The Epic of Gesar of Ling

by Robin Kornman

  Ala is the way to begin the song

  And Thala is the way of making the melody.

  The guru is inseparable from my mind;

  The yidam arises as the display of the mind’s nature;

  The ḍākinī is the innate nature of the luminous and empty mind.

  I supplicate you three to remain inseparable with me.

  Here within this white community tent,

  From the Four Divine Heirs

  Down to Gu-ru, the son of Khyishi,

  Listen to this song by Trogyal of Tag-rong.

  If you want to know who I am, I am Chief Tag-rong.

  The outer world is the pure land of Hayagrīva’s Lotus Power;

  The inner inhabitants are the kāya of the Supreme Horse [Hayagrīva].

  Concerning the correct cognition of this generation stage

  And the completion stage, which is all-pervading and nonconceptual:

  First, not wandering from this during the day;

  Second, not being confused by them at night;

  Third, not solidifying by grasping and fixation.

  Since I’ve been familiar with these three all my life,

  On the face of the mirror of my luminous empty mind

  Blazed the splendor of supreme direct knowledge.

  Like a garland of lightning bolts, the prophecy arose

  And I received the ornament of this excellent meaning.

  Concerning Sengcham Drugmo, the daughter of the divine:

  The prophecy says that if nothing is done, we will all meet with bad luck.

  So she must be wagered as the prize for the horse race,

  Not only her, but the golden throne, the treasure trove,

  The achievement of the title of General Leader—

  All these as well must be laid on the wager.

  If these things go unclaimed, it will be an inauspicious connection.

  These similes will show you how it is:

  The Mighty Warriors are like tigers and leopards,

  The Super Warriors are like wild animals in their prime;

  Only a lion can be placed at the head of such a group.

  The beautiful moon-faced Sengcham,

  The fairest maiden of all, is given as the ornament source of bliss.

  Besides that, those thirty who hold the title of leader

  Although they have skill, accomplishment, and bulging-eyed fury in battle,

  If they do not have the rank of minister,

  Will be like Rāhu, with no head or body.26

  Furthermore, the revered rank of thirty ministers,

  If they don’t have one leader,

  Although they have the field of power to attain the booty,

  Will be like shoulders moving without a head.

  This lovely girl Sengcham,

  If she is not drawn to a friend full of authentic presence,

  Her beauty will be the likeness of a rainbow

  That can’t be caught and vanishes into the distance.

  Rather than that, let’s make her the prize for the horse race.

  These karmically destined horses of the thirty warriors,

  Although everyone agrees they are the fastest,

  Their speed has never been tried in a race.

  Why don’t we test their swiftness in this year?

  To call a horse fast or slow

  Amounts to saying its supper’s grass and water were good or bad.

  To say that a man is fierce or weak

  Amounts to saying his windhorse was up or down that day.

  To speak of winning or losing the prize

  Amounts to outlining where one’s power field will be displayed.

  In the paternal lineage of Chöphen Nagpo

  All brothers and cousins belong to a single flock.

  Whoever wins, whoever loses, there will be no regret.

  For the golden stupa of our governance

  This is offered as a cheerful song of joyful celebration.

  I, your uncle, have made the arrangements;

  First, concerning the distance of the horse race,

  Second, the best day for it to occur.

  All brethren must meet and concur.

  If you’ve understood this song, it is an offering to your ears.

  If not, there is no way to explain it.

  Cousins and brothers keep this in your mind.

  Thus he sang, but in truth:

  His heart strove for his own selfish vested interest,

  Even though his sweet-talk pretended to be for the commonwealth.

  Yet on that day, the mighty warriors and all the brethren failed to harbor a single negative thought about Trothung’s song, so they began their discussions.

  The clan leader, the imperial king Chipön, said, “Well, now then, in this year according to the alignment of the constellations in the sky above, the timing of the seasons on the earth below, and the words of the prophecy in between, in whatever way we choose to construe this, there is nothing problematic about a horse race with this as a wager; I, Chipön, have decided that the race should go on. However, we must make certain that all of you who belong to the paternal lineage of Mukpo Dong, irrespective of whether you are from Upper or Lower Ling, have been told about this so no one can claim that they did not know. We must take care in advance to avoid any possible ground for disputes. Furthermore, if we don’t postpone the horse race for another five or six months, then:

  A foolish girl churning frozen milk27 in winter

  Will not get butter, but just freeze her hands.

  A foolish boy racing his horse on frozen ground in winter,

  Aside from falling, will not remain on his mount.

  Not only that, but since this is the first horse race of White Ling, it won’t be enjoyable for the spectators [if the track is icy]. We’ll have to postpone this race for a spell, and meanwhile, let all the brethren in council make the best decision about the distance of the horse race.”

  What he really meant to imply was that they should summon Joru.

  Then Bumpa Gyatsha Zhalkar proclaimed, “So be it for this horse race of White Ling, which was instigated by Uncle Trothung and decided on by Chipön:

  You can consult the fathers and uncles when there’s a marriage,

  But when you have an enemy, you are on your own.

