninterrupted benefit of beings.
This is my fourth prayer.
These reins called Drülnag Shagpa [Black Snake Lasso],
The leather seat with the eight auspicious symbols, and
The saddle pads88 made of nine layers of fine silk
Are the special treasures from the humans of the middle realm.
Today they are placed on Wild Kyang.
May you, Joru, the divine son of Gogmo,
Be the protector and refuge of humankind
And the chieftain of the land of White Ling.
This is my fifth prayer.
This hard bamboo that fulfills all aspirations
Is the wish-fulfilling jeweled handle of the whip.
The whip cord itself is woven from the silk of ḍākinīs;
And is an inner treasure of my father Kyalo Tönpa.
Today this is offered to Joru’s hands.
May you, the divine child of Gogmo, Joru,
Become the king who enforces the renouncement of nonvirtue
And the dharma king who establishes the ten virtues.
This is my sixth prayer.
This stainless white scarf
Is the longevity scarf that ensures immortality.
It is the power scarf of authentic presence
And the merit scarf of great accumulations.
It is the action scarf that increases windhorse.
Today this scarf is offered to Joru’s neck
As the single white scarf of life expectancy,89
Unsullied by the stains of obstacles.
Through the power of your enlightened deeds,
May the field to be tamed be entirely gentle and virtuous.
This is my seventh prayer.
This white-mouthed great steed Kyang-bu,
Mandated by the command of the imperial gods,
Birthed at the birthplace of the king of mountains,
When captured was captured by your mother and Drugmo,
Whose master is you, Lord Joru.
Today I offer [this horse] adorned with jewels
To you, Joru, Gogmo’s divine child.
May you inherit the wealth of Kyalo Tönpa
And become the bridegroom of Sengcham.
That is my eighth prayer.
This great steed with magic wheels of wind,
Don’t let any swift ones go before you;
Kyang-bu, don’t fall behind.
May these well-intended prayers be realized.
Excellent prayers made by gurus, parents, and
Life-long companions,
Hold the words of truth to accomplish whatever is wished for.
Therefore my song is not meaningless.
Joru, keep this in your mind.
Thus she prayed, and the tack for the horse, the whip for the man, the prayer for the whip, and other especially noble indications of good fortune arose. It was that day that Joru took his place in the ranks of competitors for the race, and Chipön, Gyatsha, and others offered advice and prayers while placing the scarf of auspicious connection around his neck.
This completes the fourth chapter, the Saga of the Precious Minister, recounting the story of how Joru came to possess all the necessary articles.
From the illusory treasury, articles of the three worlds were amassed.
I supplicate you who are respected by all the Great Ones.
Thus through many apparitional emanations you realized the lack of true inherent existence, and from the treasury of magical deceptions like an illusion, you gained control of the treasure articles of the gods, nāgas, and nyens.
This completes the explanation of how Joru gained the respect of everyone.
a. The central wisdom nāḍi, or channel (Tib. dbu ma), that runs up the middle of the human body.
b. The left nāḍi (Tib. rkyang ma) of the human body.
c. The right nāḍi (Tib. ro ma) of the human body. The right and left channels start at the nostrils and run alongside the central channel, connecting with it four finger-widths below the navel chakra.
d. Jambhala is the wisdom deity representing wealth.
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br /> CHAPTER FIVE
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.
FOR THE FIFTH [CHAPTER], the way Joru, cunningly disguised, goes to the back of the line of the brethren is as follows:
Then it happened that they all gathered at the mind mandala of the land of Ma, upon the seat of the solid earth, the gathering place Tagthang Tramo, the jeweled seat of the dragon’s piercing roar, where the vivid melody of the cuckoo is heard and where the mind-captivating clear sound of the lark reverberates.
Those who came to line up for the horse race were the eight brothers of the Serpa clan of Upper Ling, headed by the nine sons, tigers of the Elder Lineage, along with their brethren and distant brethren. In the cloth of glistening gold that they wore, they appeared like the sun embracing a golden mountain.
As for the six tribes of Ombu of Middle Ling, they were headed by the eight heroes of the Middle Lineage and were accompanied by their brethren and distant brethren wearing white cloth as beautifully radiant as the moon, such that they appeared like snowfall blanketing a mountain.
