Tales of the Golden Corpse: Tibetan Folk Tales

Tales of the Golden Corpse TIBET

Tales of the Golden Corpse Tibetan Folk Tales retold by Sandra Benson foreword by ]etsun Perna illustrations by Sherup

ll Interlink Books

An imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. Northampton, MassachusettS

First published in 2007 by INTERLINK BOOKS An imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MassachusettS 01060 www.interlinkbooks.com Text copyright © 2007 by Sandra Benson Foreword copyright © 2007 by Jecsun Perna Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Sherup All righcs reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Benson, Sandra. Tales of the golden corpse :Tibetan folktales I retold by Sandra Benson.-1st American ed. p. em. ISBN 1-56656-632-0 (pbk.) 1SBN 13: 978-1-56656-632-2 1. Tales-China-Tibet. I. Tide. GR337.B43 2005 398.2'0951'5-dc22 2005013184 Printed and bound in the United States of America To request our complete 40-page full-color catalog, please call us roll free at I-800-238-LINK, visit our website at www.interlinkbooks.com, or write to Interlink Publishing 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060 e-mail: [email protected]

To the Tibetans

Table of Contents Foreword viii Acknowledgments ix Introduction I The First Story 13 The Carpenter Kunga 23 The Poor Man and the Serpent's Daughter 29 The Travelling Spirit 37 The Quiet Woman 43 The Daughter Serdrun 51 The Young Man Saved by a Black-and-White Dree 57 The Six Brothers 65 The Shepherd Boy 75 The Farmer and the Tyrant King 81 Dransel, the Poor Man 87 The Princess and the Frog 93 Sermotso and Gnulmotso 103 The Fountains ofTurquoise and Gold 109 The Rich Thief 115 The Feathered Prince 121 The Two Brothers 127 The Brave Young Woman 137 The Pig-Head Seer 143 Masang Yharu Khadra 15 5 The Stone Lion Opens His Mouth 165 A Debt of Gratitude 171 The Three Evil Brothers 181 The Honest Horse Keeper 195 The Three Hard-working Women 201

Commentary 2II Glossary 223 Recommended Reading

228

Foreword

O

ne aspect of Tibetan culture that is not widely known is the tradition and power of educating children through tales. Through stories, both oral and written, children learn about right and wrong, cause and effect, love and compassion, and generally the lessons of life. Not just children, but everyone-nomads, farmers, traders, artisans, indeed people of all walks of life in Tibet-revels in storytelling and listening. Tales of the Golden Corpse (mi ro gser sgrung) is an important collection of such folk tales. These tales not only captivate and delight the reader, but through them the ethical principles of right living are passed on from generation to generation. Sandra Benson has done a tremendous service to the readers by making this rich collection of Tibetan folk stories available in English. The hard work put into translating this collection is highly commendable. The original syntax and the beauty of the narration have been faithfully maintained. When one reads the tales in English, their humor and nuance is still vivid and the underlying significance of the consequences of the characters' actions comes· through, tale after tale. Fulfilling the original aspiration ofTibetan scholar Perna Bhum by this collection, Benson's English translation of Tales of the Golden Corpse serves as a bridge to the West, offering lesser-known aspects of Tibetan secular literature. -Jetsun Pema, sister ofHis Holiness the Dalai Lama viii

Acknowledgments

T

his translation of Tales of the Golden Corpse was initiated by Perna Bhum, Tibetan scholar and former professor of Tibetan languages and letters at Lanzhou University in northwestern China and at Indiana University, now director of Latse Contemporary Tibetan Cultural Library in New York City. Perna Bhum felt that an English version of the complete collection of stories he heard as a child in Rebkong would be an excellent introduction for Westerners to the more secular aspects of his homeland. I am grateful to Perna Bhum for his commitment to the lengthy translation process. Following the initial work with Perna Bhum, many Tibetans shared their knowledge of the stories, insights, and humor while reviewing the translation. Dawa Dolma diligently reread the complete collection in both English and Tibetan. Dr. Thubten Phuntsog, author and Tibetan professor at Beijing Nationalities University, further clarified the meaning of the many Tibetan phrases and traditions found in the text. Jigme Phunrsog, Lama Rinchen Phunrsog, Perna Rabgey, and Tempa Tsering shared wonderful stories of how they came to know these tales. Yangbum Gyal, Tserang Dorje, Norbu, Tashi Oser, and Lama Gyaltsen all provided useful information on various aspects of the collection. Ani Dechen and Ani Tenzin Choezum read the final version of the translation. The support and friendship of Bhungyal, Sonam Tsering, and Dorje Tsetan always added joy to the translation process. I

ix

X

TALES OF THE COLDEN CORPSE

A heartfelt thanks goes to Perna Bhum's nephew Ka Bhum Gyal, who, assisted by Shawotar, provided the illustrations drawn by Sherup from the district of Rebkong in Amdo. Research for the introduction was assisted by the competent guidance of Allan Thrasher of the Sanskrit department and Susan Meinheit of the Tibetan department at the Library of Congress; John Lundquist at New York City Public Library; Tashi Tsering, former senior researcher at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives' in Dharamsala, India; Ree Mobley of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Jamyang Tsering in Santa Fe. I was also fortunate to receive invaluable comments and suggestions along the way from the following readers: Jill Ansel, Julie Brittain, Carole Cotter, Granville Green, Jean Green, Peter Harley, Lidian King, Susu King, Karla Lauitsen, Mary Patterson, Pat Schneider, Kevin Stuart, James Stubenraugh, and Claudia Williams. Advice from Jane Yolen, Goya Timpanilli, and Sydney Mackenzie was very valuable. Greg Hansen's advice helped set the focus for the introduction and broadened my understanding of these tales. Kathleen Conner graciously contributed her excellent editing skills and Bob Rashkin did an excellent job reviewing the final material. I also appreciated receiving advice from Namakhai Norbu and housing assistance from the American Shang Shung Institute in Conway, Massachusetts. Finally, I thank the folks at Interlink Publishing Group; my editor, Hilary Plum, is to be particularly commended for her patience and thoughtful suggestions throughout the editing process. Thank you all. I am deeply grateful to all who helped with this project. -Sandra Benson Santa Fe, New Mexico

