1 [started adding new vocabulary from volume II, page 51 of the Tibetan, 265 of the English, starting Oct.

2, 2002] Glossary preliminary, unproofed 8/8/2002

Abar Puyi Paljor - A bar Bu yi dPal byor - (Prosperity of the Son of Abar) - a.k.a. Abar Puyi Phentag ( A bar Bu yi Phen stag ).1 One of the Thirteen Favorite Sons of Ling. His father was Singsing, and his mother was Abar which is both a personal name and the name of her family or rigs. He is a member of the Elder Lineage of Ling. Abundance Wargods, the Three Kindred - rGyas byed dGra lha sPun gsum - a society of wargods who increase and expand ones energy and accomplishments, increasing windhorse, eloquence, and possessions. Achen - name of a tribe and a region in the Kingdom of Hor, in the area of the Upper Yellow River. Action tent las gur a tent where committee meetings and assemblies occur and where important decisions are made. A-ge Tsangpey Sheep-a-peep - A ge Tsang pai Ngo lug - (Brahm Sheep-a-peep of A-ge) - one of the three Sheep-a-peep boys. Born into the Elder Lineage of Ling of the A-ge tribe, one of the Thirty Brethren of Ling. His father is the head of the Elder Lineage, Lhabu Namkha Sengzhal.

Akaniha -og min - The highest of the rupadhtu god realms, but usually used to mean the highest buddhist heaven of all.
kadhtvar - dByings phyugs ma - female buddha who dwells in the center of the maala and is the goddess of the space element.

Akobhya mi skyod pa, immovable The Buddha of the vajra family in the Eastern direction of the maala.

2 accomplishment - (T: dngos grub, S: siddhi) - abilities developed through meditation practice. Siddhis are ordinary or supreme. The eight ordinary siddhis are physical powers. For example there is the siddhi of the sword, the touch of which is said to grant whatever is wished. Supreme siddhi is enlightenment. account - (rtogs pa rjod pa - avadna )- biographical account, one of the twelve divisions of Buddhist literature. amrita - bdud rtsi - literally anti-death [potion] - refers to a milky drink that confers eternal life. Used metonymically for any delicious drink. antelope demon - (rgo dre ) Name of one of the demon wild animals in the valley of Brul mgo mda in Vol. II, Stein, 56, p. 48b. Ancestral lineage gdung brgyud or rus brgyud, the paternal descent lineage of a paternal clan or rus. Anu - same as nu bo, means youthful or younger brother or sometimes, nephew. Anu Paseng of Ombu- Om bui A nu dPa Seng - Youthful Lion Warrior, of the middle lineage of Ling of Ombu province, one of the Four Divine Heirs. Anu Zigphen (A nu gZig phen ) - Youthful Leopard Leap - one of the Thirty Mighty Warriors, a chieftain of the Tag-rong tribe. In some traditions he is Trothungs oldest son, in others his brother. Anye Gompa Raja - (Grandpa Meditator Raja, A mye sGom pa Raja) - an evil Bnpo sorcerer destroyed by Gesar in Vol. II, The Birth in Ling. appeasement and fulfillment offerings - rngan gsol - ceremonies of sacrifice in order to correct the opposition of gods caused by violation of taboo or other transgressions. Argye A rgyas (or rgyal) a leader, one among the Thirteen Favorite Sons. Aspiration Mountain Pass see Mnlam Lakha.

Aten Poisonous Flower - A brtan Dug gi Me tog - a famous warrior son of Trothung who figures inportantly in later chapters of the epic.

3 Arrayed in Turquoise Petals, Pure Land - g.yu lo bkod pa'i zhing - Tara's Buddha field.2 Aspiration Prayer White Boulder smon lam drag dkar a sacred site in Ling. Aspiration White Rock - smon lam brag dkar - also known as Aspiration Mountain Pass (smon lam la kha)--chosen by Padmasambhava as the birth place of Gesar.... 3 It is near the castle of Chief Rongtsa Tragen. approach and accomplishment practice - (bsnyen sgrub) - two stages of mantra recitation in a deity visualization practice. Astrologer Lhau Yangkar - rtsis pa Lhau gYang dkar - Divine Child White Prosperity - an astrologer.

auspicious coincidence rten brel good fortune, fortunate connection. See Introduction. Usually this expression is short for rten cing brel bar byung ba [TSED p. 459] or rten par 'brel bar 'gyur ba [SCD], in Sanskrit pratitya-samutpda, co-dependant origination. It refers to causality mediated by karma. But here it is used to mean a magaical or karmically destined fortunate situation. See Introduction. Auspicious Intertwined Dragons - bKra shis Drug Gor Kha sprd name of a presentation scarf. Auspicious By Day Neck Scarf - mGul dar Nyinmo bDe legs name of a silken presentation scarf inscribed with a famous prayer of aspiration. See footnote 188, Vol I, Chapter 2. authentic presence - dbang thang - an invisible field of power that extends around the shoulders of a warrior or a great being, like the Byzantine notion of a saints charisma. see field of power. awareness - rig pa - (skt: vidy ) - also translated as wisdom, ultimate awareness, and knowledge. In the context of the tantras of the Great Perfection, this refers to the highest wisdom of meditation and direct unfabricated perception of the truth.

4 Azure Firmament (Gung-ngon) poetic expression for the sky. Azure Nine-Panels - mThing shog Gung dGu Kyalos opulent yak-hair tent. Ayu, downs of - A yu dis - A string of hills in Ling. Dis in colloquial Tibetan, dil in Classical Tibetan. Azi Blazing Poison Slasher - A zi Dug ral Bar ba - name of a sword presented by the Emperor of China to Lhabu. baton of fate - (khram shing ) - a magical weapon carried particularly by local Tibetan deities such as the tsen. Nebesky-Wojkowitz describes it thus, a magic notched stick, its main flat part being decorated with drawings or with a few cross-like notches (khram kha) in the form of a hexagon. (p.17).4 Battle King God - gYul rgyal dgra lha - short for bYul las rgyal dgra lha - this is a wargod who appears in several groups or brotherhoods of wargods. Beautiful Flower Goddess - Metog Lha mDzes name of Gesars mother when she lived among the ngas in her youth. Bekar Tharpa Gyaltsen - Be dKar Thar pa rGyal mTsan a chief in Ling. begto - beg to - a type of noble steed.5 Bey sBas te name of a region: one of the Nine Great Wings, Stein identifies it with Balti. Stein 56, p. 31.

Bhagavat - bcom ldan das - the Blessed One, an epithet for the Buddha or, in fact,
any enlightened being.

Bhante a Sanskrit term meaning venerable one. In Tibetan it has simply become a word for monk. Black Bird - bya nag - This could be short for bya nag gshog ring (Black Bird Long Wing), a messenger of the Demon King Lutsen. Or it could be an epithet of Anye Gompa Raja.

5 Black Month - nag zla - the third month of the lunar calendar. Black Throat - (mgrin nag) a family of the untouchable caste of ngas. Blessed One skt: bhagavat, tib. bcom ldan das a title of the Buddha. Blossom Wealth Holder - me tog g.yang dzin. In the world of the epic a name for one of many varieties of jasmine tea. Blue Light that Dispells Darkness mthing od mun sel a jewel owned by the ngas. Blue Turquoise Yak Hair Tent in Nine Partitions g.Yu sbra mThing shog Gung dgu a magical possession of the ngas. Blue Turquoise Plain of Neu Seng Neu Seng gYu thang sNgon mo a plain where the ngas meet. bodhicitta - byang chub kyi sems - Absolute bodhicitta according to Gampopa, is emptiness indivisible with bodies of the buddha, three - (tib. sku gsum , skt. trikya) Three forms in which the buddha exists, according to the ability of disciples to perceive him or her. Sometimes these bodies are given in a two-fold division: The Body of Dharma and The Form Bodies. The Body of Dharma (dharmakya, chos sku ) is enlightenment itself, wisdom beyond any reference point-- unoriginated, primordial mind, devoid of content, the mind of the Buddha. The Form Bodies (gzugs kyi sku , rpakya) refers to the other two kyas: the Complete Enjoyment Body (longs spyod rdzogs sku, sambhogakya) and the Transformation Body (sprul sku, nirmakya). The nirmakya is the buddha that actually takes form as a human, who eats, sleeps, and shares his or her life with students. The dharmakya, on the otherhand, is the ultimate nature of the mind of the buddha. The sambhogakya is the speech of the buddha, the communication principle. Iconographically, the term sambhogakya comprehends the colorful visionary forms of the buddha which appear to yogins in meditation experiences. Examples of sambhogakya buddhas are the five buddhas of the directions of the maala, and the other wrathful and pacific buddhas of tantric practices. The easiest way to think of the three kyas is through the notion of the body,

6 speech, and mind of the buddha. The many nirmakyas or earthly buddhas who have appeared in history, are the bodies of the buddha. The many sambhogakyas or visionary buddhas who appear in spiritual peak experiences, are the speech of the buddha. And the single essence dharmakya is the mind of the buddha, the true, ultimate buddha. body god - sku lha - a deity who protects the body of a specific warrior, much like the kind of wargods called patron gods that perch on the head, shoulders, and chest of warriors. body lha - lus lha - the same as sku lha above. Brahm - Tshangs pa - also called White Brahm (Tshangs po dKar po).6 Brethren of Ling, the Thirty - phu nu sum cu- literally this term means fraternal cousins or elder and younger brothers. Generally it is used to mean kinsmen, but in the context of the list of thirty, it means a group of warriors who are linked to each other by relations of equality and loyalty, as if they were brothers.7 bride demon - sna dre - literally, a leading demon. The arrival of a bride at her new familys dwelling is taken very seriously and is considered a moment when the alien and perhaps malevolent spirits of the brides old family could enter and harm the balance of the home. So there are complex ritual actions involved in insuring that the bride does not arrive in an inauspicious manner. For example, when the bride dismounts, she must face her new home, not the direction of her natal clans home. [CN] Brothers of Serpa, Eight gser pa mched brgyad - The principal warriors of Upper Ling (stod gling). Brothers and Cousins - phu nu - see brethren. Collective noun for the younger generation of braves. Parallel to the Uncles and Fathers, khu mtsham. All of these groups are called in the translation brethren or kinsmen. When this term refers to the list of thirty allied warriors of Ling, it will be translated as Brethren, because the relations are slightly broader than kinship. Brilliantly Shining - gsal bai od ldan - name of a drum of the law (khrims rnga). One of the Seven-fold Treasures.

