Meet Guge

Author: Guo Yupu / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-03-01
Features: Koro's "give and take" was undoubtedly a remarkable and highly influential move at the time. "Treat the root of Buddhism with kindness, reviving it from ashes, and igniting a beacon of light in the dark land of Tibet," fully demonstrates the firm attitude and unremitting efforts of Guge in promoting Buddhism. The "Tibetan Royal Annals" called it "They have gloriously propagated the true teachings of the Buddha in this snow-covered land, as the sun illuminates, their merits are profound." With the king's support, Yeshe Wo began to take a series of measures. First, Yeshe Wo personally supervised the construction of Toling Monastery. "Toling" means "flying" in Tibetan. According to legend, after deciding to build Toling Monastery, where should it be located? Yeshe Wo had an idea: he threw his meditation cushion into the air to determine the site. At the moment the cushion left Yeshe Wo's hands and flew into the sky, a miracle occurred: in an instant, golden light filled the sky, and the cushion transformed into a flying golden dragon, swiftly heading eastward toward the capital of Guge. About thirty miles away from the capital, the golden dragon circled in the air for a long time before diving into the Xianquan River and disappearing. However, shortly after, a rainbow appeared (across the sky). (It's strange that even today, during the limited rainy days near Toling Monastery, one can often see rainbows soaring into the sky—sometimes a single rainbow, sometimes a double one—while such phenomena rarely occur elsewhere.) Thus, the site for Toling Monastery was chosen at the place where the rainbow appeared—the wide platform on the southern bank of the Xianquan River, which is now the location of Toling Monastery in the northwest corner of the county seat of Zada. (From a fair historical perspective, it's more accurate to say that the county seat of Zada is near Toling Monastery rather than the other way around, as the territory occupied by the county seat once belonged to Toling Monastery. In terms of time, Toling Monastery existed before the county seat. Due to the erosion of time and historical changes, the scale of Toling Monastery has clearly been unjustly reduced by the constraints of time and history.) There are several different accounts regarding the name and legends of Toling Monastery, such as "Torling Monastery," "Torling Monastery," and "Toding Monastery," but all contain the meaning of "flying." The stories and legends also differ. Ms. Ba Huang, in her book "The Temptation of Sun and Desert," tends to believe that the object thrown into the air was a ritual drum rather than a meditation cushion, and that the person who threw it was not Yeshe Wo but a disciple sent by Atisha. Whether any of these accounts is more accurate, we cannot determine. Regardless of which version is correct, they all aim to explain the origin of Toling Monastery, which is a common point. Moreover, legends are just legends, and no one would deliberately investigate them. Historical records confirm that in 1042, when Atisha arrived in Guge, Toling Monastery had already become a center of thriving religious activities and a gathering place for monks, where teachings were delivered. Atisha's three-year stay in Guge was arranged at Toling Monastery. While working on the construction of Toling Monastery, Yeshe Wo also took a second measure: "Select 21 outstanding young people from Guge to study Buddhist esoteric teachings and the local language and script in Kashmir." (Written by Huo Wei, "Buddhist Civilization in Western Tibet," Sichuan People's Publishing House) Among these 21 young people, 19 died in foreign lands, and only two returned to their homeland, Rinchen Zangpo and Lhabragyal. The well-educated Rinchen Zangpo returned to Guge in 991, when he was only 33 years old. Upon his return to his homeland, he settled in Toling Monastery, delivering teachings and translating scriptures. During this time, Rinchen Zangpo translated and finalized several scriptures, including the "Tripi?aka of Esoteric Buddhism" and the "Four Continents." A significant feature of Rinchen Zangpo's translation work was his particular emphasis on translating esoteric Buddhist texts, elevating them to a level where they were combined with Buddhist theory. In the history of Tibetan Buddhism, the esoteric texts translated by Atisha after the 8th-century Indian master Padmasambhava's arrival in Tibet are referred to as the "Old Esoteric Mantras," while those translated by Rinchen Zangpo are called the "New Esoteric Mantras" (Written by Huo Wei, "Buddhist Civilization in Western