I’m not attached to the pure state of nirvāṇa,
I work for the welfare of all sentient beings.
Now then, you brethren of White Ling,
Listen, for here are some points I have to make:
The Thirty Brethren, mighty warriors,
The seven true men, the Super Warriors,
The Three Ultimate Warriors, Falcon, Eagle, and Wolf,
And, in addition, some from the bordering kingdoms,
Including some fortunate dharma ministers,
Are emanations of the eighty great mahāsiddhas
From India, the land of the āryas.
Their fate will be to join with me.
I am the king of the law of abandoning nonvirtue,
I am the dharma king who establishes the ten virtues.
All the mighty warriors of White Ling
Seem to be pure beings;
Still they are thick with obscurations from the womb.
Some of them have total recall in their dreams,
Some of them see in their visions;
Ultimately they are only pure,
Their courage is unrivaled.
In the morning they are the butchers who slaughter,
In the evening they are the gurus who guide the ones they’ve butchered.
In this golden kingdom of White Ling
I, Sengchen Norbu Dradül,
Have been mandated by the imperial gods,
Sent to engage in the two activities of forming an army and subjugating the enemies.
Ultimately this spreads forth the happiness and well-being of all beings.
My function will be to establish the Buddha’s doctrine,
My law will be to practice the holy dharma of the ten virtues.
In all those regions of the demons of the dark side,
If you try to explain the holy dharma, it won’t be understood;
If you try to teach cause and fruition, it won’t be respected.
If they are not tamed through powerful mighty means,
They lack the fortune to be tamed by peaceful compassion.
In order to directly tame all of them,
I am the king of the wrathful army.
The general who guards the eastern gate is Bumpa Gyatsha Zhalkar;
It is he who will quell Sadam of Jang.
The general who guards the southern gate is Sengtag Michang Karpo;
He is the yoke upon Shingtri of the southern māras.
The general who protects the western gate is
Tshazhang Denma Jangtra;
He is the shadow demon who breathes down the necks of the Yellow Hor.
The general who guards the northern gate,
Is Trothung Nya-tsha Aten;
He will quell both [countries] of Rong and Düd.
The chief of the elders of the Greater Lineage will be Serpa Nyima [Daryag] Bum-thub;
His personal minister will be Zigphen of Tag-rong.
The chief of the elders of the Middle Lineage
Will be Ombu Anu Paseng;
His personal minister will be Chölu Darphen.
The chief of the elders of the Lesser Lineage
Will be Muchang Rinchen Darlu;
His body guard is Gadei Bernag.
The man to be the stable council leader
Will be Uncle Chipön Gyalpo.
And as for all the other mighty warrior brethren,
They must guard their own tribes and clans.
Other than the general enemies of the Buddha’s teachings,
I, Gesar, have no personal enemies.
Other than the general welfare of all beings,
I, Gesar, have no other personal aims.
It has fallen to me to accomplish the general welfare;
This is the reason for the command of the imperial gods.
If we spread the doctrine of the Buddha
And place all sentient beings in bliss,
The welfare of Ling will be accomplished as a matter of course.
From this day onward,
The chieftain will be called Sengchen Norbu,
The ministers will be called the Thirty Brethren.
The country will be known as the Highlands of White Ling.
We will implement the practice of the ten virtues,
And the abandonment of nonvirtue will be the law of the land.
When destroying the māras of the dark side,
Be brave in knowing that it is virtue;
That is the swift path for perfecting the two accumulations.
If your mind can’t discern virtue from nonvirtue,
Saṃsāra and nirvāṇa will not depend upon the body and speech.
All beings who are māras of the dark side,
Even if they are temporarily slain and tortured,
If they are not placed in ultimate bliss,
This great being’s aim for others is in vain.
Today for my insignia of rank,
The gods scatter flowers from above,
The nyen pitch rainbow tents in between,
And the nāgas play music from below.
The eight classes of nonhumans become subservient.
Country of Ling, did you see? Did you hear?
Society of humans in the middle realm,
Will you submit and become my subjects in the Kingdom of Ling?
Brethren, will you accept me?
Warriors, do you have confidence in me?
Until now my name and form, Great Lion,
Was previously hidden and not revealed;
This was because the time to tame the māras had not yet arrived.
Today I show myself directly.
May the Black Düd and the Yellow Hor,
The Dark Jang and the Wrathful Mön,
All hear this with their ears.
Having heard, may it bring them pain.
May all sentient beings be liberated
And may their minds turn to the pure and sacred dharma.
If you have understood this, it is sweet to your ears.
If not, there is no way to explain it.
Thus he sang, and everyone heard his song, the vajra dohā. No one had the power to transgress it; everybody embraced it and placed it on the crown of their heads. All beings, gods and humans alike, threw flowers of celebration for the occasion, and Chipön Rongtsha Tragen brought out the Mother Chroniclesb of Mukpo and offered them with the five kinds of scarves as he sang in the melody Long Slow Gentle Tune:
The song is Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
Guru, yidam, and the Three Jewels,
Please remain inseparably upon the crown of my head.