Introduction

F

rom one generation to the next, since the beginning of time, we have been listening to and telling stories. Folk tales in particular not only entertain but also help us understand each other, for it is the storytellers' role to weave the moral fabric that holds our societies together. The adventures of whimsical, dastardly, and lovable characters mirror our own sense of justice: the unruly, cruel, and ungrateful are scorned while the compassionate and helpful are rewarded. These twenty-five tales, first told to enthrall Tibetan youngsters, also provide us with a window through which to view ancient Tibetan culture. Crossing barriers of language, national boundaries, geography, and time, these tales have survived a journey spanning over 2,000 years and thousands of miles. Each story takes place in a remote region often referred to as "the roof of the world," in a landscape of indescribably beautiful snow-capped mountains, rugged icy rivers, high desert grassland plateaus, and verdant valleys. Located in the heart of Asia, bordering India, Nepal, China, Burma, and Bhutan, Tibet covers an area larger than Western Europe. Over 75 percent of Tibet's population are nomads who herd sheep, yaks, and goats year-round in the harshest conditions, living at altitudes of over 15,000 feet. The farmers tend to live in the valleys' more temperate climates, while the monastics, who have traditionally made up about one quarter of the male population, reside in Buddhist monasteries throughout the country.

2

TALES OF THE COLDEN CORPSE

The characters in the tales draw from Tibet's history. In the seventh century King. Songtsen Gampo ruled a vast empire, acquired by fierce Tibetan warriors and reaching far into Mongolia, China, and India. By the eighth century, the 38th Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen, wishing to bring peace throughout his kingdom, invited the Indian Master Padmasambava to Tibet to spread the wisdom of the Buddha's teachings. Experiencing periods of decline and revival over the centuries, Buddhism continues to be the foundation ofTibetan society. Since the stories in this collection have been told through time in an atmosphere saturated with religion, it follows that many aspects of Buddhist philosophy appear frequently. A primary tenet of Buddhism is to wish happiness for all sentient beings and to rid the world of suffering through the practice of wisdom and compassion. Of course, these stories also abound with examples of rascals who choose to ignore these principles, with predictably disastrous results. Tales of the Golden Corpse includes some of the most common folk tales ofTibet. The first story in the collection establishes the context for all those that follow. Here we meet the main characters: the storyteller, an enchanted corpse named Ro Gnoedrup Chen, meaning "the spirit of amazing accomplishments"; and the listener, a clever young Tibetan boy named Dondrup. The premise is that the young boy must be redeemed for his terrible deed of killing seven wicked sorcerers in the cave of Master Nagarjuna, an influential and important Buddhist teacher from India, known as Lopon Lodrup in Tibet. Nagarjuna insists that to make amends the boy must be sent on a journey to capture and deliver a magical corpse, who, in the hands of a Master, has the amazing power to liberate all beings from suffering. The most difficult

INTRODUCTION

3

part of this task will be to obey the Master's demand that the boy never speak a word to the corpse. When Dondrup manages to capture Ro Gnoedrup Chen and set off for the Master's cave, the clever corpse begins to tell his stories of mystery and adventure. Entranced by the tales, the boy forgets his vow of silence and speaks to the corpse, who flies off, disappearing into the sky like a rainbow, returning to his perch in a tree in a distant graveyard. Over and over again the boy attempts to retrieve the creature for the Master, and with each journey the corpse escapes and another tale is told. This recurring pattern helps us navigate through the often strange, yet familiar territory of the individual stories, while also introducing us to the culture and land ofTibet. Having been passed along from one generation to another, the tales' flavor and feel is closely aligned with that of oral storytelling traditions. Memory-triggering devices such as repetition, fixed phrasing, traditional songs, and references to situations in daily life, mingled with the supernatural, are all techniques found in oral transmissions of stories. Tibetan exclamations, such as "whey," similar to English expressions of "ah ha," "ouch," or "wow," have been left in with their phonetic spellings to share with the reader a sense of the sound ofTibetan language. Not found in this collection are elaborate descriptions of the environment or of characters' psychological states. Adjectives such as "happy," "sad," "cold," and "strong" are used to set the tone, allowing our imaginations to provide texture and nuance to the adventures they recount. ·Sayings included in almost every tale serve to warn, admonish, and praise, while giving readers insights into Tibetan folk wisdom. Episodes jump from one scene to another; characters

4

TALES OF THE GOLDEN CORPSE

appear and disappear without explanation; and some stories end abruptly-all elements to be expected from the world of folk tales. Ranging from the simple' to the complex, these rich sto'ries blend ordinary Tibetan life with magical interventions by all sorts of talking beings. The atmosphere in which these stories have been told has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. When the day is done, nomadic Tibetan children sit in the quiet of the night, gathered around a small fire inside their yak-hair tents, hearing barking mastiff guard dogs, the shuffling of the resting herds, the whistling wind of the grassland-sounds that accompany the voice of the aunt or father who tells these stories filled with humor, mystery, and adventure. In the farming villages, the children sit on woolen carpets in an adobe home listening to an elder, who likely has a special talent for making the tales come alive with jokes, songs, and rhymes. To mimic the silence imposed on the boy in the stories, the children may be told that if they utter a word during the tale, the St