  So this is as the proverb says. The divine child Joru of Mother Gogmo is from the royal lineage of Mukpo Dong. He is my, Zhalkar’s, younger brother, and the older brother of Rongtsha. This is what the proverb speaks of when it says:

  Although it’s just a small piece of flesh, it’s still a shank of the white prosperity lamb.

  Although he’s just a little guy, he’s our maternal uncle’s nephew. Although his horse is small, its lineage is that of a noble steed. As for his mother Gogmo, she is the heart jewel of the first wager given to White Ling. She is the tent-wife of King Senglön and the daughter of Tsugna Rinchen. Both mother and son were first exiled, even though they were innocent. Unless he is called to the starting line of the horse race, then we of the Cadet Lineage will not compete in the race nor will we vie for the valuable prize. To be exact, Joru has his own inherent disposition. He turned his back on his father’s house and went looking for a cave to sleep in, cast aside his own affairs and fought with dogs for a bone, and with birds for crumbs. Although I am not really expecting that Joru will actually win this horse race, if we don’t summon him to join the end of the ranks of the brethren, then the race will be pointless,” and saying this he advised all of them to keep this in mind.

  Then Mazhi Trothung of Tag-rong thought, “That nephew of Gog, Joru, with his bitch mother Gogza, is [like the proverb]:

  Ignoble, having never seen what is higher;

  Bringing ruin to the ranks, having never seen nobility.

  Even though he is of no use to this land of Ling, Chipön had brought him up and Gyatsha also followed his lead in saying that he must join us here. However, Joru is so gullible that even if
he gets the booty in his hand, he’ll probably just give it away to some stranger, just like:

  Even though a windfall lands right in his mouth, he’s someone whose tongue will just spit it out.

  My wife Denza and the whole Lesser Lineage are just like the proverb says:

  Cats think their litter is as precious as gold.

  Aside from that [even if he wins the kingdom], he’s incapable of handling such affairs.” Trothung said, “Zhalkar of Bumpa, you are right. Your uncle can’t help but feel great regret that this worthy son of Senglön, the divine child of Gogmo, has yet to come join the ranks of this festival. But it’s up to the Lesser Lineage to actually summon him here. We must determine the length of the race and when it will take place.”

  Then Dongtsen Nang-ngu Apel, proud of his swift horse, Turquoise Bird, joined in, “Concerning this horse race of the brethren of White Ling, if the distance is too short, everyone will jeer at us. If the arrangements are uncivilized, other countries will mock us. We must make this horse race famous throughout the world. What if we set the starting line in China and the finish line in India? Let’s make this a great spectacle for the black-haired Tibetans.” His remarks were not well-received by the chieftains and ministers of the Cadet Lineage, as they fell silent.

  It was then that Sengtag of the Middle Lineage, knowing that the lad Dongtsen’s words were not being well received by the brethren of Ling, thought, “If there’s going to be a discussion, there’s no point in bringing up things we won’t agree on. So there must be a way to work this out.” Then he said, “Okay then, if you want a horse race that will be renowned throughout the world: Take the azure firmament as the finish line and look to the dense earth for the start. Place the karmically destined prize next to the sun and moon and watch the spectacle from the middle space of heaven. Either follow Dongtsen’s proposal or else follow these words of Sengtag. Otherwise just follow the words of the chief of White Ling.” These were his words.

  Then dear wise Bumpa Zhalkar said, “Let’s make the finish line the Crag Mountain of Gu-ra and the starting line the Downs of Ayu. Make a smoke offering at the hill of the divine, and let the spectacle be viewed from the hill of the nāgas.

  All brethren without regard for age were in total agreement [with Zhalkar’s suggestion].

  Then Uncle King Chipön answered, saying: “If we should send the destined prize, so hard-won, to India and send the gallant lad and his horse to China, then the black-haired Tibetans would have great difficulty coming to this spectacle. Between sky and earth there is no way to race; between China and Tibet the distance is too far. Rather, let’s just do what Gyatsha has said. Concerning this matter of awesome import I’m afraid there may be some turmoil in the hearts of the brethren. So let the arbiter sing a song of mediation, and let the judge sing a song determining the judgment.”

  Then the great judge Wangpo Darphen thought he must be speaking to him, since the great arbiter had already sung the song that arranged the rows. He then offered the song known as One Decision Settles a Hundred in the melody called Swirling Melody of a Happy Song:

  The song is Ala Ala Ala.

  Thala is the melody.

  To the great god Brahmā,

  Nyen Lord Gedzo, god of power and authority,

  And the nāga king Tsugna Rinchen,

  Today please come and befriend White Ling.

  I am the magisterial Wangpo Darphen;

  First, I have great authority from my previous karma,

  Second, my mind is a ruler straight and true,

  Third, I am karmically ordained as the successor of my father.

