The Epic of Gesar of Ling

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The Epic of Gesar of Ling Page 73

by Robin Kornman


  Lotus Crystal Cave of Ma Dentig [Ma Dentig Padma Shelphug] (Tib. rma dan thig pad ma shel phug). A sacred cave in the Ma Valley where Padmasambhava revealed termas, and where Gesar, when he was just eight years old, revealed many earth treasures that were warriors’ accoutrements. This set up the auspicious connection for his future taming of the māras in the four directions. Another epic is fully dedicated to how he revealed these treasures from this cave. See also terma.

  Lotus Great Power [Padma or Pema Wangchen] (Tib. pad ma dbang chen). A name for Hayagrīva.

  loving-kindness (Tib. byams pa; Skt. maitrī). The Tibetan and Sanskrit terms are translated variously as “loving-kindness,” “mercy,” or “friendliness.”

  lunar month (Tib. bod rtsis). Type of calendar that is based on the cycle of the moon, so that the first day of the month is the first day of the waxing moon, the fifteenth day is the full moon, and the thirtieth day is the new moon day.

  Ma (Tib. rma). A region localized sometimes in eastern Tibet, sometimes in Amdo. Usually Ma refers to the region of the upper Yellow River (called Ma River in Tibetan), which is located near the mountain Magyal Pomra; Upper Ma is in the present-day Tibetan prefecture of Golog. In this version of the epic, Ma seems to be located somewhat to the south, because it neighbors the land of Den (Tib. ’dan). At the beginning of the epic, Ma is a wild, unpeopled land full of gods and demons. Later on, after a famine, Gesar resettles all of Ling in Ma.

  Ma, Lower (Tib. rma smad). In the land of the Gologs, the Ma River—that is, the Yellow River—turns from east to west at the thirty-fourth parallel, and forms a region enclosed on three sides by the river. This is rma smad lha lung sum mdo (Tib.), which means roughly the Divine Valley of Lower Ma at the Three Confluences.

  Ma Dentig Padma Shelphug. See Lotus Crystal Cave of Ma Dentig.

  magnetize (Tib. dbang du bsdu). Used here in the sense of “overcome.” This is the ritual action by which a being or object is brought under one’s influence. It is one of the Four Karmas (Tib. phrin las bzhi)—that is, four ritual acts of power that a buddha can perform.

  mahāsattva (Skt.; Tib. sems can chen po). Among bodhisattvas, the mahāsattvas are the ones who have attained the level of the sixth bhūmi and beyond. This means they have accomplished the perfection of knowledge, or prajñā, and can directly see the empty nature of all things.

  mahāsiddha (Skt.; Tib. grub thob). Literally, “great accomplished one.” The Indian mahāsiddhas were unconventional yogic practitioners of tantra. They are famous for pursuing livelihoods not usually associated with the practice of buddhadharma, and thereby demonstrating the continuity of the dharmakāya through all things. They are traditionally represented wearing bone ornaments and the informal clothes of a tantric layman. There is a classical list of eighty-four mahāsiddhas, most of whom lived in Bengal. Their dohās, or “songs of experience,” collected in the Caryāpadas, give esoteric instructions in symbolic form while often appearing to be popular genres of secular ballads.

  makara (Skt.). An abstract design shaped like a mythical sea creature of Hindu mythology, reminiscent of a crocodile. It is displayed on ornaments and jewelry, as well as on temples.

  Māmakī (Skt.). Māmakī is the female buddha who represents, and ultimately is, the element of water.

  Mamed Yulung Sumdo. See Yulung Sumdo.

  mamo (Tib. ma mo). Female demons; wrathful ḍakiṇīs that represent the aggressive enlightened activity that averts all negativity concerning upheavals with the elements. Mamos will actively turn back those who intend to bring harm to others, particularly through the elements and through imbalances with the humors of the body.

  Manasarovar, Lake (Tib. ma dros pa). A mythical lake where Padmasambhava tamed the nāgas. From this lake flow the four great rivers, which are known by many names in various countries: the Sutlej, the Brahmaputra, the Indus, and a river called the Karnali in Nepal (Ghagāra in India). Manasarovar is also called Anavatapta, which is the name of a nāga who lives in the lake. The lake is just south of Mount Kailash, and like Kailash, it has been a pilgrimage spot for both Hindus and Buddhists.

  Maṇi mantra. The six-syllable Sanskrit mantra particularly connected with Avalokiteśvara, the Lord of Compassion. Repeated as: OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ. This mantra translates as “OṂ Jewel-Lotus HŪṂ,” indicating the bodhisattva of compassion, as well as the indwelling Buddha nature that abides as the basic enlightened nature of all living beings. By repeating this mantra, compassionate awareness is stirred, and one realizes that all beings have this enlightened potential and so should be honored and cherished above oneself. Sometimes amended as OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ HRĪḤ; the syllable HRĪḤ is Avalokiteśvara’s heart essence or seed syllable.