Next came the four tribes of Lower Ling, headed by the seven brothers from Bumpa of the Lesser Lineage and accompanied by their brethren and distant brethren wearing blue clothes the color of lapis lazuli. They appeared like massing storm clouds in the sky.
Furthermore, to the right were the tribes of Ga clan; to the left the tribes of Dru, and the eighteen tribes of Tag-rong, the ruddy people of Ta’u, the district of wealthy Kyalo, the clan of Denma on both the sunny and shady banks of the river, the nine hundred families of Tshazhang, and so forth. In addition to the brethren, all the rest of heroes and mighty warriors of White Ling gathered in full costume, their bodies completely bedecked, their minds full of courage, and their hearts full of joyful happiness.
Among all of them, the one with great fervor for the race, a human who had received the prophecy of the gods, and whose mind was changed by the gods, was Chieftain Trogyal of Tag-rong. Along with him came Dongtsen Nang-ngu Apel, Tag-rong Pönpo Zigphen, Aten Dug-gi Metog, and so forth. They all thought that no horse but Turquoise Bird could win the race. They came with pride greater than that of a tiger; their sixfold panoply resplendent as the tiger’s six smiles. That mighty tribe of Tag-rong was as boastful as a snarling tigress rousing from her lair.
Those of the Greater Lineage, Nyibum Daryag of Serpa, Michen Gyalwa’i Lhundrub, Chölu Buyi Darphen of Dong, Abar Buyi Phentag, and so forth, the illustrious ranks of the Greater Lineage, stood more firm than a mountain. Their bravery rivaled that of a lion; their garments were like its flourishing turquoise mane. Haughtily poised like snow lions on a mountain, that’s how they came.
Anu Paseng of the Middle Lineage of Ombu, Chökyong Bernag of Gadei, unrivaled Sengtag Adom, dauntless Nyima Lhundrub, and so forth, the illustrious ranks of the Middle Lineage, stood as one. Appearing like a turquoise dragon in the sky; draped with clouds, they were ready to all but rival the fame and glory of the dragon.
From the Lesser Lineage came Rinchen of Muchang, Gyatsha Zhalkar of Bumpa, Chipön Rongtsha Tragen, Denma Jangtra of Tshazhang, and others. The dauntless sense of divinity of the Lesser Lineage was completely intact. Their minds were endowed with complete bravery and able to quell the four enemies through their splendor.
Even though the brethren of Ling did not give them authority, the karmic winds would be enough to carry them to the state of leadership. Outwardly their constitutions were the same. Inwardly, the strength of their courage and bravery was unlike that of any other. Whether or not they agreed that they would prevail in the horse race, one thing was certain: the entire Lesser Lineage was determined not to lose the throne of White Ling to the others. They readied themselves, just like a garuḍa inside its egg with all six wings fully developed.90
Furthermore, Lhabu Namkha Sengzhal, Kyalo Tönpa Gyaltsen, Kar-ru Nyima Gyaltsen, the arbiter Werma Lhadar, the judge Wangpo Darphen, and the four gurus of Ling, as well as the entire assembly of mighty warriors and their fledglings were full of the arrogance of their personal power, strength, and abilities. They arrived confident enough to contend with a herd of intoxicated elephants.
Gogmo’s divine son Joru wore an unsightly antelope buck hat, and his body was unsightly in his untanned calfskin coat. His legs were unsightly in their cruddy horsehide boots, and so forth, all of which were pale with no sheen at all.91 The white-muzzled divine kyang colt had been equipped with a jeweled saddle and tack, but he had transformed into an ugly horse with a shoddy constitution. Joru, alternately wielding his white willow staff and sticking it under his belt, was ill-mannered, like someone pathetic with no class, or someone completely lacking monastic discipline.
Ready to freeze in a blast of cold air,
Ready to melt in the midday sun,
Ready to be blown away by a breeze.
Up until that day, Joru had done what he could with his outrageous yogic conduct to tame the minds of beings. Although no one there understood this, it seemed that all the signs indicated that now was the proper time for him to give up this behavior, since his ugly body and ugly demeanor only served to conceal the treasure.
All the spectators for the horse race were like massing clouds, and as many as there were atoms on the earth; it seemed that every country under the sun had converged there. Then the Lingites lined up in rows, turned their mounts toward Ayu Downs,a and rode off in a line. By that time, Sengcham Drugmo of Kyalo, Kyidkyi Nichung of Ngolo, Pekar Lhadzei of Drolo, Chipön’s daughter Yudrön, Tshazhang [Denma’s] daughter Dzeidrön, Yatha’s daughter Ser-tso, and Trothung’s daughter Tromo-tso, all seven, had dressed in silken garments, with headdresses of jeweled ornaments and zi and other jewels around their necks. They were so bedecked that it seemed as if their clothing had come from the gods and their jewels had come from the nāgas. So beautiful and charming, they arrived at Lha Downs, making a smoke offering, and joined the other spectators to watch the race from the top of the Nāga Downs.
The riders lined up at Ayu Downs in a perfectly even line, so that not even one bridle was in front or in back of the others. Then the race began.
Riders from the Greater, Middle, and Lesser Lineages, Tag-rong, other individual villages, these five just mentioned, started to run92 together, led by the great god Brahmā, the lord of the nyen Gedzo, and the nāga Tsugna Rinchen. The spectacle was a treasure for the eyes.
Seeing this, bitter enemies would be shaken to the core;
Close relatives would have genuine delight.
While the race continued, all the spectators said to one another, “Who do you think is going to win the prize of this horse race here today?” Some said that there could be no other winner than Dongtsen, and others had various different opinions.
At the Crag Mountain of Gu-ra the ritual masters of Ling gathered to fill the sky with lhasang smoke from the thirteen smoke-offering chambers. They embellished the drala castles,93 hoisted flags, and, sounding the white conch, invoked the activity of all the guardian deities. They remained there, praising the countenances of the dralas.
Then the Seven Maidens of Ling, gazing coyly out of the corner of their eyes and swaying as they walked, were like goddesses moving through pleasure gardens, graceful and youthfully radiant were they as they offered juniper and prayers on the Divine Downs. Then as they watched the spectacle from the Nāga Downs, Ne’uchung Lu-gu Tshar-yag [Marvelous Little Lamb],b suddenly remembered several astonishing dreams that she had had, and Manenei influenced her mind to want to speak about them. So she sang this song to all the maidens in the Six Melodies of the Lark:
The song begins with Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
May the guru, yidam, ḍākinī, these three
Remain inseparable as my crown ornament.
And I am called Nichung of Ngolo but my full name is Nichung Lu-gu Tshar-yag
Kyalo, Ngolo, and Drolo, these three—
If there is wealth, they are three brothers;94
If there is no wealth, then they have the status of master and servant.
Drugmo, Nichung, and Lhadzei, these three,
If we have a bond, then we are three sister maidens;
If not, we are like mistress and attendants.
Dear sister Sengcham Drugmo,
Today in this horse race of White Ling,
The public can’t decide who is the most handsome man.
The finish line won’t be won by racing;
The youthful warriors who wish to race
Can’t win the race just by distance.
But Joru, who holds the power of karma,
Seems to already possess the throne without even needing to race.
Last night in my dream,
Within the mind mandala of the valley of Ma
I dreamed that a garuḍa and a dragon were frolicking in space.95
Even though they had the ability to soar to the limits of space
In my dream they returned.
I dreamed that a tiger and a lion roamed the earth,
And that an elephant trod mightily.
Although they were able to tread to the ends of the earth
In my dream they stayed behind.
I dreamed that a colorful rainbow tent was pitched.
I dreamed that from Chugmo Namtsho [Wealthy Lady Sky Lake] on Gu Mountain,
Clouds and sun moved across the sky.
I dreamed that all the clouds vanished into middle space
While the royal parasol of the sun arose;
Its light reached to the ends of space
And its light rays encompassed Jambudvīpa.
I dreamed that everyone who was there was proclaiming,
“O joyful sun, your warmth is great kindness.”
This dream was not negative, but positive.