The Epic of Gesar of Ling
Page 55
Instantly he came to the base of the great hills and, in the prison pit of the three doors of liberation,a through the four immeasurables,b he shackled, bound, and crazed the demons, and as he tamed them through the four buddha activities, he sang this vajra dohā called Never Straying from the Enclosure of Compassion, in the melody of the Swirling Ocean:
The song is Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
Buddha, dharma, and sangha, these three,
Please guide impure sentient beings.
If you don’t recognize me,
When I’m not angry, I’m the Great Compassionate One, Avalokiteśvara.
When I am angry, I am the wrathful Hayagrīva,
The yoke upon both the māras and rākṣasas.
Well, then, listen here, three sisters of the great hills.
Evil karma, which is your own doing—
See how this negative karma108 ripens within yourselves.
You, the ones with human bodies and heads of animals,
The nonhuman rākṣasīs,
Like to kill and eat flesh.
You create obstacles for the dharma of the side of virtue, and
Befriend the sinners of the evil forces.
In the prison of your own karmic consequences,
Caught by the compassionate hook of no escape,
I will liberate you with the weapon of unborn realization
And suppress you under the vajra mountain of no release.
Until you give rise to bodhicitta
I’ll never set you free, great ladies of the hills.
Thus he sang, and while performing the vajra dance of Hayagrīva, they offered the essence of their life force to him. They promised to be his servants, to befriend dharma practitioners, and uphold the teachings of the Buddha. They took refuge in the Three Jewels. At that he transformed them into the bodies of women.109 He took their tiger, leopard, and black bear110 heads as a sign of his own bravery. At that moment, the hail and clouds vanished of their own accord, and the sun came out shining brighter than ever.
Also at that time, the Treasure Lady111 of Lower Ma appeared holding a crystal vase full of amṛta and a key to open the door the treasury of Gu-ra Crag as well as a treasure offering scarf. He took these and then went off to reenter the race.
He immediately caught up with Gu-ru, Khyishi’s son, and he sang this song to test Gu-ru, in the melody of A Conch with Nine Spiral Turns:
The song is Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
If you don’t recognize this place
It is Nathang Dzomo Tadra [Pasture of Dzo Mares].
If you don’t recognize me,
I’m Gogmo’s divine Joru.
I’m the heart son of White Brahmā,
I’m the nephew of the nāga king Tsugna,
I’m Jo, alert to the hostile enemy;
When the enemy tries to escape, I will easily capture him;
When the enemy tries to hide, I will easily suppress him.
Ru means the clan of my loving relatives.
I am the chief of the five tribes.
As the head of the brethren of White Ling,
I am the one born as the rowdy Joru.
Now Gu-ru, listen here!
Tell me about yourself, Gu-ru!
Today the gathered brethren of Ling
Are racing some of their swift horses.
All their valuables are worn on their backs.
The horses make great strides as they traverse the high mountain passes;
The horses make short strides as they traverse the low passes.
What have they wagered as the trophy of the race?
What is to be gained by running this race?
What is to be lost by losing this race?
Jo and Gur will equally share.
Suppose you, Gu-ru, are the wealthy one, then also
So am I, Joru, the nephew of Tsugna;
Together, both acclaimed as rich men.
Suppose you, Gu-ru, are the mighty one, then also
So am I, Joru, the descendant of the nyen;
Together we are the mighty tigers and lions.
Suppose you, Gu-ru, are a beggar,
And I, Joru, am the penniless child of Gogmo;
Then we naked beggars must join back to back.
The light rays of the royal parasol of the sun
Equally befriend all the mountain peaks.
It’s not that the sun has chosen them to be so high,
It is the way that the earth and the valleys have come to exist.
The white conch moon of the fifteenth day,
Moves in a star-studded sky;
It’s not that it is unable to travel alone,
It is the astrological arrangement of the cosmos.
In this horse race, the divine son Joru
Will run along with you, Gu-ru.
Even though I can get along without you, Gu-ru,
This is the plan of the girl Sengcham.
If you have understood this, it is sweet to your ears.
If not, there is no way to explain it.
Thus he sang, and Gu-ru became irritated, thinking, “This Joru, like black ink, has evil intentions toward whomever he meets in upper White Ling. He was already been expelled once, as his wickedness had shown itself like tongues of fire. Now today, he must surely know the significance of this horse race, but, since he can’t catch up with the other brethren, all his negativity is directed toward me. He has told me only desperate lies, saying that not only couldn’t he find a horse, but he had to run around from valley to valley just to get a saddle. From the start he has fallen way behind all the mighty warriors, so now he says that we’ll both be left behind. If we join together, then it’s just like the saying:
On top of not having enough to eat,
A debt is owed.
If that were not the case then maybe we could unite, but he says his father is great, his mother is precious, and he boasts about himself telling nothing but lies. But unless I answer him right now, we surely won’t join forces. As the proverb states:
You can’t lean back with a yoke pressing your neck,
The yoke on your neck will never break.
You can’t bend over bound by a black rope at the calves
The black rope at the calves will never break.