  Mantra Holder (Tib. sngags ’chang). A master of mantrayāna of the tantric path. Lotus Skull Garland [Padma Tötreng] is called the Mantra Holder.

  Mapham Lake (Tib. ma pham gyu mtsho). Another name for Lake Manasarovar.

  māra (Tib. bdud; Skt. māra). This is a term that can be translated as “demon.” and refers to a class of native Tibetan malevolent deities that can cause obstacles or even death; one of the eight classes of gods (Tib. lha) of the native religion. The evil demon king of the north, whom Gesar must destroy in the central battle saga of the epic, is known as Düd, the Demon of the North. When capitalized as Māra this refers to the tempter of Śākyamuni Buddha, who appeared just prior to his attainment of enlightenment. More generally, in the Indic tradition, māras are difficulties that the practitioner may encounter along their path, such as obstacles and interruptions to their meditation practice. See also demons.

  Marshöd (Tib. smar shod). The dwelling place of the prognosticator, Dorje Ngangyag. The longer name “Marshöd Shelkar Lhadrag” has been translated here as Lower Valley of Mar Crystal Divine Crag.

  Masang (Tib. ma sang). An ancestral tribe of Ling. Masang is also an epithet for Gesar, in the title Masang King of Magic (Tib. ma sang ’phrul gyi rgyal po). Another similar epithet is Masang One Who Accomplishes His Goal (Tib. ma sang skye bu don ’grub).

  medicinal herbs, six (Tib. bzang po drug). This may refer to six culinary herbs: nutmeg, which is good for the heart; musk, which is good for the lungs; saffron, for the liver; cloves, for the aorta or central life vein; elettaria cardamom, for the kidney or avadhūti; and castor oil, for the spleen. Another listing includes: yellow myrobalan (Terminalia chebula); beleric myrobalan (Terminalia belerica); emblic myrobalan (Emblica officinalis); bamboo manna; musk; and solidified elephant bile.

  meditational deity (Tib. yi dam). The vajrayāna practitioner’s personal deity, or tutelary deity, who embodies the practitioner’s awakened nature. The word yidam is explained as a contraction of yid kyi dam tshig (Tib.), which means the samaya, or commitment of one’s mind. Yidams are sambhogakāya buddhas who are visualized in accordance with the psychological makeup of the practitioner. They are male, female, peaceful, enriching, powerful, and wrathful, and carry symbolic ornaments that are an esoteric commentary on the nature and manifestation of the practitioner’s mind. Examples of famous yidams are Vajrayoginī, Cakrasaṃvara, Vajrakīlaya, Yamantaka, and Hayagrīva, among others.

  meditative equipoise (Tib. mnyam par bzhag pa; Skt. samādhi). “Evenness,” a state in which meditative concentration or perfect stillness is attained; this term can also be used as a general expression for the practice of meditation.

  meekness (Tib. chog shes). “Contentment” or “complaisance,” as in chung ngus chog shes pa (Tib.), which means “to be content with little.”

  melodious speech, sixty aspects (Tib. gsungs dbyangs yan lag drug cu). Sixty aspects of melodious speech that are ascribed to the Buddha as the epitome of enlightened speech, including the gift of tongues and so forth. This list is found in both sutras and tantras.

  Melody of a Modulating Long Neigh (Tib. ’tsher ring mo’i rta). The tune to which Wild Kyang, Gesar’s horse, sings his melodies.

  Melody of the Roaring Tigress (Tib. stag mo’i ngar glu’i
rta). Another name for Trothung’s traditional melody. The word tigress relates to the name of his clan, Tag-rong [Tiger Valley].

  menmo (Tib. sman mo). A female formless spirit that resides in the mountains and the rocks. Often the important great “sisterhoods” of goddesses—that is, classical lists of goddesses, such as the five Long-Life Goddesses—are called menmos. As native Tibetan feminine deities they can be wrathful, and hence they are similar in aspect to the Greek furies. In smoke purification chants, the menmo may be paired with dralas, as in “May all dralas and menmos come.” They are also referred to as the twelve menmos, or the menmo of the four directions. Literally, sman means both “medicine” and “woman,” thus menmo can also be a respectful term for a woman.

  merit (Tib. bsod nams). In the context of the Gesar epic, merit is not an abstract possession of positive karma, but rather an actual energy or glow possessed by people with an abundance of virtue.

