King Gesar Epic. Heaven Realm Chapter

Author: Liu Liqian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-12-01
Features: The compiler of this book is a Buddhist, and naturally, whenever the opportunity arises, he promotes the idea of "converting Bon into Buddhism" as Buddhist thought. For example, the protagonist of the story, Gesar, according to the beliefs of Bon, is a hybrid of humans and gods. However, as the compiler is a Buddhist, he explains it as the incarnation of a Buddha. Thus, when Gesar is about to be born, as if a Buddha is about to descend, the scene of the five directional Buddhas pouring empowerments upon him is vividly depicted in the text. But throughout the epic, it basically reflects the life of the pastoral people, such as their beliefs, customs, moral concepts, and the true face of original Bon. In terms of language and style, it extensively uses the oral language of the pastoral people, along with many archaic words. There are also numerous metaphors and proverbs, which play a crucial role in the book, like the tail of a dragon adding to the painting. In terms of the epic's style, it always begins with prayers to the gods, self-introductions, and the declaration of location before moving on to the main plot, using metaphors and proverbs to imply deeper meanings. This style runs through all the sections of the epic. Therefore, it can be said that this "Heavenly Realm Chapter" summarizes the entire scope of the epic and serves as an indispensable prologue to the whole work.