7 Bru - Bru - a tribe in Ling. Also pronounced Dru. buddha activities, four - phrin las bzhi -- four activities that buddhas can perform for the benefit of beings. They are described as if they were ritual or magical practices: pacifying, enriching, magnetizing (overpowering, taming), and destroying: zhi ba, rgyas pa, dbang gi, and dbang gi phrin las. Tantrikas learn from each other and their gurus numerous other las or karmas such as curing birth sickness and causing rain. Buddha kin - sangs rgya mkha gro - a female buddha usually of wrathful form. She is found, along with kins of the other four families, in the retinue of Vajra yogin. As the goddess of the central family of the maala she has a special importance. buddha families, five - the five points of the maala: north, south, east, west, and center are each inhabited in tantric symbolism by a buddha and his consort, representing five styles of energy in which enlightenment and confusion both manifest. They are often known as the five tathgatas (thus-gone ones). The five buddhas are Akobhya in the East, Amitbha in the West, Amogosiddhi in the North, and Ratnasambhava in the South plus the famous Vairocana Buddha in the center. These five primordial buddhas and their consorts participate in most empowerments in the epic. Each buddha family is identified by a sceptre: Vairocana by the Wheel, Akobhya by the Vajra, Amitbha by the Lotus, Amogasiddhi by the Double-Vajra, and Ratnasambhava by the Jewel. Numerous persona in Tibetan tantra are taken to be emanations of one of these families. For example, the Lotus family of Amitbha, is the family of the bodhisattva Avalokitevara, the yidam or tutelary deity Hayagrva, the guru Padmasambhava, and the king Gesar of Ling. Matching the five male buddhas of the five buddha families are five female buddhas who represent the five elements. They are the consorts of the five tathgatas. In the South and the East are Mmak and Buddhalocan, water and earth elements respectively. These two reverse position, consorts, and what elements they represent in some texts. In the center is kadhtivar, goddess of space. In the West is Paravsin, goddess of fire. In the North is Samayatr or Tr, the goddess of air. All sorts of other five-fold homologies are correlated with the five buddha families such as the five poisons (passion, aggression, ignorance, etc.) and the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, etc.). And finally, just as the five neurotic emotions are correlated with the five families, so are the five wisdoms which a buddha

8 possesses. Buddhalocan - Sangs rgyas sPyan ma - the name, in both Sanskrit and Tibetan means Buddha Eye. She represents the element of earth. See buddha families, five. buddha field - a world in which a buddha teaches. Also a heaven or pure land that a buddha creates through his or her powers. see field. cannibal demons - tib: srin po; sanskrit: rkasa - fearful demons with long tongues, claws, and fangs who are enemies to human kind and sometimes eat them. They are much in evidence in the Indian epic tradition. Capacious Merit - bsod nams lto ldir - This name was unclear in the Stein edition, but restored in the Gansu edition. lto ldir can also mean filled to the brim. Castle of Dung, Nine Stories Naro - sbang mkhar na ro dgu chog zer - a building in the land of the Demon of the North.8 causes and conditions - (hetu and pratyaya, rgyu and rkhyen) --close to the Western concept of primary and secondary causes. ceremonial spear - rten mdung - a ritual spear used in ceremonies to invoke wargods and wermas. The Tibetan means literally support spear. See support. Chakra - khor lo - literally this means wheel. It can refer to a magical weapon, a sharpened wheel, which is thrown at an enemy, but usually in this texts refers to the multi-spoked wheels that lie upon the central channel in the yogic body. Each wheel, each cakra (Sanskrit spelling), is the nexus of a system of channels or n that regulate physical and mental activities in the body. In most systems there are five cakras: at the top of the head, the throat, the heart, the navel, and the sexual organs. They regulate the activities of respectively body, speech, mind, physiological activities, and sexuality. In tantric practice one often visualizes that deities, buddhas, reside at teach of these cakras, making the activities of body, speech, mind, etc. sacred by their presence. Changtra also Tshazhang Changtra, short for Maternal Uncle Denma Changtra. Changtri Ngamchen of Ombu - sPyang khri rNgam chen - (Great Awesome Ten

9 Thousand Jackals) - One of the Thirty Brethren and Thirteen Favorite Sons, a member of the Middle Lineage of Ling. Changza - sPyang bza - Wife of the Chang Tribe. See Chphen Nagpo. Charger chibs chen a noble name for a horse, literally, great mount. Chase, gods of the mgul lha - These are literally the throat gods.9 They are ancient native Tibetan gods connected with the land or region. Chieftain - dpon - (pronounced pn) Sometimes we tranlate this as leader, but when it refers to the head of a tribal group, chieftain will be the translation, while chief will be reserved for the superior position of Chipn (spyi dpon).10 Chieftain Singsing of Chagnag - lCags nag dPon po Sing sing - Chagnag (Black iron) was a province on the Ma River (in China the Yellow River), one of the primordial provinces of Ling. Leader of a Thousand stong dpon a Tibetan military term. Child Eater Demonness - (bu zan ) - a Rakasi, cannibal demonness destroyed by Gesar in Vol II. Gesar finds her in the act of eating several dead children and lures her to the middle of the Dza River where she drowns. Chingln Sengtren phying blon Seng phran a chief mentioned in the epic. His name means, literally, Felt Chief Little Lion. Chipn Rongtsha Tragen - sPyi dpon Rong tsha Khra rgan - literally Chief RongNephew Old Falcon, general Chief of Ling, chieftain of the Cadet Lineage of Mukpos, father of Sengln, reincarnation of the Indian pandit Suvarna. Chiss Yagi Khado - (lCi Sos Yag gi kha mDo ) - A region of upper (Western) Ling.11 Also called Sun and Moon Juncture. see glossary entry. Cho-ngay Pasar Dawa - bCho lNgai dPa gsar (or gsal) Zla ba (Young Warrior of the Fifteenth Day) - From the Younger Lineage of Ling, one of the Thirty Brethren of Ling and one of the Thirteen Favorite Sons.12

10 Chkyong Bernag - Chos skyong Ber nag - (Dharma Protector Black Robe)13 - a personage who appears in lists of leaders of Ling. He is not, of course, the same as the famous Buddhist protective spirit, Mahkla Bernagcan. He is also known as Gadey Chkyong Bernag, to signify his relationship with the tribes of Ga and De and the region connected with these clans. He is a scion of the Middle Lineage of Ling, one of the Thirty Brethern of Ling and one of the Seven Super Warriors. Chlu Buyi Darphen - Chos lu Bu yi Dar phen - also known as just Chlu Darphen. Later in the epic he becomes the minister of Anu Paseng of Ombu, chief of the Elder Lineage of Ling. He figures importantly in the fourth volume of the epic, TheWar With

Hor. He is one of the Thirty Mighty Warriors and one of the Seven Super Warriors.14
Chla Bum - Chos la Bum - For the Dharma Hundred Thousand - first son of Thogmey Bum of the Younger Lineage. Chphen Nagpo - Chos phan Nag po - (Black Dharma Benefit) - a founder of the royal lineage of Mukpo Dong. Chphen Nagpo had three famous wives: Serza, Amza, and Changza. Ser (gSer), Am (Am), and Chang (sPyangs) are three tribes with an important relatinship with the Mukpos, probably through the politics of the tribal state of Ling. Za here means wife (gza). By marrying into these leading families, he increased the power of the Mukpo. These three wives gave birth respectively to the three lineages of Ling, the socalled Elder, Cadet, and Middle Lineages. For a detailed genealogy, see the opening pages of Vol II.The Birth in Ling. Chtrn Chos sGron Silk Torch, a woman. Chutrug Lakha - Chu krug Lakha - (Turbulent Waters Mountain Pass) - name of a mountain. Chur lha - byur lha - name of a chief of Jang. It may mean Mishap God or Coral God (if bhur lha is really bhyi ru lha., one of the textual variants. Chwa Prosperity Rites phywa a divination or prosperity ritual drawn from native Tibetan religion. Circle Enclosure Assembly Ground- A long Rab - The place in Upper Tiger Plain where the people of Ling gather for their grand assemblies.