  Middle Lineage of Ling (Tib. gling ’bring rgyud kyi gdung rgyud). Of the three lineages of Ling, in order of age the Middle Lineage is between the Elder and the Lesser Lineages, and represents the Ombu clan. Its divine prince is Anu Paseng.

  Middle Ling (Tib. ’bring gling). Comprising the six districts of Ombu. See also districts, six.

  mighty and terrible ones, 360 (Tib. kha drag sum brgya drug cu). A list of local wrathful deities and guardians of the land. The number 360 is generic, and simply means that there are many of these deities.

  Mighty Warriors, Thirty (Tib. dpa’ brtul sum cu). The chief knights in Gesar’s army. In addition to these thirty, there are seven warriors of a higher degree called the Seven Super Warriors (Tib. yang thul; literally, “even mightier”) and Ultimate Warriors (Tib. zhe thul). Most of these warriors have their own sagas in the greater epic. In the beginning there are thirty warriors, but in future epics there are eventually eighty warriors, and they are all incarnations or aspects (Tib. cha shas) of the eighty mahāsiddhas.

  mind stream (Tib. thugs rgyud). An honorific term for the mind of a meditation master who one respects. The Tibetan term rgyud refers to the continuity of mind of an ordinary individual. This term is indicative of the Buddhist view that the mind is a continuity or stream of movement and impressions, which permanently endure from one lifetime to another. In the case of the honorific term thugs rgyud, this would be the continuity of wisdom awareness as opposed to ordinary mind.

  mind terma (Tib. dgongs gter). This aspect of the secret revelations concerns Padmasambhava’s direct disciples during the Master’s life and journey in Tibet. At that time, he gave many empowerments and teachings to his most qualified disciples, and they in turn went on to practice and accomplish these teachings and achieve higher states of realization. It was predicted that these disciples would reincarnate in future generations, and reveal different aspects of this spiritual teaching to destined disciples in those times. These revelations, which simply emerged from the recollection of that previous lifetime and were taught according to these prophecies, are known are mind terma. There are treasure revealers who continue to spread this tradition even in the present day. Based upon a moment of total recall, they will bring forth all the information they received during their life with Padmasambhava, and they share these teachings with the modern-day disciples according to the tradition. It is a remarkable lineage of direct transmission and blessing. See also terma.

  Mind’s Amusement (Tib. sems rtsed). The miraculous waterproof shoes in the possession of the nāgas.

  Modulating Long Neigh (Tib. ’tsher ’gyur ring mo’i rta). The tune that Wild Kyang, Gesar’s horse, uses for a song he sings.

  Mongolian gait (Tib. rta ’gros ldan). The unique style or gait of horses found in the highlands of Tibet and Mongolia, a gait that is fluid even at high speed. There is no need to post or postulate while a horse is running with this gait, because it is as smooth as if they were walking. Some horses are actually trained by having them run in thick sand, so they will lift their hooves up higher and gradually assume this gait.

  Mönlam La [Aspiration Pass or Prayer Pass] (Tib. smon lam la). A sacred site in Ling near the castle of Chief Rongtsha Tragen. It is sometimes called Aspiration Mountain Pass, and is also known as Mönlam Dragkar [White Boulder Aspiration Prayer Mountain] (Tib. smon lam brag dkar), which is the place where Padmasambhava originally decided that Gesar would be born.

  morning star (Tib. skar rgyan). Likely refers to Venus.

  Mother of Basic Space. See Vajra Dhātviśvarī.

  Mother Text (Tib. ma yig) of the Mukpo clan. The original manuscript of this book, which contains prophecies about the future of Ling.

  mountain dog (Tib. ri khyi). A metonymic term for wolf.

  mountain ranges, six. Zelmo Mountain (Tib. zal mo sgang); Tsawa Mountain (Tib. tsha ba sgang); Markham Mountain (Tib. smar khams sgang); Pombor Mountain (Tib. spo ’bor sgang); Mardza Mountain (Tib. dmar rdza sgang); and the Minyag Rab Mountain (Tib. mi nyag rab sgang) or Minyag (Tib. mi nyag). Zelmo can be divided into two mountain ranges, Ma (Tib. rma) and Dza (Tib. rdza). These mountainous regions are closer in nature to provinces or states as they are really territories or political divisions whose borders have been defined by natural boundaries, such as mountain ranges.

  Mu (Tib. dmu). A tribe in the Lesser Lineage of Ling. Gesar’s human father is Senglön, whose mother was known as Muza, the “woman of the Mu tribe.” Thus Gesar is closely related to the Mu of the Lesser or Younger Lineage, as is Chipön, the chieftain of the Lesser Lineage. There is another meaning of dmu which refers to Mu demons. This demonic force is the most detrimental of the eight classes of gods and spirits. Its power is based on deluded obstruction that obscures clarity, virtue, and goodness, such that the victim is completely unaware of the plague.