That’s how it seems to me.”
[He spoke aloud:] “Hey Joru, the reason these horses are racing is to become the owner of Kyalo’s wealth, the owner of the treasury of wealth of the Mukpo clan, the bridegroom of Drugmo, the leader of all districts of White Ling; don’t you understand these are the reasons for the race? These are the only reasons that I’m here to race. If you don’t know about any of this, why are you racing at all? Therefore there’s no hope for either of us to win the wager. Even if it were possible, were I to win, I wouldn’t share it with you; and if you were to win, I wouldn’t want to share that with you. If I don’t win the wager, I still don’t want to have to give anything away. If you have a debt that needs to be repaid, there’s no way that I’m going to do it for you.” Saying, “We should not even share our fleas and lice,” Gu-ru sang this song:
The song is Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
I bow down at the feet of the ocean of the victorious objects of Refuge.
If you don’t recognize me,
I am the divine hunchback [Lha Gur] of all of Upper Ling;112
They say that without a Gu-ru, the state of the gods will decline.
I’m the wealthy hunchback [Chug Gur] of Middle Ling;
They say that without Gu-ru, the riches will decline.
I’m the prosperity hunchback [Yang Gur] of Lower Ling;
They say that without Gu-ru, prosperity will decline.
This hunchback Gu-ru is not bad, he is good;
It is good if the waxing moon is curved,
For it is the ornament of the azure firmament.
For it becomes the food of all living beings.
It is good if a rainbow in the sky is curved,
For it is the pillar between heaven and earth.
I’ve got even more examples than that.
All curved males are mighty, wild warriors.
All curved females are deep and wise.
All curved swords are powerfully sharp.
I’m the owner of nine female dzo;
I have yogurt in summer and yogurt in winter that never runs out,
I am the owner of nine irrigated fields;
I have wine in summer and wine in winter that never runs out.
Compared to the wealthy fathers,
I’m not a wealthy man,
But compared to the beggar Joru, I’m rich.
The rich and the poor are like butter and ashes.
We aren’t compatible and should go our separate ways.
I am the master of nine daughters;
I am the master of nine brothers.
There are many who love me, and I have no enemies.
I don’t claim to be an unrivaled mighty warrior,
But compared to you, Joru, I am mighty.
Mighty and cowardly, like fleas and fingernails,
We don’t share, just go our separate ways.
You tattered, worn-out tent,
When the royal parasol rises,113
You will remain together in its hundred shafts of sunlight;
When the soft white snow falls,
You will remain together in its hundred piles of snow.
Inwardly, a hungry stomach and Joru, these two
Share the lap of Mother Gogmo.
Outwardly, the icy wind and the cold, these two114
Are the ornaments of the child Joru.
I, Gu-ru, who stays among the ranks of the warriors of Ling
Don’t have time to stay here; I must go farther to adorn them.
If you have understood this, it is sweet to your ears.
If not, there is no way to explain it.
Thus he sang, and Joru said, “Well then, Gu-ru, as for how I feel, I am miserable, since I can’t think of anything besides Drugmo and the golden throne. But Drugmo, the object of my desire, is too beautiful, and the warriors are too formidable, so that I can hardly think about it. This morning, Drugmo said that whoever gets the prize should share and that we, Joru and Gu-ru, must divide it among us. That’s what I understood her to say, and that’s exactly what I had said to you. But if you don’t need it, it’s not because I was unwilling to give it to you. You didn’t want it, so don’t be disappointed later.
The owner of Kyalo’s wealth, the bridegroom of Drugmo, the head of White Ling; whether there’s a horse race or not, don’t you understand that there is no one but me, Joru, who can be the lord of all that?
At any rate, now that the auspicious connection between Joru and Gu-ru has been somewhat spoiled, as you said, we should go our separate ways. Don’t ride right behind my horse Kyang-bu, for he is a divine horse and you will be punished, so you must be careful. Not only that, there are still more examples, so hold this in your mind.” With that, he sang this song in the melody Playful Song of the Nightingale:115
The song is Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
Well then, Gu-ru, listen here,
For I have a few examples to give you.
If the outer illusory body is bent over, it’s grounds for illness;
If the illness erupts into disease,116 it will consume your life.
If the inner mind is crooked, then that is confusion;
When confusion erupts, you will go mad.
If your speech is crooked, then your words are lies.
If lies erupt, you’ll be dragged into court.
They say that a curved sword can take one’s own life,
They say that a curved horn of an animal can poke its own eye out,
They say if your hands are curved, your fists will beat your own chest.
They say if you are really bent over your mouth will meet your buttocks.
Where could you find proverbs more truthful than these?
Water cannot be held in a bent bucket.
Words can’t be understood by someone whose mind is bent on foolishness.
Fine clothes don’t fit well on a bent-over body.
If a hundred men all line up at attention,
The crooked one will look like he has a burden on his back;
Once there it seems to be fixed.
If a hundred men walk up a mountain pass,
A bent-over man looks like he’s going downhill.
If a hundred men are getting up,
A bent-over man looks like he’s lying down to sleep.