11 circuit khri skor a kind of province. The name literally means Thousand Turnings. It is matched in our edition of the epic with another kind of province called a stong skor, a Thousand Circuit, which we translate as tribal ward, for reasons to do with the immediate context. See ward. clear light awareness - 'od gsal - a code term for the special yogic style of lucid sleep in which the practitioner remains conscious of the sleep state during sleep. clairvoyance -Sanskrit: abhij ; Tibetan: mngon shes - sometimes translates as superknowledges, a collection of paranormal powers of knowing that are gained by beings close to buddhaahood. Cloud Valley Wealth Lady sPrin lung Phyug mo- name of a treasure chest of scarves (dar mdzod) in Chipns home.15 coemergent wisdom skt: sahaja jna, tib: lhan cig skyes pai ye shes from the point of view of the mahmudr tantras, moments of ignorance do not arise totally divorced from wisdom. Even in a confused persons stream of consciousness, wisdom and ignorance always arise together. Thus wisdom can be found even in moments of confusion. This is the wisdom that co-emerges with ignorance. Colt Devil - (rtis bdud ) - name of a demon. completion stage - see generation and completion stages confidence - see splendor. constellation - (sgyu skar ), literally, the moving stars. Refers to classical Indian astrologys list of lunar mansions (nakatra)-- constellations of stars identified by the position of the moon in the sky. There are twnety eight of them.16 Cosmic Turquoise Lake - Srid pa g.Yu mtso- a place in the land of the ngas. Counties, Eighteen Great gzhung chen bco-brgyad Stein translates these as governments. The Eighteen Great Counties of Falcon Cave (khra phu) seem to be the land of Ling under Chipns administration.

12 Country god - yul lha - literally, god of the place. A term for a native tibetan deity, usually attached to a specific place. Sometimes this refers to a god of the hunt. Country of Devils, the - (bDud Yul) - A country to the north of Ling ruled by a monster king named Lutsen (see glossary) Gesar fights this country in the second largest saga in the epic, the bDud gLing , Ling and the Land of the Devils. for more on the word bdud see devil. Crag Mountain Meteorite-Proof - Khrab rdza Ri thog Kheb - name of armor given by the Younger Lineage to Zhalkar on his birth celebration. Crow Heart Fortress - (Pho rog snying rdzong ) - Trothungs castle. 17 Crown Cakra of Great Bliss - sphyi gtsug bde chen khor lo - one of the chakras. See chakra. Cuts the Enemy to Pieces in Vendetta18 - sha pho sdum chod - terrible name of a sword given to Zhalkar by the Younger Lineage on his birthday celebration. Crystal Light One Eye Shel od Mig gcig name of a jewel originally owned by the dragons. ka - dpa bo - sanskrit for warrior or hero, but in this context it refers to the male equivalent of akn, usualy wrathful or semi-wrathful yidams of masculine gender.

ak - mkha gro ma - A wrathful or semi-wrathful female deity who signifies the

absolute as a messenger principle. The akns are tricky and playful women who can be seductive, motherly, or punishing as they serve the tantric practitioner, bringing messages of enlightenment and guidance. They represent the basic space out of which the play of sasra and nirva arises. There are also lower goddesses who are essentially fairies or demonesses deputized by Buddhism. These two are sometimes called akns in Tibetan texts. There are a group of akns who are female extensions of the basic principle of buddhahood. They manifest as female yidams in the style of the five families of Buddhas and are named according to those families, as Buddhaakn or Vajraakns, etc. Dalung brda lung a plain (brdra lung thang) in Ling where people would gather for communal events.19

13 damsel - a ser mo - a somewhat arbitrary translation. Usually ser-mo which means yellow one is a word for a monk with his or her ochre robes. But in songs and proverbs the expression a-ser-mo often occurs and in those contexts it always means a girl. Damshd - dam shod - name of a region where Nyenchen Thanglha has his residence. Damsi oath-breaking demons - these are terribly powerful demons who began as tantric practitioners and then turned against the Dharma. As enemies of the Dharma they have all the power they built up through the practice of virtue when they were buddhists. These powers, developed in the cause of the good and by the performance of good deeds ,are now used to serve the enemy of the good, literally known as the Dark Side, nag poi phyogs. Da Valley - (zla) name of a region and a river. It means Moon Valley. See Dri Valley. Dancer Gar mkhen- name of Yaksha son of the Queen of the Yakshas, betrothed to Little White Vulture of the ngas. Darjam Sheep-a-peep of Mupa - Mu pai Dar Jam Ngolug - (Smooth-as-Silk Sheep-apeek of Mupa) - a warrior descended from Namkha Senzhal of the Younger Lineage of Ling and one of the Three Sheep-a-peep boys. Dardzom of Muchang dMu spyang Dar dzom a judge or mediator (gzu). Alternate spellings for dar dzom = dar jom and dar jam. Darbum, Guru - bla ma Dar bum - one of the thirteen Lamas of Ling, of the Yatha Tribe. Dark Side, the - (nag poi phyogs)- literally, the side or direction of the black. The opposite of the white side, represented in such expressions as White Ling. Gods and humans opposed to the Buddha Dharma, either by nature or because they have perverted the intension of their vows. 20 Darphen short for Chlu Buyi Darphen..

14 Dartsho - Dar mTsho Silk Lake, name of a woman. Deep Blue Blazing Rays of Splendor Jewel Norbu mThing od gZi bar - a magic jewel in the possession of the ngas. Defeat A Hundred Thousand Master a Thousand - Bum bsgyel sTong thub - could also mean, to master a hundrfed thousand and handle a thousand. Name of the turquoise armor given to Nyitri by the Chinese Emperor. Dega Lhazang - , bDe dGa Lha Zang - Divine God of Bliss and Joy - Kyalo Tnpa Gyaltsens personal servant. demons - (dre ) - malevolent spirits who cause harm and are connected, usually, with specific kinds of disasters. In general, they are death spirits who bring disease and loss of wealth. For example, Tucci [TPS, 721] , using a Bn source, names five classes of dre: food demons (za dre), demons causing loss (god dre), executioners (gsed dre), water sickness demons (chu dre), and material loss demons (gson dre). Western translators consider dre and bdud to be synonymous, but in this translation we will translate dre as demon and bdud as devil. Den - dDan- a region in Kham (Eastern Tibet) ruled by the Den family. Also spelled, mDan, lDan, and Dan. On Chinese maps Teng ko (lDan Khog). The home of the famous minister Denma. Located probably in Khams (Eastern Tibet) along the trade route from Tatsienlou to Jyekundo.21 This is the family home of Trothungs wife, whereby she is known as Denza (lDan bza), the lady from Den. Den was often allied with Dru (Bru) and Ga. Denma Dan ma - the famous chief minister of Gesar, his tactical planner and first disciple. If it were not that Gesar himself is a supreme trickster, one would say that Denma is the Odysseus figure in the epic, the clever strategist. Denma is actually the name of his clan and country. His full name is Denma Changtra (Dan ma Byang khra or sPyang khra). He is also called Tsha zhang Denma, meaning literally maternal uncle Denma and tsha rgyal, maternal uncle king. Both of these titles refer to his particularly close relationship to the ruling families of Ling, so close that this man of Den is addressed as if he were actually related through female descent to the Mukpo clan. Denza - dan bza - Trothungs wife. Literally means Wife from the Clan of Den.

15 See Golden Lake Lady. aka Sertsho and Kharagza. Dephu Drug - sDe Phu Drug, a place name. Dergey - sDe dge, the largest city in Eastern Tibet. Not only a governing center through its kings, but also the home of the great publishing house which still exists to this day. devil - (skt. mra, bdud)--- a class of native Tibetan malevolent deities that can cause obstacles or even death. The Tibetan word bdud became a translation for the Sanskrit name Mra. Mra was the temptor of Shakyamuni Buddha, who appeared just prior to his attaining enlightenment. More generally, in the Indic tradition mras are difficulties that the practitioner may encounter along the way, obstacles and interruptions to their meditation practice. In the epic the mras or bdud (pronounced d) do not usually have this specific Indic significance. Rather, they are one of the eight classes of gods (lha) of native religion. The evil demon king of the North, whom Gesar must destroy in the central battle saga of the epic is known as the bDud or devil of the North. In this translation bdud and devil will be synonymous. Just as demon will translate the Tibetan expression dre, another malevolent, invisible creature. When bdud is being used in its Indic meaning, extensive Buddhist teachings and brought in. For example, in the strictly Buddhist context there are five bdud or mras : skandha-mra, misunderstanding the five skandhas as a self; klea-mra, being overpowred by emotionality; mtyu-mra, death, which interrupts ones practice and devaputra-mra, seduction away from the truth by the bliss of meditation. dharmadhtu this is Sanskrit, Tibetan is chos kyi dbying. Dbying , pronounced, ying, means among other things space, and so sometimes dharmadhtu is translated as the space of the dharma. Its basic meaning is reality as it truly is. Beings in samsra see the world falsely. But if they saw things as they truly were, they would see the dharmadhtu, the realm of dharma. dharma robe - chos gos - the outer robe, patched and of certain specific dimentions that a monk or nun receives on ordination and wears as his principle mark of the monastic vow. Drum of the Law - there are several Dharma Drums mentioned in the epic: Brilliantly Shining, Great Flat, and White Lady Furlong (one of the articles in the Seven-fold