  Mu cord (Tib. dmu thag). A magical rope that reaches from the heavens to the earth.

  Muchang (Tib. dmu spyang). One of the clans of origin of the Lesser Lineage; the others were the Ombu and Serpa.

  Mukpo Dong (Tib. smug po gdong). The name of the ancestral lineage of the Mukpo tribe or clan. Dong by itself means “tribe.” The tribe may be called Dong, or Mukpo, or both together; all are proper names of Gesar’s tribe. Mukpo means “dark-skinned,” which refers to the maroon or dark reddish-brown color that is associated with many of the local deities.

  Myriarch [Leader of Ten Thousand] (Tib. khri dpon). A Tibetan military honorific.

  myriarchy (Tib. khri skor). A group numbering ten thousand. The term literally means “ten thousand householders,” and when applied to the military it indicates an army with ten thousand soldiers.

  myrobalan (Tib. a ru). Yellow myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), the herb held in the hands of the Medicine Buddha in most traditional iconography. See medicinal herbs, six.

  nāḍī, prāṇa, and bindu (Skt.). In Tibetan, these are rtsa, rlung, and thig le. According to the system of inner yogic discipline found in vajrayāna practice, the psychic channels called nāḍī run throughout the body. The major ones run down the middle of the body along the spine, and to the left and the right of the central channel. The essential fluid that passes through these channels is called bindu, which literally means “essential drops.” The movement of energy through these channels is called prāṇa, or “wind.” The goal of this level of practice is to gain mastery over these three constituents so that the karmic winds can enter the central energy channel, and therefore the flow of energy becomes that of wisdom rather than ordinary discursive movement.

  nāga / nāgī (f.) (Skt.; Tib. klu / klu mo). Dragons, serpents. A class of deities associated with water in all its forms. The most prominent nāga in the epic is Tsugna Rinchen, the king of the nāgas who rules a realm at the bottom of the ocean. Iconographically they are usually represented with human torsos and blue-skinned, serpent-like lower bodies, and the women (nāgī, or nāginī) have turquoise hair. As an Indic deity, the nāgas also figure prominently in the Indian epic tradition, particularly the Mahabharata, which begins with a description of the
war between the nāgas and garuḍa.

  Nāga Downs (Tib. klu dis). A series of hills in Ling. This is the site where the smoke offerings were performed during the horse race.

  Nāgārjunagarbha (Skt.; Tib. klu sgrub snying po). Another name for the great Indian Buddhist philosopher Nāgārjuna, the developer of the mahāyāna school known as Madhyamika or the Middle Way. According to Tibetan tradition, he became a tantric practitioner and lived for hundreds of years. Nāgārjuna means “friend of the nāgas,” which refers to the story that Nāgārjuna fetched the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras from beneath the sea, where they were being held in trust by the nāgas for future generations.

  Ngari (Tib. mnga’ ris). The western section of the greater Tibetan Autonomous Region that borders India and Nepal, also called the Three Areas of Ngari (Tib. mnga’ ris skor gsum).

  niḍānas, twelve (Skt.; Tib. rten ’brel bcu gnyis). Twelve links in a causal chain that describe the enslaved life cycle of beings that live in cyclic existence: ignorance, volitional factors, consciousness, name and form, six sense sources, contact, sensation, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, old-age-and-death.

  nirmāṇakāya (Skt.; Tib. sprul sku). The physical emanation body of the Buddha. See also bodies of the Buddha, three.

  Noble Excellent Great Compassionate One (Tib. ’phags pa thugs rje chen po; Skt. Avalokite-śvara). Refers to Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all the buddhas.

  Noble Steed. See Knowing Steed.

  nonhuman (Tib. mi ma yin). A nonhuman spirit or entity. See eight classes of gods.

  nonhuman, eight orders of (Tib. mi min sde brgyad). See eight classes of gods.

  Northern God (Tib. byang lha). An epithet for Hayagrīva.

  nyen (Tib. gnyan). Gods of mountain ranges. In the threefold hierarchy of native deities (lha, nyen, and lu), they occupy the middle realm between heaven and the underground, equivalent to the sides of mountains. Nyen are usually powerful gods who exercise a certain proprietorship over the lands where their mountain ranges lie, and hence are often referred to as sadag (Tib. sa bdag), or earth lords. Famous nyen are Machen Pomra and Nyenchen Thanglha, and Gesar’s patron Gedzo.

 

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