If you don’t recognize this land,
It is the left side of Gu-ru Crag.
This patrimony accumulated by White Ling,
Is arranged here as the prize for the horse race.
If you don’t recognize me,
I am King Chipön of Mukpo Dong.c
Upon the throne of yellow gold,
The bronze-skinned man with teeth as white as a conch
Is King Sengchen Norbu Dradül.
Clouds of dralas mass denser and denser,
A sweet rain of wermas falls pattering and pattering,
Renowned like a dragon’s roar the sound blazes up.
Above among the wondrous gods,
The sky is filled with everlasting banners of victory.
In the middle, the virtuous mark of the humans
Is the sound of the victorious gods as ki! ki! so! so!
Below, among the offerings of the nāgas,
Is the wish-fulfilling rain, si li li.
All the gods are celebrating with delight.
And all the humans are joyfully dancing;
The merriment of the nāgas sets the clouds in motion.
The race of demons wails at their loss.
All brethren, do you understand the source of this joy?
Country of Ling,
do you understand this happiness?
I offer this single white scarf to you, Gesar,144
So that all the dralas and wermas above
May be like the sun and its light rays,
Inseparably accompanying you, Gesar;
This is the scarf that exalts the imperial gods.
This single golden scarf145
Is the greeting scarf for the body guard Nyen Gedzo.
This single blue scarf146
Is the greeting for the nāga Tsugna.
This single red scarf147
Is the greeting scarf for the Red Nyentag drala.
This single green scarf148
Is the greeting scarf for Maneni.
I offer all of these scarves to you, Sengchen.
These are the signs of the inseparable companionship between
Gods and humans, like a body and its shadow.149
Given that you possess stainless wisdom knowledge,
It is not appropriate to offer you this prophetic book; Nevertheless,
I will place these ancient original chroniclesd in your hands.
May I, the sovereign of the clan of Rong, Chipön Gyalpo,
Be inseparable with you as my lord and I as your minister.
By offering you this single white scarf for our entire lifetime,150
Together may our buddha activity turn everything into dharma.
Never separating from you, Great Being,
May the purpose of beings be perfectly fulfilled.
If the gods as well as the eight classes,
Place their topknots at your jeweled feet,
Then why wouldn’t the brethren of the Wishing Land of Ling
Respect you as well?
From this day onward,
The wishes of White Ling will be fulfilled.
Prepare to sing the songs of delight,
Prepare to dance the dance of happiness.
Keep all of this in your heart.
Thus he sang, and similarly the chieftain of the Greater Lineage, Nyibum Daryag of Serpa, starting with the beautiful golden scarf of auspiciousness, offered the golden treasure vase that fulfills all desires, and all sorts of tiger and leopard skins. The leader of the Middle Lineage of Ling, Ombu Anu of Paseng, starting with the long scarf whose color and splendor rival that of the lotus, offered the auspicious conch that swirls to the right, and all sorts of silk and brocades. The jewel of the ocean of the Lesser Lineage, Rinchen Darlu of Muchang, starting with the blue scarf the color of lapis, offered the wish-fulfilling cup made of zi filled to the brim with white pearls, and all kinds of precious gems such as gold, silver, turquoise, and coral.151
Prostrating respectfully as they made these offerings, they placed the crowns of their heads at his lotus feet. They prayed that throughout all lifetimes the king and ministers would be inseparable and that, as the ministers, all their buddha activity would steer toward the dharma.
Likewise Bumpa Zhalkar, starting with a white scarf the color of a snow mountain, offered a wish-fulfilling jewel with a coil of joy on it, pieces of silk brocade, and many skins of wild leopards and lynx. Tshazhang Denma Jangtra, starting with the blue silk scarf, offered the nine-eyed zi of the wealth of the nāgas. The warrior Sengtag Adom offered the eight auspicious symbols in red pearl stone. Yamed Darphen of the Chölu clan offered a purple agate archer’s bow, and Gadei offered a black cloak and Mahākāla’s personal arrow. Nya-tsha offered the coral helmet of the tsen, Zigphen offered a gleaming gilded copper jewel, along with silk brocades and varieties of jewels. Each of them offered vast numbers of the finest furs and skins. With the auspicious scarves out in front, they made these offerings and placed their heads at his feet and prayed never to be separate as the ministers of this great lord for all their lifetimes.
Furthermore, since all the mighty warrior brethren had the good fortune to become members of his retinue, they cultivated irreversible faith and devotion. The three venerable gurus, the four individual chieftains, the Thirteen Favorite Sons, the four men called Gyaltsen, the three men called Ngo-lug (the Sheep-a-Peeps), the two final authorities, the judge and the arbiter, and others including all the other mighty warriors and the minor warriors, bowed down respectfully, and with their scarves of good fortune out in front, each offered many special gifts with prayers to never be separate from him in all their lifetimes and supplicated to be cared for by the king and his ministers. From the firmament, music resounded while a shower of white flowers descended. At that time and for the next thirteen days, everyone sang and danced in celebration.
The festivities were launched by the seven sister maidens of Ling, the most beautiful of all the maidens, accompanied by others all bedecked in their most expensive garments and jewels and looking like goddesses strolling in their pleasure gardens. As they began to dance, Kyalo Sengcham Drugmo asked Ne’uchung Lu-gu Tshar-yag [Drugmo’s paternal cousin] to bring her the golden vase filled with Drubpa’i Gyalmo longevity wine and the refined year-old beer. Then Drugmo herself offered nectar three times from the prosperity support of the wealth of Kyalo, Yakṣa Jambhala’s own cup, Tashi Yuring [Auspicious Long Stem]. This cup was filled with nectar, and she held it up as an offering along with a long white offering scarf. Then she offered prayers to consecrate the success of the weapons and armor as she sang this song in the melody of Six Modulations in Nine Pitches:
The song is Ala Ala Ala.
Thala is the melody of the song.
In the pure land of Turquoise Leaf Array,
White Ārya Tārā know me
And be this maiden’s friend and companion.
If you don’t recognize this place,
It is the excellent land of Aspiration Mountain Pass.
If you don’t recognize me,
I am Kyalo Sengcham Drugmo.
They call me the fairest maiden in Jambudvīpa;
They call me the heart essence of the country of White Ling.
I am the daughter of Kyalo Tönpa.
Now then, precious Sengchen,
Today I, Sengcham Drugmo,
Chose you as my destined deity by tossing the flower.
I greet you now with thirteen offering scarves.
As well as the auspicious cup with the long stem filled with
Drubpa’i Gyalmo longevity wine.
The grape wine of the land of India,
Rice liquor from the land of China, and
Fresh barley beer of Tibet
Are the drinks that please the dralas,
The select offerings that please the wermas,
And the longevity nectars that lengthen life expectancy.
Please partake of these drinks that will uplift your spirits.
The Queen of Siddhi longevity scarf and
The three activity scarves of lha, lu, and nyen,
The treasure scarf of the Queen of China,
The divine cloth of the land of India,
A pearly scarf from the mouth of an oyster,
A water scarf from the cold-blooded nāgas, and so forth;
These are the thirteen offering scarves.
Today they are offered to greet the Lord Great Lion.
They are the khatas to greet your actual kāya.
This golden throne that quells the three realms with its splendor,
I thought it was the highest ornament of White Ling.
Although it doesn’t even touch the ground,
Today it’s still not high enough as the white lions hoist it up with their paws.152
The silk umbrella Rinchen Pungpa [Heap of Jewels],
I thought it was the highest ornament adorning the golden throne,
Yet today the pole-bearers aren’t even holding it up
As it reaches into the sky on its own, turning and spinning.
The drum of the law, Selwa’i Ödden, and
The conch of the law, Karmo Gyangdrag,
And the cymbal, Nyima Drug-drag,
Today don’t need to be sounded or struck;
The
ir melodious sounds naturally resonate.
Isn’t this delightful, Lord Great Lion?
Isn’t this joyous, people of Ling?
And not only that,
The wealth of the treasury of Crystal Crag,
The self-existing weapons of the dralas,
Today have come together as the ornaments of this great being.
This lord of helmets, Gyalwa Thödkar,
Is offered to adorn your crown chakra of great bliss.
The silk pennon Nyima Rangshar [Self-Arising Sun] and
The victory banner Tashi Gu-tseg [Auspicious Many-Tiered] and
The garuḍa pennon Vulture Down,
The colorful studded gems in the front, like five-colored silks and
The helm ornament Lhayi Sopa [Divine Sentry];
All these unite as ornaments of the white helmet.
May this helmet be mightier than others,
And may its glory surpass the heavens.
Along with the king of armor, that finery of the dark bronze coat of mail,
The billowing of the longevity knots on the back flag, and
The shield called Red Cane Deep Backing, Massing rainbow clouds of wermas
Unite as the ornaments of the Great Being’s kāya.
May his life force be as solid as a rock.
From the longevity clothing called Fearless One Thousand Tribes,
The amulet life-essence stone of the mamos,
The sash, the karmic scarf of the ḍākinīs,
Blessings abound like scudding clouds of mist, so amazing,
A drumming rain of siddhis
Unite to adorn the three nāḍīs [avadhūti, rasana, and lalana].
May your lifespan be longer than a river,
Firm and stable, without aging or infirmity.
Mongolian boots, which quell the eight classes with their splendor,
Along with the knee covering that protects from all harm,
Unite to adorn the feet of the Great Being.
May he suppress and reverse the classes of demons.
The tiger quiver Great Fortress of the Dralas
And the leopard sheath Werma’s Source of Life Essence
Naturally unite as the ornaments of his weapons.
May your wisdom and means be indivisible.
The sword Strikes without Riposte
Sparkles with local guardians;
The lance Subjugates Enemies of the Three Realms
Shoots the poison flames of the nyen;
The Epic of Gesar of Ling Page 59