16 Treasure. There is also a Conch of the Law called Great Voice. dignity - see splendor. Ding Ting - Ding ting a place in China. Districts of Ombu, Six - Om bui Tsho Drug - Tsho were probably originally tribal districts. In the epic they refer to the six districts into which Middle Ling (bar) is divided, under the heading of the tribally based province of Ombu. divination arrows lha mda- often used in Gesar divinations. They are decorated with ribbons and often used in a formal situation as well to indicate an official message. divination stones mo rdil devices used in divination. divination threads ju zhags - devices used in yet another sort of divination. Divine Downs - Lha Dis - a set of hills in Ling. Divine Child Joru - lha sras Jo ru - an epithet for Joru used by people from Ling. See Joru. Divine Princess Illusory Beauty - lha lcham sGyu ma mDzes - Mother of Joyful to Hear by Supreme Bliss Good Nature. Divine Son Namkha Sengzhal - Lha bu Nam mkha Seng zhal, see Namkha Sengzhal. Diviner Kunshey Thigpo - mo ma Kun She Thig po (All Knowing Just Right) - a diviner. Divisions of Muchang, Four Mu spyang sde bzhi four provinces in Lower Ling (sMad gLing). doh mgur a yogic song of experience. A spontaneous song sung by a tantric practitioner to express his or her experience in meditation practice. The Bengali mahsiddhas were famous for these songs, but the form saw its greatest development in the collected songs of the Tibetan yogi Milarepa and his successors.

17 Dndrup don grub - a name of Gesar when he was in the Heaven of the Thirty Three. It means accomplishing all. In Sanskrit it would be siddhrtha, the name of the Buddha when he was a prince. Do Kham mdo kham another name for Kham or Eastern Tibet. Dongbumpa - gdong bum pa - another name for Sengln, the father of Gyatsha Zhalkar. Could be translated as Bumpa (Family) of Dong (Mukpo) Tribe. Dongchen Nya Nya - lDong chen Nya nya - According to one song, the Chinese name for the mountain Penne Ritra. Dongtsen the Junior Pandit Prime Glory- gDong btsan sNang ngu A dpal - Leader of the Lesser Lineage of Ling, younger son of Trothung.22 One of the Thirteen Favorite Sons (gces phrug ) of Ling. 23 Dorje Gyaltsen - rDo rje rGyal mtshan - Ralo Tnpas guru. Dorje Luphen rDo rje gLu phen - a name for Vajrasadhu. Also known as the genyen Dorje Luphen. Dorje Ngangyak rDo rje Ngang yag the prognosticator of the ngas. Of the race of nyens. downs - dil - sometimes in the text it is dis, which is colloquial. A little hill or string of hills. Dratse Shelchog - sPra rTse Shel mchog also sBra rtse, dGra rtse, and sPra rtseall homonyms. This is a Leader of a Thousand (stong dpon) of the clan of Dra (sBra). Draza - dBra bZa Wife from Dra. Dri Valley - (Bri) - name of a region and a river in Amdo (Qinghai) Province. The river becomes the Yangzi as it flows south into China. It flows North and West of Jyekundo. Sometimes paired with the Da (Zla) or Moon Valley as in Bri zla. 24 Drigung - Bri gung place name in Middle Tibet.

18 Driza Dri bza also, Bru bza, and Bri bza. Wife from the Dri tribe. Dragyal Bum-me - dGra rgyal Bum me - Victorious Over Enemies A Hundred Thousand Flames, son of Chphen Nagpo and Changza, founder of the Lesser or Younger or Cadet lineage of Ling. Dramigung- Gra-mi-gung a place name. Dru Dru - one of the tribes of Ling, living near the Ga, and therefore, like the Ga, labeled rich. Sometimes spelled Bru.25 Drug-gyey - see Good Child Drug-gyey. Drugmo - (Brug mo) - The daughter of Tnpa Gyaltsen of Kyalo. The wise and beautiful girl who marries Gesar. She is one of the stakes in the wager laid on the Horse Race of White Ling. By winning the race, Gesar earns her hand in marriage. Drug - Brug place name. Drupey Gyalmo - grub pai rGyal mo - (Queen of Siddhi) - A goddess who protects ones life duration (tshe). Also known as Machig Drupey Gyalmo, The Only Mother Queen of Siddhi. Dzagyal Dorje Phenchuk - rDza rGyal rDo rje Phen phyug a proper name of an ancestor of the Mupa clan. It may be that Dzagyal is the name of a mountain rather than part of the long name. So that this could read Dorje Phenchuk of Dzagyal mountain. Drusha Bru sha fifth of the Nine Great Wings, Stein identifies this with the ancient Central Asian country of Gilgilt. Stein 56, p. 31. dzo - (mdzo ) - a male beast of burden, the result of crossing a yak bull with a cow. Dza - rDza - place name. Name of a river that winds through Northeastern Tibet.26 dzomo -mdzo mo - a hybrid of a yak and a cow. It is prized for the richness of its milk and butter.

19 Earth Horse Kiang Mare - Sa rta Gro mo - pronounced Sata Gromo, name of the mother of Gesars horse. same as Earth Mare. Earth Lord - sa bdag - a spirit who is the propritor of a certain rgion, usually an impressive local deity complet with a palace, personal army of spirits, consort, and retinue. Earth Mare - another name for the mother of Gesars horse. East Mountain Dragon Fortress - (Shar ri'i 'brug rdzong ) - the palace of Chief Rongtsa Tragen. Eight classes of gods lha sde brgyad a classical list of eight kinds or races of local non-Buddhist deities who in habit Tibet. The list includes wargods (dgra lha), zodor, theu rang, dragon spirits (klu), and mountain gods (gnyan). Ego-clinging bdag dzin literally, grasping a self, the mental condition produced by ignorance that prevents enlightenment. Elder Brother White Conch Garuda - see White Conch Garuda. El Pattra Nga - name of a nga king. Mahvyutpatti, p. 229. See Elpattra in Stutley, p.87. E Ma Ho - a Tibetan expression of wonder and jubiliation. Empowerment Skt: abhieka, Tib. dbang a tantric ceremony of initiation which confers the power and right to do a certain contemplative practice. Enemies in the Four Directions, Four - phyogs bzhii dgra bzhi - also known as the Mras (or devils) of the Four Directions. (phyogs bzhi bdud bzhi). These are the four principal anti-Buddhist Kingdoms which Gesar must oppose. They are listed in the first chapter of the Lha gLing: These include Lutsen in the North, King Gurkar from Hor, and Sadam, King of Jang. The fourth enemy is different in different lists. Enlightened Activities, Four - phrin las rnam pa bzhi - also called buddha activity, these are four actions which can be performed by enlightened beings for the benefit of

20 sentient beings: pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and destroying (zhi, rgyas, dbang, drag po). Also translated as 1) pacifying. 2) increasing 3) overpowering 4) wrathful.

Essence Drop of the aks - (mKha gro sNying thig) - a terma or

discovered text of the Nyingma tradition which teaches the highest practices of meditation in all of Tibetan Buddhism. In the first book of the epic a visualization practice obviously drawn from this terma appears in the description of the horse headed yidam Hayagrva.
Essence Milk Drop - O mai Zhung thig - name of a piece of turquoise given by the Younger Lineage to Zhalkar on his birth celebration. Evil deeds sdig pa sometimes translated as negativity, sometimes as sin, in this translation we will generally use evil deeds in order to avoid judeo-christian conceptions. Excellent Auspicious Arrangement - bKra shis bKod Legs - Excellent Auspicscious Arrangement. Excellent Rain Falls - Legs pa Char bebs a sick dragon prince. Fair Maiden - (dvangs sman) - lit. stainless maiden, epic elegant expression for young girl. Falcon Cave khra phug - the seat of Chipon Rongtsa Tragen, the chief of Ling. Falcon Palace Sky Fortress -Khra mKhar gNam rdzong- name of a palace. Falcon, Upper same as Falcon Palace Sky Fortress, aka. Rnam rdzong phyug mo, Sky Fortress Rich Woman. fathers and uncles pha khu - males of the same generation, distinguished from the younger generation of elder and younger brothers (phu nu)27 (which will be called the Brethren in this translation) and the older generation of grandfathers, etc. Literally means paternal uncles or perhaps paternal uncles. Falcon Castle Sky Fortress - see Falcon Fortress. See Upper Falcon Sky Fortress.

21 Falcon Cave Valley, Mountain Pass of Upper - Khra Phug Dzam Lung La ka a name for the home of Chieftain Rongtsa Tragen. 28 Falcon Fortress - khra mkhar - Chipns castle. Also known as Falcon Castle Sky Fortress. (Khra-mkhar gNam-rdzong). Favorite Sons , Thirteen- gces phrug - A group of youthful Ling warriors. Ferocious Roaring Dragon - rNgam pa aBrugs grag Kyalo Tnpas guard dog. field - The word field (sanskrit: ketra, tib. zhing) is the term from Buddhist cosmology that refers roughly to what we would call a world. Sometimes these are called lands as in dag pai zhing, pure land. A pure land is a world created through the power of a buddha for the protection of disciples. Amitbha created a pure land called Sukhvati, The Happy Land, as a comfortable place where people could be reborn if they had not developed meditational accomplishment and were afraid of a lower rebirth. There they can study Mahyna and make slow, but consistent progress. Since every world has a buddha teaching in it at one age or another, each world is called a buddha field and by the same logic, a field of disciples (gdul byai zhing literally field of those to be tamed.) Field of Lotus Power - (Padma Dbang gi Zhing) - This is the name of the assembly hall located to the West in Padmasambhavas Palace of Lotus Light on the Continent of Cmara, the room where the most secret tantras of Hayagrva were taught.29 Lotus Power is a synomym for the yidam Hayagrva. field of power - field of power or charisma - (dbang thang) - an important part of the cosmology of Tibetan village and nomadic culture, the wang thang, as it is pronounced, is actually an aura that surrounds the body and makes a persons actions penetrating and effective. It can be gathered, collected, and built up into a powerful force. Sometimes this expression, wang thang (dbang thang) is translated as authentic presence, because it regarded in a subtle way as a kind of field of wealth and fortunate power. People who are naturally successful and natural leaders are all born with an impressive wang thang. In the popular culture of modern martial arts this is sometimes called a battle aura. See life force. Five Peaked Mountain - (Chinese: Wu tai Shan) see Wu Tai Shan.

22 Five Topknots - zur phud lnga pa- (skt. Pacaika ) - the king of the nyen gods or mountain gods. A figure associated with the great nyen Nyenchen Thanglha. Fills with Admiration - mThong ba Kun sMon - literally, seeing causes all aspiration. Name of the Ling the Action Tent. Flower Divine Beauty Me tog Lha mdzes name of the king of the dragons youngest daughter. Taken from the seas by Padmasambhava to be Gesars mother. Also known as Lovely Branch (Yal kha mDze-ldan).

The Flower Garden and The Settling of Ma, the Knotted White Scarf - Me tog Ra ba dang rMa Sa bZung Dar dKar mDud pa - subtltles of the two sections of The Birth in Ling, Volume II of the Gesar Epic.
Flower Lake - Me tog mTsho- a nga maiden of the Brahman caste. Flying sticks lding zhing- a sort of divination device. Foreign Kingdoms, Eighteen rgyal khag bco brgyad eighteen provinces or kingdoms surrounding Ling. Four -gated Prosperity Corral - gYang ra ba sGo bzhi - a name given to the area where Sengln first established the tent of Gogmo, Gesars mother. so named because Gyaza, Senglns primary wife, had given Gogmo four head of cattle as an auspicious connection to magnetize wealth for her. Four Rivers of Dokham four rivers in the province of Kham or Eastern Tibet: Dri River (bri chu), aka. Yangtze River, the Ma River (rma chu), aka. The Yellow River, Gyalmo Ngul River (rGyal mo Ngul chu ), aka. Salween River, and the Dza Chu, rdza chu, aka. The Mekong. form body of the buddha - (rpakya, gzugs-kyi-sku) - see the Bodies of the buddha, three. Of the three bodies or kyas of the buddha, the form kya is the nirmakya or transformation body, the visible, physical form of the buddha. For example, Gatama Shakyamuni was a nirmakya buddha, a buddha in human form. Sometimes rpakya refers to both the sambhogakya and the nirmakya, the two bodies of the buddha which can be seen, the one by bodhisattvas dwelling on the higher bhumis, the other by any being with eyes.

23 Fortress - rdzong - often this refers to an administrative district dominated in theory by a single fort. The epic speaks of the Twelve Great Fortresses of Ling (gLing rDzong Chen bcu gnyis ) - meaning really twelve countries in Tibet. Fortresses, Eight Minor - rDzong phran brGyad - Eight countries in Ling. Fortresses, Four Great - rDzong chen bZhi - Four countries in Ling, part of the list of Four Great and Eight Minor Fortresses. fortunate connection rten brel auspicious coincidence, good fortune. Four Divine Heirs - lha sras mched bzhi or lha sras spun bzhi - four princely warriors from four tribes Ling: Gyatsha Zhalkar of Bumpa, Nyibum Daryag of Serpa, Anu Paseng of Ombu, and Rinchen Darlu of Muchang. Nyibum is the lha sras for the Greater Lineage, Anu Paseng for the Middle Lineage, and Rinchen Darlu for the Younger Lineage. Four stations - four stages of life according to a Vedic tradition: first dharma or study, second artha (livlihood and the householders life), third sanyas (renunciation) a life devoted to practice after the family has been secured and the children grown, and finally moka, liberation coming from the ascetic and meditational practices of the third stage. Free and well-favored dal byor two conditions necessary to entering the Path. There are eight freedoms and ten conditions of being well-favored or endowments. For example, not being born in hell is one of the freedoms, for hell beings cannot practice meditation. An example of an endowment is being born in a country where the doctrine of the Buddha is taught. Frowning One Khro gnyer can ma - or Wrathfully grimacing one, a wrathful form of Tara. Also an epithet of Palden Lhamo. Ga - see Gadey. Gadey - dGa bde - name of a place in Ling, associated with the tribe Ga, which is spelled sGa, bGa, and several other ways. Stein identifies the locality with Jyekundo, around the first bend of the Yangtze River. It is a tribe associated with Tnpa

24 Gyaltsen. gaacakra a tantric feast, a religious feast ceremony. gaacakra is Sanskrit, the Tibean is tshogs kyi khor lo. In these practices a group of tantrics who share a certain maala or secret teaching get together and make offerings to the enlightened ones in the style of their tradition. They share in the feast with the devas, sing songs expressing their latest meditation experiences, and and enjoy sensual pleasures transformed through ritual into dharma practice. Feasts are often given in order to purify a tantrikas incorrect and inadequate practice or to heal violations of samayas, or commitments. Gangkar Tsesum - gangs dkar rtse gsum- White Snow Mountain Three Peaks, a mountain near the land of Ma. Gandarva - dri za - The Tibetan word for this deity means smell eater, for these refined beings are supposed to live off of fragrances as food. They are celestial musicians. Garuda -khung - a gigantic divine bird first prominently mentioned in the first book of the great Indian epic, the Mahbharata. In Hinduism he is the mount of Viu. In Tibetan religion he is the king of the birds and a divine principle of warrior impecability and vastness. Garuda Wing - khyung ru - name of Drugmos horse. Garza of Kyalo sKya loi Gar bza a woman presumably from the Gar tribe married into the family of Kyalo. Gaten Darlu dGa bstan Dar lu alternative: dGa ldan dar lu one of Rongtsha Tragens servants. Gedzo - Ge dzo - name of a local deity, a nyen. One of the most important native Tibetan deities in the epic. He is the nyen of the mountain Gedzo Rimar Wangzhu (Ge mdzo Ri dmar dBang zhu ), which is probably located in sMar khams sGang (the snow mountains of Lower Kham) to the West of Batang and Litang. 30 Gegey, Guru - dGe rgyas - One of the thirteen Lamas of Ling. He is also called dGa rab bstan chos kyi dGe rgyas, Gegey of the commentary lineage of Garab.

25 genyen dge bsnyen a class of wrathful local Tibetan protector deities. The Tibetan word is a translation of Sanskrit upsaka, a lay devotee who has taken certain vows. The name indicates the fact that these native Tibetan spirits are now committed to the Buddha Dharma as a result of oaths to Padmasambhava, who made them take genyen ordination in order to control their conduct. Often they are depicted wearing a crystal mala or other explicitly Buddhist ornaments to indicate their status as genyens. gekhd -(ge khod ) - a category of Bn deity. There are 360 of them, matching the days of the year. They live on Mt. Kailash, the axis around which the world rotates, around which the sun revolves in its 360 day cycle. According to the Padma Kathang, the Gekhd were part of the original nine stages of evolution of the phenomenal world out of emptiness. From the heart center of Balchen Gekhsd (dbal chen Gekhod) emanated the Bn equivalent of the deities of the three kyas. (see The Religions of Tibet, by Tucci, pp. 219-220.) According to Namkhai Norbu Gekhd is one of the most important of Bn deities, included among the Five Supreme Castles (gsas mkhar mchog lnga).31 Gedzo Rimar Wangzhu - Ge dzo Ri dmar dBang zhu - another name for Gedzo and the name of a mountain where he resides. generation and completion stages - skye rim and rdzogs rim - These are the two stages in meditation on a tantric visualization. In the generation stage one produces a mental image of a deity and his or her palace. In the completion or fulfillment stage this visualization is resolved into emptiness and one meditates formlessly without an object, Zen style. Gently Flowing River - Chu bo Dal bab - name of a melody. Gesar Jewel Tamer of Foes - Ge sar Nor bu dGra dul - one of the most popular epithets of Gesar of Ling. ghosts - Tib: byung po; Skt: bhta - a class of pathetic invisible spirits of the same order as pretas or hungry ghosts. Sometimes called elementals, following the meaning and the fact that this is class of deities who include deities of fire, earth, water, etc. Glorious Gate of good fortune - rten brel dpal kha - This a moment in which

26 astrological and karmic forces combine to offer the perfect conditions for a fortunate event, an event of some historical or political importance, to occur. At such moments group rituals, sometimes carried out in unison by the entire political community, must be done in order to take advantage of the glorious gateway and allow the magical thing to happen. Actually, it might be better to say that the rituals performed at these perfect junctures stimulate the event to occurence. The right conjunction is usually understood in terms of the four or five elements and the Chinese twelve roots and ten branches--a moment when Heaven and Earth may be unitd and the ideal brought down to Earth.

Glorious Lord of the Pure Gods - gTsang ris kyi dPal mGon - gtsang ris, the pure gods, refers to the local Tibetan dieties who are involved with notions of purity and pollution such as ngas and tenma.
Golden God of Dri Bri yi gser lha a pass opposite the plain of Da Valley. Golden Lake Lady -(gSer mTsho ma) Trothungs wife, her actual name. She is also known as Denza, which is a patronymic. Great Encampment sGar Chen po pronounced Garchen, these great gatherings were a particular feature of Tibetan traditional life--often semi-permanent accommodations for a large number of people, sometimes a monestary, sometimes a village on the move. Great Lang Glorious Lion rLangs chen dPal gyi Seng ge - name of guru in Ling. One of the three lamas of Ling. Good Child Drug-gyey - Bu yag Brug rgyas - Good Child Vast Dragon - brother of Drugmo, one of the thirty Fathers and Uncles. good fortune rten brel auspicious conincidence, fortunate connection. god of males - skyes lha - short for skyes po lha. This is a type of wargod, akin to the five patron gods who perch on a warriors body and protect him in battle. NebeskyWojkovitz describe them as gods of male beings who have the appearance of strong men and are decorated with jewels. gods, eight classes of - lha sde brgyad - a traditional list of kinds of native Tibetan deities. The list varies, but it usually includes lha, nyen, ngas, wargods, and other

27 non-Buddhist deities.32 Gog - Gog - the country of Kyalo Tnpa Gyaltsen, neighboring Ling. Since Gesars mother lived in Gog, the possession of Tnpa Gyaltsen, she is known as Gogmo, the woman from Gog and, as Senglns younger wife, Gogza, the wife from Gog. Gogmo - Gog mo - the woman from Gog, a sobriquet given to Beautiful Branch, Gesars ngi mother, when she was first accepted by the people of Ling. It is short for Gog bza Lha mo, pronounced Gogza Lhamo, which means Goddess Wife from Gog. Gogza - Gog bza - the wife from Gog, another name from Gesars mother. Senglns first and primary wife was Gyaza, the wife from China. Gogmo, as his second wife, was naturally called Gogza. Golden Amulet Fortress Gau gSer rDzong - the palace of Michen Gyalway Lhundrup. Later in Vol. II, p 74b, Gesar gives him an area near modern Dergey called Golden Amulet Valley (Gau gSer Lung). Golden King of the River - gTsang rgyal gSer ldan - name of a nga spirit located in a lake side boulder. [Stein 56, p. 156] Glorious Beautiful Pure Land dpal mdzes zhing - the pure land of Ratnasambhava. Greater Lineage of Ling - gLing che rgyud kyi gdung rgyud - the Elder Lineage of the three lineages of Ling, the Serpa clan. Their Divine Prince is Nyibum Daryag. Great Flat - khrims rnga leb chen. - a drum of the law. Great Power - dBang chen - One of the epithets of the yidam Hayagrva. Also Padma

dBang chen. See Lotus Great Power.

Great Voice - khrims dung skad chen - a conch of the law. Great Lion King (Seng chen rGyal po) - One of Gesars names. Used especially in Vol. III, The Horse Race. Great Mediator Werma Lhadar - gzu chen Werma Lha dar - (Great Mediator Werma

28 Divine Pennant) - one of the Two Mediators of Ling. He establishes the order of the great council meeting in Vol. III, The Horse Race. Golden Provinces of Upper Ling, Eight sTod gLing gSer pa Kha brgyad Upper Ling is the highland area where Chphen Nagpos elder wife, the matriarchal founder of the Ser or Golden family of the Elder Lineage, found her totem, a golden yoke. Great Sorcerer - mThu bo Che - epithet of Gesar of Ling. great wing shog chen a kind of province. Gyogchen Dongra sGyogs chen gDong ra often called the Spiritual Friend (dGe bsnyen) Gyogchen Dongra. His name means Great Bomb Big Nose, but it may be a misspelling. Alternative spelling include sKyog chen sdang ra. He is a nyen, a mountain god and one of the Four Great Nyen. Guide of Enlightenment - Byang chub Dren pa - a guru in Ling. Gungmen Gyalmo - Gung sman rGyal mo - Firmament Lady Queen - another name for Maneneyy, Gears divine mother. A.k.a. Nam-men Karmo (gNam sman dKar mo).33 Gura, the crag mountain of - Gu ra rdza - a mountain in Ling. Gu Ru - rGu Ru - n. of a family. Guru Gyaltsen - Gu ru rGyal mtshan - Guru Victory Banner, one of the Four Gyaltsens, apparently an ugly man. A chief in Den. Guzi Skydawn - Gu zi nam mkha skya rengs - name of a sword forged at the order of the Emperor of China. Gyalwa Gyamtsho - rGyal ba rGya mtsho - Ocean of Victorious Ones - the chief deity of a tantric cycle of practices focusing on a tantric form of Avalokitevara. gyalgong - rgyal gong - lit. king demon. This is a kind of spirit whom some worship but others regard as a pest. It signifies a characteristic combination of tyrannous pride and sectarian aggresson. The gyalgong has a wrathful quality, but can be very kind to its offerants. When

29 it forms a close connection with its disciples something of its wrathful and contentious nature can steal into their psychologies so that some Tibetans will say, if there is a hot headed schism or angry rebellion, that it is the result of an infestation of gyalgongs among the rebels or schismatics. There is a famous example of a gyalgong in the story of a Gelugpa monk who is said to have taken a vow to oppose the Nyingma lineage after his death. So, according to the myth, when he died he became a gyalgong and inspired sectarian battles against that lineage. I was once told that that the destructive behavior of the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution had the appearance of an attack of gyalgongs. Those who worship gyalgongs may feel bliss at first, the gift of that spirit. But if they try to break off the relationship, the spirit becomes their enemy, chasing them in their dreams and inflicting diseases such as paralysis. Gyama - rgya ma a place in Middle Tibet. Gyapn - rGya dPn another name for Sergyi Argham. It means Leader of a Hundred. Gyalwey Lhundrub see Michen Gyalwey Lhundrub. Gyatsha Zhalkar - (rGya tsha Zhal dkar) - [Hellfer 60] lit. Chinese Grandson. Halfbrother of Joru, grandson of the Chinese Emperor, his father is Sengln and his mother is Gyaza (rGya bza Lha dkar sGron ma ). In many ways Gyatsha is the model of a perfect Tibetan warrior--aka Gyatsha Zhalkar of Bumpa (Bumpai rGya tsha Zhal dkar). One of the seven super warriors. He is of the Bumpa clan, which is in the lesser or cadet order of Ling. Gyaza rGya bza - The Chinese Consort. Mother of Gyatsha Zhalkar, primary wife of Sengln. Gyurmey Thubten Jamyang Dragpa - Gyur med Thub bstan Jam dbyangs Grags pa the editor of the first three volumes of the Ling Xylograph edition of the Gesar Epic, a disciple of Mipham Gyatso. Habitual Patterns - T: bag chags , S: vsan - patterns of conditioning that exist in the sub-conscious mind and which are the cause of ego fixation. Hamipaa a Chinese sentient being, promised in marriage to the middle daughter of Tsugna Rinchen, the nga king.

30

Happy King Tiger Mountain sKyid rGyal sTag ri name of a place in Ling. Many variants: spyi rgyal, general king, skyi rgyal, sparkling king, lci rgyal, king of Ci. Happy Lovely Goddess- Lha mdze sKyid - a nga maiden of the untouchable caste. Hara Hurthung - (Short and Impetuous) - a style of melody used by Trothung. Haughty Turquoise Dragon Fortress - g.Yu Brug Gying rDzong - the name for the palace of Chipn. Hayagrva - (rTa mGrin) - Horse-headed Tantric Buddhist yidam or tutelary deity. He is especially supplicated for the removal of obstacles and the destruction of demons. He is the personal deity of Trothung and the Tagrong.34 heruka - khrag thung - A wrathful male yidam or tutelary deity at the level of enlightenment of complete buddhahood. The Tibetan khrag thung means blooddrinker, for the wrathful form of herukas is borrowed from depictions in the iconography of monstrous vampires. In tantric symbolism the heruka drinks the blood of ego-clinging and dualistic thinking. heruki - female heruka. heart chakra of dharma - snying kha chos kyi khor lo - one of the chakras. See chakra. He Whose Splendor Overwhelms the Phenomenal World - snang srid sil gnon literally, surpresses the phenomenal world. An epithet of Padmasambhava. In this aspect he is seen holding out his vajra in the mudra of surpressing through splendor. Hidden Lands, Four sbas yul in theory secret Shangri-la like paradises.35 Highest Yoga Tantra - (Skt:anuttarayoga, Tib: rnal byor bla med ) - The scripture of the highest of the four tantric ynas according to the New Translation School of Marpa. The first three ynas are kriy, upa (cary), and yoga. hocks - sgyid pa - Hellfer following Blondeau speculatively translates this as jarret, which means either hock or hamstring.

31

Honorable Masang Dorje Dradrul, the - sKu Masang rDo rje dGra dul - a name for Gesar. It literally means something like the honorable Masang Vajra Tamer of Enemies. See glossary, Masang.
Hor - hor - a country and a people ruled by demon kings who are enemies of Ling and Buddhism. A later volume of the epic is devoted to the war between Ling and Hor. As Stein says in Stein 56, p. 44, The Hor are divided into three tribes, each governed by a king: Gur-dkar (White Tent), Gur-nag (Black Tent), and Gur-ser (Yellow Tent). Zima Tso, wife or lover of Lenpa Chgyal, comes from Hor.36 Horns, The Four - ru bzhi four provinces in Central Tibet: Yo (gYo), U (dbus), and the two ru lag in Tsang. Horse Gods - rta lha - minor deities of horses. Hundred Syllable Mantra The mantra of Vajrasattva. See Vajrasattva. Hundred Thousand Verses of the Ngas, the - a twelve volume collection of Praj pramit texts given by the ngas to Gogmo, Gesars mother, appropriated by Tnpa Gyaltsen of Kyalo along with Gogmo, and thence passed into the common possession of the Ling tribe. These gorgeously ornamented Perfection of Wisdom S|tras are a prize possesson of the tribe and people can even swear by them . The are one of the prizes for the winner of the Horse Race. Hungry ghost Skt: preta, T: yi dvags the realm of the hungry ghosts is one of the three lower realms among the six realms of rebirth which comprehend sasra. Hungry ghosts have huge stomachs and tiny mouths. They are always hungry, but can never find any food. Sometimes they are shown with fire coming out of their mouths because part of their torture is that even cool things burn their mouths. interpretable meaning - Skt: neyrtha, Tib: drang don Buddhist commentaries distinguish scriptures according to two kinds of meaning that their words may have. Some of the teachings the Buddha gave do not express the perfect truth directly, but rather point to it . These are called scriptures with interpretable meaning (literally leading meaning). They lead to the truth, but do not say the truth literally. Thus, in order to avoid being misled by them you must be able to correctly interpret them. This is the proper way to look at the meaning of scriptures which were written

32 for people of lesser or medium faculties: that they are true, but not ultimately true. For example, a mahayanist would say that the so-called hinayana teachings are uttered with interpretable meaning, rather than with the true or certain meaning (skt: nitrtha, tib: nges don) which distinguishes the second kind of scripture. For example, hinayana sutras are perfectly true when they teach impermanence, but they do not teach the ultimate nature of things, which is emptiness. So, their utterances about the nature of things are to be read as having interpretable meaning rather than true meaning. By teaching that all things are impermanent they lead towards the ultimate experience of emptiness, but they do not express its ultimacy in words. The Heart Sutra on the other hand is a scripture written entire with ultimate meaning, which we translate here as certain meaning, nges don. Its words on the nature of things can be taken literally. Jachen Yolmo Corners - Ja chen Yolmoi Gru-khug - lit. Great Rainbow in the corner of Yolmo, a place near Ma. Jambudvpa - (Tibetan: Dzam bu gLing)- The southern continent or island of the Buddhist world-system. It is named after the jambu (rose-apple) tree. Jambudvpa is roughly equivalent to planet Earth in the Western cosmological system--- the world populated by human beings. So Jambudvpa is often simply translated as the world or the whole world. Jampel Gyepey Dorje - (Jam dpal dGyes pai rDo rje) - a name of Mipham Gyatso. It literally means Majur Laughting Vajra. Jang - jang - a country south of Batang, ruled by King Sadam. Gesar will conquer it in the Jang gLing. Stein identifies it as a province in modern day Ynan presently inhabited by the modern day Nakhi, a Himalayan tribe whose shamanistic religion has been closely studied in r ecent years. Joking Nkin Lake Kha mtshar kLu mo mtsho middle daughter of the nga king Tsugna Rinchen, betrothed to a Chinese man. Joru - Jo ru - name given to Gesar when he was a young boy in Ling. In his Joru aspect Gesar was an ugly and mishapen juvenile delinquent wearing disgusting clothes and causing havoc. Jowo Namri - Jobo gNam ri - Lord Sky Mountain - a mountain in the Kingdom of the Devil of the North.

33 Jowo Buddha a famous state of Amitbha Buddha in Lhasa. Judge Wangpo Darphen - dbang gcod dBang po Dar phen (or phan ) - a judge in Ling. Kailash, Mount- Gangs Ti se - located in China in SW Tibet, this mountain has been a pilgrimage point for Buddhists and Hindus from Japan and China to India and Tibet for centuries. In Hindu mythology said to be the home of iva. Kaling temple of Ma rma ka li lha khang a temple in Ling, also known as the Ka-li temple. kalapingka bird - a kind of Indian cuckoo known to Tibetans through their study of Indian poetry. Sometimes called a Kalavinka bird. kalpa an extremely long aeon or age. Karmically Destined Horses of White Ling, Thirty - gLing dKar poi Las rta sum bcu most of these horses have the power of speech and can fly. Each has a name and is specially destined to its particular warrior. Karmo Bumkhyil - dKar mo Bum-khyil - White Spring of Myriad Swirls - a stream. Kar and Nag Tribal Wards dkar nag stong skor tsho pa a place in Ling. Although the expression makes Kar and Nag seem to be two separate places, they are always mentioned together as if this were one unit. kya - sku - this is the honorific term for body. We have used the Sanskrit kya as the translation to indicate its esoteric meaning as the Body of the Buddha. See Bodies of the buddha, three. khavnga kha vam a tantric scepter in the shape of an ornamented iron pole bearing three severed heads at this tip, symbolizing the male principle and the conversion of ego to enlightenment in three ways. Khasha Nyug ri - Kha sha Myug ri - Deer Bamboo Mountain -- a mountain in Mn in the South. This mountain is the earth lord (sa bdag ) of the region of Mn.

34 Khasey Rulu - Kha se Ru lu - A demon who pushes people into rivers, drowning them. He was tamed by Gesar along with other demon forms of wild animals in Volume II of the epic. Stein edition, p.48b. CN says that the name means Grey Moustache. Khenlung Ridrug - mKhan lung Ri drug - Khen Valley Six Mountains- the shady sunny side of a valley in the curve of the Upper Yellow River, near Ma. An unpeopled region inhabited mainly by pikas. The Yellow Hor practiced banditry upon passing merchants there until it was settled by Gesars people. Khyishi Son of Gu Ru - Khyi shi bu yi rgu ru - a person in Ling. The Gu Ru clan is very poor. kiang - the Tibetan wild ass (Equus kiang ). Unlike Western notions of the ass, this is an exceptionally impressive and noble creature who wanders the high plains and mountains. Kiang Bu - name of Gesars horse, Kiang Colt. Sometimes translated as Wild Ass Colt. ki-lin - kyi ling - from the Chinese chi lin or unicorn. One of the four types of noble steeds. Kindness skt: maitr, tib: byams pa sometimes translated as loving-kindness, sometimes mercy, sometimes friendliness. Kingdoms, Twelve Borderland - mTha yi rGyal khag bCu gnyis - a list of twelve countries in Ling. Knowing Steed - Cang Shes - an epithet for Gesars horse, meaning literally all knowing. Refers to the fact that the horse possesses a human intelligence and complete knowledge of the future of the epic. See Noble Steed. know me - mkhyen no - (pro. khyen no)an expression which ritualistically calls to an object of devotion, a god, guru, or buddha, asking for the attention and help of the divine being. For example, in the practice of Call to the Gurus from Afar, one might invoke a guru by saying Guru, know me. (bla ma mkhyen no ). Ku-Masang Dorje Dradrul - sKu Masang rDo rje dGra dul - a name for Gesar. It literally means something like the honorable Masang Vajra Tamer of Enemies.

35 Kumuda a kind of lotus. Kukurp also spelled Kukkurp one of the eighty-four mahsiddhas, he taught Marpa the Mahmy Tantra. He was famous for his eccentric association with dogs.37 Ku-lha Ri-gyal - sKu lha Ri rgyal - Body god Mountain King. Hellfer believes this is the same as the mountain sKu lha mKha ri - a mountain in the southern district of Lhodrag (Lho brag ) which is located at the site of Pulahari, a place made famous by Marpa the translator. Kyalo Tnpa Gyaltsen - See Tnpa Gyaltsen of Kyalo. Kyalo Wealthy Pasture Land sKya lo Phyug gi mTsher sa homeland of Kyalo Tnpa. The world wealthy (Phyug) in this context tends to be synomymous with cattle. Kyemchog Tharpa of Yadey Ya dei sKyem chog Tharpa Great Being Liberation a nobleman of Ling. Kyis - sKyid sos another name for Yaknyi Nyida Khado. Kunga, Guru - bla ma kun dga - one of the thirteen lamas of Ling. Kunga Nyima, Doctor - lha rje Kun dga Nyi ma - a doctor. Land of the Devils - bDud kyi Sa - usually ths is bDud yul , the land of mras or devils. Its king is the Devi of the North and the greatest battle saga of the epic, the bDud gLing, is devoted to the bitter and violent war between him and Gesar. Lamp of Splendor gZi ldan Drsn a nga maiden of the royal caste. Lang - rLangs - name of a clan in Ling. 38 Langchen Palgyi Seng-ge rLangs chen dPal gyi Seng ge - - Great Lang Glorious Lang - a priest of Ling. One of the three gurus of Ling. Langtn Changchub Drenpa - rLangs ston Byang chub Dren pa - Lang teacher Bodhi Guide - a priest in Ling.