Tibet"). Rinchen Zangpo ultimately became a master of translation, earning the honorific "Lo Chen," meaning "Great Translator." The third measure taken by Yeshe Wo was to prepare for the arrival of the Indian master Atisha. In the early years of the fourth king of Guge, Lha Dawa, the elderly Yeshe Wo was still traveling far and wide to promote Buddhism, sending people abroad to study and inviting eminent monks to Guge to deliver teachings. From this, we can see that although Guge was remote and almost isolated by natural barriers, the people of Guge were "open-minded." This "go out and invite in" approach may be the most representative "openness" of the Roof of the World. During the decades of learning, absorbing, borrowing, and exchanging, Guge Buddhism had achieved considerable scale and success. However, the revived Buddhism was in a state of chaos in terms of regulations, doctrines, and practices, with no clear guidelines. In the regions of Tibet and Central Tibet, esoteric Buddhist practices were often chaotic, with cases of losing one's way and even acts of immorality among monks who indulged in alcohol and debauchery. "Union with liberation" became an excuse to exploit women, and murder and theft became rampant. Yeshe Wo was deeply troubled by this. He decided to regulate doctrines and organize the monastic community. Upon hearing that the eminent monk Atisha from the Vajra Rock Monastery in Bengal was highly respected, he decided to invite him. However, inviting a master had always required a large amount of gold. Therefore, the elderly Yeshe Wo personally led an army to attack the Muslim kingdom of Garlo to demand enough gold. Yeshe Wo's brave pursuit of Buddhist learning is the subject of many folk tales and legends. According to these tales, a thrilling historical battle scene unfolds before our eyes. The sky was dim, and Yeshe Wo led a team of cavalry into the territory of Garlo. The hooves of the galloping horses echoed through the valleys. At the same time, faint morning light revealed dust rising from afar, moving toward Yeshe Wo and his men. Yeshe Wo knew he had encountered the army of Garlo and ordered his troops to prepare for battle. As expected, the patrol cavalry of Garlo came face to face with them. The two armies lined up in a row, exchanging words, one demanding gold, the other refusing to give it, cursing the enemy. A fierce battle ensued, with the Guge army, strong and aggressive, and the Garlo army, weak but strategic, ultimately surrounding Yeshe Wo in a tight circle. The elderly, warlike Yeshe Wo was trapped and captured, unable to retreat. By then, it was already dark. Inside the grand tent of the Garlo army, several thick red candles dispelled the darkness. On a large wooden chair sat the Garlo king, wearing a sable hat, holding a large wooden bowl of wine. Behind him stood two soldiers, one on the left and one on the right. The soldier on the left rested his left hand on the hilt of a long knife hanging at his waist, his right arm straight and perpendicular to his body, with his forearm extended at a 90-degree angle toward the king, waiting to take the wooden bowl from him. The soldier on the right did the same, resting his left hand on the hilt, with his right hand on his chest, ready to pour wine for the king. The king took a big swig and finished the wine in the bowl. The soldier quickly took off the wine pouch from his neck, poured wine, and the king drank it down again. The soldier was about to pour again, but the king wiped his mouth and shook his head, saying, "Go, bring that old man from Guge." "Yes." The soldier on the right turned and left the tent. Yeshe Wo was brought into the tent. The Garlo king glanced at the elderly warrior in front of him, dressed in military attire, and asked, "Are you the Yeshe Wo who gave up the throne to become a monk?" "So what?" Yeshe Wo stared stubbornly at the arrogant Garlo king and said coldly. The Garlo king was not angered by his defiance but instead changed his expression, trying to sound more reasonable. "Yeshe Wo, I respect people like you," he said, then turned to the soldiers and ordered, "Give Yeshe Wo a seat." A soldier quickly brought a meditation cushion, and Yeshe Wo sat down unceremoniously. The king took the wooden bowl from the soldier's hand, drained it, and said, "Yeshe Wo, if you abandon Buddhism and convert to Islam, I will spare your life and give you a way out." Yeshe Wo had devoted his entire life to Buddhism and had given everything for it. How could he change his faith because of the king's words? He said firmly, "King, you've made a mistake. My mind is set, and I will not change." This was exactly what the Garlo king had expected.