You, Gu-ru, aren’t like anyone else.
When the brethren race, they go uphill;
When Gu-ru races, he goes downhill.
This divine horse white-muzzled Kyang-bu
Is different today than he used to be;
Sometimes he’s ready to fly,
Sometimes to jump.
Whatever is in front, he bites and scratches;
Whatever is behind, he will give a square kick.
Therefore, Gu-ru, you must get out of his way.
I don’t have time to hang around;
I must go to capture the throne.
Gu-ru, keep this in your mind.
Thus he sang, and Gu-ru thought that neither one of them were likely to win the golden throne. Whatever the case, he determined to never let this wicked Joru get there ahead of him. Then he cracked his whip once or twice and raced ahead of Joru. The horse Kyang-bu reared up alongside of him, and as though dancing gave [Gu-ru’s horse] Gapa Trikyid a side kick. With that, the horse [Gapa Trikyid] was flung almost one mile away. Gu-ru was then eaten by Joru’s horse, consumed in one swallow. Gu-ru found himself in Kyang-bu’s stomach, which appeared to him as a temple. Then he was shat out and landed in a great pile of horse manure. Man and horse were left unscathed, but Gu-ru was left with no hope of racing, and he then returned home.
But Joru caught up with Sheep-a-peep Tsangpa’i Ngo-lug and sang this song to put Ngo-lug to the test:
The song is Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
I supplicate the Three Rare and Precious Jewels.
Remain inseparable as the ornament of my mind.
If you don’t recognize this place,
It’s a pasture of dzo mares.
If you don’t recognize me,
I am Gogmo’s cherished son Joru.
I am of the royal lineage of the Mukpo clan;
I am one of the heirs of the lineage of King Senglön;
I and only I have received the name of Joru.
Joru has no choice but to be jo [alert].
Of all the descendants of the Mukpo clan,
Only I, Joru, was expelled without my share;
I had no choice but to stand up for my own ru [dignity].
Deprived of my wealth and possessions, I alone was expelled.
Deprived of my fair share of good looks, I alone was expelled.
Deprived of my castle and treasury, I alone was expelled.
Deprived of my maiden Drugmo, I alone was expelled.
I had no choice but to stand up for my own dignity.
Thinking of my wealth and endowments, I stood up for my dignity.
Thinking of my castle and golden throne, I stood up for my dignity.
Thinking of my lifetime companion, I stood up for my dignity.
Thinking of my good looks, I stood up for my dignity.
Well then, Tsangpa’i Ngo-lug,
Among handsome men you are the most handsome.
Poor Mother Gogmo’s Joru,
Among ugly men I am the ugliest.
Among sons who come from the same paternal lineage,117
Why is it that are some handsome and some are so ug
ly?
Among the ancient arrows of a single quiver,
Why is it that some are short and some are long?
Therefore, we should divvy up the handsomeness and ugliness;
Our bodies must appear as neither handsome nor ugly, neither good nor bad.
Our height must be neither tall nor short.
Our wealth should be neither great nor small.
According to previous karma, Joru is the best.
Over many previous births,
Joru never committed any nonvirtue.118
In the mind of Joru there are no evil thoughts.
Joru who is free from sin,
Why is it that I am cursed with this ugly body?
Joru who has perfected the pāramitās
Is a bodhisattva who has attained the tenth bhumi.
Why haven’t I obtained an excellent support [body]?
Therefore we two, you and I,
Outwardly, we must dress the same,
Inwardly, we must make our appearances equal.
If you don’t do what I say, then don’t call me Joru.
If you have understood this, it is sweet to your ears.
If not, there is no way to explain it.
Thus he spoke, and Tsangpa’i Ngo-lug thought, “Joru must be an unimpeded magical emanation. He must be a fully enlightened bodhisattva manifesting for the benefit of others. Therefore, since the merit of White Ling is sufficient, it’s certain that he can become the lord not only of the tangible humans but of the intangible godly demons. The way he appears with an ugly face and an ugly body is nothing but a magical emanation. Even now he’s just testing me, since the meaning of the song for the most part seems true. So as not to defile the auspicious connection, I must offer him a song.” Furthermore, the hat called Jeweled Meditation Hat of Uḍḍiyāṇa, which is the ritual support of the Greater Lineage, was tied around his body for protection. He thought he should untie it and offer it, and so he said, “Oh dear divine Joru, on this great occasion of auspicious connection, other than my protection Uḍḍiyāṇa Padma Meditation Hat, I have no possessions worthy of you, Joru. Please be so kind as to grant me the opportunity to receive your blessings and protection. Furthermore, everything that you find contemptible about your appearance, give to me, and if I have anything worthy, take it for yourself. Your power, your siddhis, your signs of accomplishment, your merit, your authentic presence; if I would have the good fortune to receive these, please grant them to me. There’s no question that these qualities are hard to expect, because that would be a result that does not merit a cause. Nevertheless, here is a song that explains the history of the hat and the meaning of my request.” He then offered this song in the melody of Fluctuating Pitches: