The Epic of Gesar of Ling
Page 60
The lasso Nine-Fathomed Frog Emanation
Makes the panting sound of nāga demons;
The bow Curving Wild Horn
Chokes the air with the poison vapor of Rāhu demons;
The divine arrow that knows human language
Is the thick glottal click of the dralas.153
The slingshot Braided Nine Eyes154
Blows the black winds of the mamos;
The life-essence stone that attracts the oath-bound guardians
Is a lightning-born meteorite,
That radiates the light of the the’u rang.
The ax Crag Mountain Rock Splitter
Sends out the sparks of king demons,
The razor knife Crystal Razor
Causes the Nyentag to descend like lightning.155
Unite today in the hands of the Great Being.
May you be the yoke upon the Hor and Düd,
And may you bind nāga and tsen to the oath.
May you annihilate Shingtri.
May you turn Sadam to the dharma.
May you bind the four māras by oath.
May you turn the four borderland countries to the dharma.
Just as when the moon arises from the mountain peak
To blossom the jasmine flowers in the gardens and swell the milky lakes,
Lord Great Lion, when your lotus feet place a yoke upon the haughty ones
The doctrine of goodness and decency will flourish.156
Lord Great Lion, the golden mountain of your presence
Is as though embraced by the youthful clouds of dawn;
The radiance of your armor and weapons, and
Your authentic presence, are unrivaled.
Lord Great Lion, your presence,
Like a blazing jewel,
Constantly emits a shower of benefit and well-being.
Please hold me inseparably.
At the tip of the creeper’s pliant body
Is the wondrous beautiful face of the utpala [lotus] flower,
With coyly glancing eyes, like a hovering honeybee,
I offer myself to you, Lord Great Lion.
Beautiful to hear
Is the song of the kalavinka bird,
Revealing all inner desires;
This voice intoxicated by the amṛta of great bliss
I offer to you, Lord Great Lion.
The waves of wandering thoughts
When overcome by the desire of great bliss
Are an ocean of amṛta of blissful emptiness free from thought;
Partake of this with pleasurable delight, Lord Great Lion.
Floating on the ocean of desire and attachment,
The jeweled ship of the wealth of Kyalo,
Guided by the oarsman of compassion;
Make it your own, Lord Great Lion.
From now until the heart of enlightenment,
By accomplishing the great purpose of the doctrine and of all beings,
May I, like a body with its shadow,
Be held inseparable from you, Lord Great Lion.
Great Being, hold this in your heart.
Thus she sang, and the other warriors and maiden sisters also offered songs of auspicious connections and greeting scarves. Then the antelope-head hat, the fringed calfskins, and the red leather boots were buried underground as the phywae wealth and prosperity supports for the future generations.
Then it was Trothung’s turn to offer prostrations and a scarf. As he promised to do, Gesar now returned to Trothung the ancient sacred supports of Tag-rong that he had used in the guise of Joru, such as all the articles for his yogic activity: the white willow staff, the nine-edged prosperity sack of Jambhala, and the like.
Joru [Gesar now] said, “Now, since these are my magical implements, you must lend them to me later on when the time comes to strike the forehead of the demon Lutsen with an arrow,” and Trothung replied, “Yes, and not only for Lutsen, but whenever the time comes to yoke the necks of the Hor Gurkar and so forth, just ask to borrow it again!”
It became well known that because of this connection, when the time came to tame the distant Hor, it would only be able to be done through magic.
Even at that time there were early signs that the minds of the māras of the four demon kingdoms of the four directions were turning to the dharma.
For instance, there were seven tiger brothers who were the life-force animals of the earlier king of Hor, Relchen; six of them were killed by lightning. Also, the life-force lake of Lutsen turned into milk, and [Lutsen’s] life-force wolf was buried under a mountain avalanche. In addition, at the entrance to Jang Sadam’s fortress, the sacred life-support castle of Namtel [Celestial Seal],f a conch stupa, naturally crumbled to the ground. The monstrous Mu cord of Lho Shingtri [in the south], a staircase of wind reaching up to the sky, snapped for the first time, and likewise many other calamities occurred in the lands of the māras.
The sound of the bellowing and crying of both the form and formless spirits foreshadowed the decline and fall of the great countries of the māras and their armies. Therefore, from the moment that he was enthroned as the head of the kingdom, all those inclined to virtue, whether of high or low station, just like a snake shedding its skin, immediately gave up any notion that they could equal or rival him.
From then onward, Machig Drubpa’i Gyalmo gave him long-life initiation and blessed his body to be as indestructible as the vajra.
In any case, since his body did not exist as the result of karmic ripening but rather as the essence of vajra wisdom, the pure appearance of his light body was such that this alone could effortlessly overcome the very core of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. Until the time that all sentient beings are set free, these qualities will be spontaneously present with his kāya, like a wish-fulfilling jewel, and his actual kāya will remain firm, free from aging or decline and transition or change. Actually seeing his form is itself an unsurpassed astonishment, since this establishes the ground for the propagation of the Buddha’s doctrine. Through his unceasing buddha activity he will continue to increase both temporarily and ultimately the happiness and well-being of all beings, in accordance with their own abilities to be tamed.
Their celebrating and feasting were unimaginable, and soon after Gesar went to reside in the great palace Sengtrug Tagtse.g The four enemies were suppressed through his splendor, and the four categories of endowment flourished.h The fame of his name pervaded the three realms like the roar of a dragon; the extent of his sovereignty spread forth like the covering of the sky. All the inhabitants of Ling basked in the joy and happiness of the newly arisen sun.
Just then Denza said to Trothung, “Well then, Tag-rong Sidpa’i Trogyal! What happened to the wager of the horse race that was predicted by the God of the North?157 What happened to the golden throne and Drugmo? Do you think the other warriors are disappointed?”
Trothung replied, “Oh, Lady Denza, the reason I arranged this celebration, predicted by the God of the North, is that I am the one to find and inaugurate the holder of Ling’s golden throne—the one who is the support for the warriors and ministers, the heart son of the imperial gods, the all-encompassing guardian of Jambudvīpa, the warrior who will tame the classes of māras, the one who is Dzamling Sengchen Gyalpo, King Gesar of Ling. I have been so busy polishing the golden stupa of the general affairs of the kingdom that I, Tag-rong, have not had time to consider even one teacupful of my own personal interests.”
Even though there were a few more songs exchanged between Trothung and Denza, I [Gyurmed Thubten Jamyang Dorje] did not write them down since I did not see any great import contained there, but rather they seemed to be inherently ordinary confused perceptions.
In this way, having composed the account of the Horse Race, by the strength of the interdependency with the supplication, Padmasambhava, embodiment of the Three Protectors, magically emanated as the Great Lion King of the Dralas [Sengchen Drala Gyalpo]. The object of faith and devotion, the youthful utpala flower of the mind
, for the time being abides in the indestructible bindu in the center of the heart as one taste with your own mind. All living beings without measure will enjoy the glory of adventitious happiness and well-being, and ultimately this results in the desire to attain the state of Great Enlightenment. Hence, the siddhis of accomplishment will be granted.
Hence, this brings the story to an end. The reason for this composition as well as the colophon will be clarified in the following supplication.
In the presence of the hosts of beautiful youthful gods,
Like the movements of the sun, moon, planets, and stars,
The force of the mighty wind stirs
The waving banner of fame to whom I supplicate.
Under the glare of the blazing appearance of the blissful and happy sun and moon,
Beneath the royal banner victorious in all directions,
As the fame of the dragon’s roar shakes the great earth;
I supplicate the one who holds the great throne of the kingdom.
Just as the sun appears from the clouds, or
A youthful lotus emerges from its casing of mud,
Your stainless supreme body is favored by the gods and all who live;
I supplicate you who now appears in your true form.
No matter how pompous they may be in their power,
In your presence, as one they bend their topknots to the ground,
The great classes of māras bemoan their defeat;
I pray to the victor of the forces of good.
Then saṃsāra and nirvāṇa helplessly surrender their essence
To this wish-fulfilling kāya,
Who is permanent, stable, and naturally free from old age and decline;
I supplicate the one who propagates the well-being and benefit of the doctrine and all beings.
By the karmic power of this prayer
To the King of the Dralas, the manifestation of the Lotus
Born and the three protectors,
May you dwell in the center of the youthful utpala flower of my mind,
And may you bestow the siddhi that accomplishes whatever mind desires.
Thus, this meaning has been explained in the body of the epic. Having captured the throne, the way of accomplishing the goal of fulfilling all the mind’s desires completes the seventh chapter, The Saga of the Precious Rūpakāya Wish-Fulfilling Jewel.
For the time being, this concludes our understanding concerning the epic account of the horse race.158
Hence, this conscientiously composed commentary
Based upon the meaning
Of the epic account of the horse race,
The supplication called The Symbolic Secret Jeweled Mirror,159
Has come to mind through the blessings of the unsullied oral instructions
That flow like nectar from the Lion of Speech, Jamgön Mipham.i
Having had the great fortune to receive the force of these blessings upon the crown of my head,
I was inspired to write this down.
All facets of the habitual patterns of previous lifetimes
Arise as the form of conceptual phenomena.
Although nonexistent in the nature of self-liberated awareness,
These interdependent illusory appearances continue to arise without ceasing.
Although there are some so-called scholars who object
To the accounts of the biography of Gesar Norbu Dradül
Claiming they are a string of lies;
In that case, if asked to write the true account, they will have no clear source or answer,
Like one who, beholding the face of a friend,
Arrogantly denies that he recognizes him.
Those who do not see the true nature of what is being shown
Are nihilists who only believe in material relative phenomena.
This life story is based on the speech of the sublime ones
And the names and sadhanas
That are clearly revealed in the profound scriptures of the termas.
To just write this off as idle gossip is to fault the activities of the victorious ones.
Moreover there are those who claim that this subject [the biography] gives rise to attachment and aversion
And thus this epic contradicts the dharma.
If so, wouldn’t one also have to claim that the philosophical texts, Buddhist and non-Buddhist histories alike,
Are also not the dharma?
The eighty-four thousand categories of dharma
Are teachings that serve as antidotes for the rejection of attachment and aversion.
If some practitioners are born into the lower realms through their own mistaken views of hope and fear,
Would you then say this is the fault of the dharma?
There are many who exaggerate and try to denigrate these epic accounts.
If one were to ask what then the true story is,
They would only sit there scratching their heads,
Knowing nothing at all about it or when it actually took place.
Seeing this situation,
I wrote this in accordance with the profound mind treasure lineage and the authentic oral transmissions of the realized ones.
That this small degree of confidence dawned in my mind like the sunrise
Is due to the kindness of the root guru.
Hence may this excellent accumulation of merit like a stainless sky,
Adorned by the illuminating sun and moon of scriptural understanding and realization,
Fully blossom as this lotus garden of benefit
For the doctrine and for the happiness of sentient beings.
Throughout the continuity of all of my lifetimes,
May I never be separated from the cool shade of the Great Lion Being’s compassion.
And may you place your ever-extended stainless smooth hand upon the crown of my head
So I may always have the opportunity to hear your sacred speech.
May the hazards of temporary illness, weapons, famine, and decline
And the turmoil of war be completely pacified.
By the three secrets of the Sakyong Great Treasure Revealer Guru,160
May this be the cause for this enlightened activity to remain forever firm!
This wondrous avadāna was written by the incarnation of the Lord Lion of Speech, Mipham Jampel Gyepei Dorje. I have compiled this biography in a way that is complementary to the crucial points of The Symbolic Secret Jeweled Mirror, with the primary aim that it would be easy for ordinary people to understand.