  Fourth, I am the unity of these three.

  Concerning the horse race this year in White Ling—

  If you think about the situation, isn’t it like this?

  First, the rays of the royal umbrella of the sun,

  Second, the abundance of warmth and moisture on the earth,

  Third, the fall of the droplets of sweet rain,

  Fourth, the roar of the turquoise dragon—

  All join to adorn the grassy meadow with flowers.

  Through their union the excellent season of summer dawns.

  First the Bön god of Zhang gave the prophecy,

  Second, the horse race was instigated by Tag-rong,

  Third, Chipön made the decision to hold the race,

  And fourth, Zhal-lu decided the distance.

  They join as ornaments of the horse race of White Ling.

  Through their union happiness will dawn in White Ling.

  Therefore, I, Wangpo Darphen,

  For the golden stupa of this horse race,

  Offer my advice as an array of silken ceremonial scarves.

  Holding the horse race between China and Tibet

  With a wager that’s close to the sun and the moon,

  May be fine, but it’s just not workable.

  Make the finish line Gu-ra Crag Mountain and the starting line the Downs of Ayu,

  Make a smoke offering at the summit of the divine hill,

  And let the spectacle be viewed from the summit of the Nāga Downs.

  Between Ayu and Gu-ra

  Is a journey of almost four days;

  That should be a sufficient distance for a race.

  Beautify the horses, deck them with beautiful ornaments.

  The golden Elder Lineage, sons of the nyen,

  Will wear coats of golden silk brocade,

  Each with his Ling hate topped with coral;

  The Middle Lineage, descendants of the white lha,

  Will wear uniforms of lovely white silk,

  Each donning a Ling hat topped with a ruby;

  The Lesser Lineage, descended from the blue nāgas,

  Will likewise wear uniforms of blue silk,

  Each donning a Ling hat topped with lapis.

  The remaining mighty warrior brethren

  Will be distinguished by the sparkling glitter of their jeweled ornaments.

  If they were to come bearing arms

  That would truly transgress the imperial law.

  When stringing a garland of turquoise,

  Among all grades the Chinese milk drop turquoise is supreme.

  It should not be set aside, but strung with the rest.28

  If we of White Ling are to wager for the prize,

  Joru must be placed in the ranks of the brethren;

  The Lesser Lineage must invite and take responsibility for him.

  Whether the prize is won or not is up to previous deeds.

  As for this spectacle of the horse race of White Ling,

  The word is out that it is a wonder of the world,

  And they say it must be so famous that it is renowned throughout Jambudvīpa.

  If you think about it, doesn’t it seem to be like this?

  The profound dharma is in the land of India

  And the field of suitable disciples is the snow land of Tibet.

  If the lineage were not orally transmitted from the divine guru,

  Then the snow land of Tibet and the field of disciples would have nothing.

  The good rain comes from the nāgas of Lake Manasarovar;

  The five types of grain are spread to the ends of the earth;

  If the rain were not carried there by the white clouds,

  Then hoping for barley grain and beans would be in vain.

  Ling needs the fame of the horse race.

  The entire world hopes to catch sight of it.

  If we don’t abide by this decision to race,

  Then calling it a great wonder is just Ling praising itself.

  The time of the waxing fourth moon

  Is the holy gathering of the gods of the white side.

  That is the best time of all, the first month of summer.f

  So let’s hold off four months until that date.

  Then, on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon of the first summer month,

  Near the left slope of Gu-ra Crag in Ma

  On
the fine land of Mönlam La,

  Pitch the white community tent that holds a thousand people.

  On the golden throne that quells the three realms,

  Place silken parasols and heaps of jewels to adorn it.

  First, the drum of the law, Selwa’i Ödden [Brilliantly Shining],

  Second, the white conch of the law, Karmo Gyangdrag [White Lady Furlong],

  And third, the cymbals Nyima Drug-drag [Sun Dragon Voice]

  Should be placed as ornaments of the jeweled throne.

  That support spear of the great god Brahmā

  Is in the hands of Senglön of the Lesser Lineage;

  That symbolic spear of the drala Nyentag

  Is in the hands of Trogyal of Tag-rong;

  That silk-bedecked spear of the wealth god Yakṣa

  Is in the hands of Tönpa Gyaltsen.

  Including these three ceremonial spears in the principal position,

  Place the thirteen banner spears to the right

  And consider this a castle fortress shrine that the wermas will surround.

  The longevity arrow of Drubpa’i Gyalmo

  Is the prosperity support of Chipön,

  The divine arrow of Bernag Gönpo [Mahākāla]

  Lies in the heart of the armory of Gadei,

  The golden notched arrow of the Power Lord, the drala

  Shug-gön [Juniper Lord]

  Is the ornament of Tshazhang Denma Jangtra’s quiver.

  With these three principal divine arrows,

  Set up the thirteen long-life arrows to the left

  And consider them the ritual supports that gather the dralas

  And the life-essence stones where the ḍākinīs land.