I received the reading transmission of the supplication to the horse race and the guru yoga of Subjugating Hor from the tertön Sakyong of White Ling. He [the king of Derge Lingtsang] assured me that this is faithful to the words of the oral instructions [tri] bestowed by Lord Mipham Rinpoche. As he conferred upon me the extraordinary written biography and the thangkas that accompany it, along with a concise oral commentary, he told me to compose The Sevenfold Jeweled Mirror, and thus I received the diadem of his command on the crown of my head.
And from the lord guru Padma Ödzer [Lotus Ray of Light], the ocean-like vidyādhara who realized the nature of the definitive secret Great Perfection, I received the reading transmission for Gesar’s guru yoga. He told me, “If you internalize this through practice, then the dharma epic will well forth from your mind.” Based on this encouragement and his speech that could clearly predict the future, I gained confidence. Later on, due to his insistent command that I must record this, gradually, as I began to write, it came easily to me, like a freely flowing river. I recognized that this potential was due to the kindness of the guru and the Great Lion Being, whom I hold within my heart.
This was written by the tattered monk, the sadhu Akaśara Muniśa [Gyurmed Thubten Jamyang Dragpa], who has on the crown of his head the dust from the feet of Lord Guru Mipham Jampel Gyepei Dorje, Vidyādhara Drodül Pawo Dorje [Vajra Warrior Tamer of Beings], the great tertön Lerab Lingpa, and many holy gurus who are both le
arned and realized. Through this, may the lotus feet of the glorious guru remain firm for a hundred kalpas, and may the glory of the victorious ones be raised to the peak of existence!
SARVA MAṄGALAṂ.
a. “Lameness” has been used to translate the Tibetan word lhad, which is the name of a disease that affects horses in their tendons and muscles.
b. These are the original ancient chronicles of the Mukpo clan, also known as the Mother Text.
c. He was the ruler until Gesar took the throne.
d. That is, the Mother Text or Mother Chronicles.
e. This is the word for divination, lot, luck, fortune, and so on.
f. Sadam’s main god of refuge, from the class of the’u rang.
g. This is the same as Sengdrug Tagtse as in volume 2.
h. The four categories of endowment: (1) the flourishing of the Buddha’s doctrine, (2) the endowment of wealth and prosperity, (3) the ability to utilize the five sensory experiences, (4) the ability to achieve the state beyond sorrow and awakening by relying upon the sacred dharma.
i. Mipham Jampel Gyepei Dorje.
POSTSCRIPT
THE STORY OF THE HORSE RACE from the biography of Gesar Norbu Dradül was previously renowned as the edition written by a warrior from the land of Hor. It did not contain many details about the horse race itself, but it did include other information. The bard Ragu [Grandfather] Amnye revealed a horse race from the epic that is very similar to this edition. There are various other editions that are dissimilar, such as the five versions of the horse race that came from central Tibet. As I read those accounts, I [Gyurmed Thubten Jamyang Dragpa] memorized the content, and that inspired me to practice the above-mentioned guru yoga with heartfelt enthusiasm.
I continued to supplicate Gesar as the sole precious embodiment of the Three Roots, and a long time passed. Then one day the great tertön Sakyong Lama Rinpoche shared with me some teachings that he had received from Mipham Rinpoche about the Supplication to the Horse Race and the narrative thangka. He gave me oral instructions on The Symbolic Secret Jeweled Mirror, after which he asked me to write a saga called Gesar Wins the Horse Race and Becomes the King of Ling. I thought I would be able to write it, so I answered that I would do so. Even though I was determined and pushed myself repeatedly, I began to wonder if I knew anything to write down. Even going over and over the accounts of the previous epics, I had no idea about how to write a table of contents for Gesar Wins the Horse Race and Becomes the King of Ling. Not only that, I was unable to understand some of the crucial points of the Symbolic Secret, so I was left at a loss.