36 Lapis Turquoise Peak Vaidurya g.Yu rtse a mountain where dwells a nga castle. larger noble steed - do chen. Lasso That Can Miraculously Catch the Sun and Moon - Nyi Zla sPhrul dzin gyi Zhags pa - a lasso used by the lha and werma to catch Gesars horse. Leader of a Hundred -rGya dPon An epthet for Sergyi Argham. This could mean Chinese leader as Goldstein claims in The New Tibetan-English Dictionary of Modern Tibetan, 2001. Stein in Les Tribus takes it to be Leader of a Hundred where hundred refers to a military division of men called a ru or horn. Lenpa Chgyal -gLen pa Chos rgyal - son of Chipn, killed in war with Gog. Lhabu Legpa - Lha bu Legs pa - Auspicious Divine Child - a son of Achen of Hor, a nephew of the Chinese Emperor.39 Lhakar Drnma - Lha dkar sGron ma40 - (Divine White Lamp) - aka Gyaza (rGya bza), the Chinese Wife. see Wife. Lhashes Karpo lha shes dKar po Divine White Knowledge, a warrior of the generation of Tigers of Ling. Lhayag Darkar - Lha yag Dar dkar - Good Divine White Silk - The son of Chphen Nagpo and Serza, founder of the Greater or Elder Lineage. Li Li Stein identifies this, the fourth of the Nine Great Wings, with the ancient Buddhist Kingdom of Khotan. Stein 56, p31. life duration - tshe - a kind of force or energy which a person possesses at birth, the result of their previous karma. A persons longevity depends utterly on the amount of tshe they possess, for, short of extraordinary interventions, a person dies when their alloted life duration force is exhausted. see life force. life essence - bla - a kind of entity or nexus within the human body in the heart center which functions like a soul. It is responsible for the sense of identification with the body. And if the bla should journey away from the body and not return, death will soon

37 follow. see life force. Life Essence Mountain Colorful Tiger Nose (La-ri Tagna Trawo) - bLa Ri sTag sNa Khra bo - name of a mountain. life force - srog - a kind of energy or soul that is possessed by every living being and which is responsible for their health and general sense of physical well-being. If a person has an illness associated with their srog, they will become weak, depressed, and frequently ill. Often this term is presented in connection with the triad: bla, srog, and tshe: life essence, life force, and life duration. life stone - bla rdo - literally, soul stones. the bla (pronounced la) is a kind of soul that dwells in a person. When the bla, the life essence, leaves a person, soon after that they will die. Some beings keep their life essences locked safely in a material object, such as a stone or a mirror or, in the famous Russian fairy tale of Koschei the Deathless, in an egg. Lion Cub Tiger Fortress - Seng phrug sTag rDzong - a castle built for Gesar by Gedzo and Machen Pomra. It is one of the prizes for the winner of the race. Ling, epithets - gLing - Ling is a country presumably in Eastern Tibet or Amdo province. It has several epic epithets: White Ling, meaning Ling, the good. Sparkling Ling, literally multi-colored Ling, meaning Ling, the beautiful, and Wishing Land Ling, meaning that Ling is such a wonderful place that everybody wishes they were there. Ling Tsang - gLing gTshang - modern province in the Northeastern Tibet or Northwestern China which is supposed to be the ancient site of the Kingdom of Ling from the Gesar Epic. Lingchen Tharpey Snam - gLing chen Thar pai bSod nams - Great Ling Merit of Liberation - Leader of the Middle Lineage of Ling, an old man, and chieftain of one of the Six Districts of Middle Ling.41 Little Blue Nine-Pillared Tent of the Ngas - one of the prizes awarded to the winner of the Horse Race, this tent was originally given by the ngas to Gogmo, Gesars mother, from whom it passed to Tnpa Gyaltsen of Kyalo, and thence to the Ling tribe at large.

38 Little Idiot Vulture Face gLen yu Ngo rgod a nga of the commoners caste. Little Luminous Nga Snake- kLu sBrul Chung -name of Gesars younger brother, one of the magical beings co-born with him. Little Turquoise Maid g.Yu Chung sMan a nga maiden of the untouchable caste. Little White Conch - Dung chung dKar po - name of Gesars elder brother, one of the magical beings co-born with him. Little White Vulture rGod chung dKar mo - elder nga daughter of nga king Tsugna Rinchen. She was promised to a Yaksha king as his bride. Long Black Stream of Nga Tsugna - kLu gTsug nai Chu mig Nag ring - name of a stream mear Gogmos little tent in Ling. Long Life Queen of Accomplishment Beer - Grub pai rGyal moi Tshe Chang - name of a beer. Lord of Secrets - (gsang bai bdag) - epithet of Vajrapi, the bodhisattva of energy or power. He is called Lord of Secrets because he is considered a primordial figure in esoteric Buddhism. Lord of Steeds - Do rJe - epithet for Wild Kiang. Lord of Steeds Wild Kiang Increasing- Do rJe Kyang rGod Phel po - full name of Wild Kiang. Lord of the World - Skt: Lokevara, TIb: Jig rten dBang - epithet of Avalokitevara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Lotus Crystal Cave of Ma Dentig rMa Dantig Padma Shel Phug a place name. Lotus Great Power Padma dBang Chen a name for Padmasmabhava or Hayagrva. Lotus Sunrise Padma Nyi Shar name of Chief Rongtsa Tragens sleeping chamber. loving kidness - skt. maitri, tib. byams pa. Also translated as mercy and friendliness. It

39 is the leading virtue of the so-called Hnyana to match compassion or karu. Lower Officer - dPn Chung a Tibetan title reminiscent of Chinese titles. Limitless Palace of Lotus Light Padma Od kyi gZhal yas name of Padmas palace on Cmara on the Copper Colored Mountain. Little Water Quintessence Crystal Vase- Chu bCud Shel gyi Bum Chung name of a little vase owned by the ngas. Lotus Power - padma dbang - an epithet for the yidam Hayagrva. It refers to the fact that he is the yidam of the Lotus Family. see Lotus Great Power. Lynx Cub Kyatra - Gung pa Bu yi sKya khra - one of the Thirty Fathers and Uncles in the lesser lineage. There is some doubt about whether a gung is a leopard, a lynx, or some other kind of Sino-Tibetan wild cat. In any case, it has rich fur with attractive spots. Ma - rMa - a region localized sometimes in Eastern Tibet, sometimes in Amdo. Usually Ma refers to the region of the Upper Yellow River, which is called in Tibetan the Ma River, near the mountain series Magyal Pomra. In this version of the epic, it seems to be located somewhat to the south, because it neighbors the land of Dan.42 At the beginning of the epic it is a wild, unpeopled land full of gods and demons. Later, after a famine, Gesar resettles all of Ling in Ma. Ma, Lower Ma - rMa sMad - In the land of the Goloks, the Ma river, that is, the Yellow River, turns from East to West at the 34th parallel and forms a region enclosed on three sides by the river. This is rMa sMad Lha Lung Sum mDo, which means roughly the Divine Valley of Lower Ma at the Three Confluences. It is at 34,102 degrees, Southeast of Magyal Pomra Mountain, and is the dwelling place of Joru. Ma Sang Demons - ma sang dre - deities who in habited Tibet before the coming of Buddhism. Usually they are a group of nine ma sang brothers, Ma Sang dPun dGu. Machen - rMa chen - short for Magyal Pomra, another name for Magyal Pomra. magical illusion - (Skt: maya, Tib: rgyu phrul) - acts of deception and illusion such as a magician would use.

40 magnetize - dbang du bsdu - also translated as overcome. This is the ritual action by which a being or object is brought under ones influence. It is one of the Four Karmas (sprin las bzhi )-- four ritual acts or acts of power a Buddha can perform. Magyal Pomra - rMa rgyal sPom ra - a nyen, a mountain god of very high standing in the Tibetan native pantheon. Magyal Pomra is the deity of the Machen Pomra mountain range, also known on Chinese maps as Amnye Machen. It is a series of peaks in the heart of the Golok district in Qinghai province. Magyal Pomra is highly enlightened nyen and servant of the cause of Buddhism, a co-worker in the plots of Padmasambhava. mahsattva - sems can chen po - among bodhisattvas the mahsattvas are the ones who have attained at least the level of the sixth bhumi. This means they have accomplished the perfection of knowledge, of praj and can see the empty nature of all things. Mahsiddha- grub thob - lit. great accomplished one. The Indian mahsiddhas were unconventional yogic practitioners of tantra. They are famous for pursuing livlihoods not usually associated with the practice of Buddha Dharma and thereby demonstrating the continuity of the dharmakya through all things. They are traditionally represented wearing bone ornaments and the informal clothes of a tantric layman. There is a classical list of 84 mahsiddhas, most of them living in Bengal. Their songs are collected in the Carypadas, collections of songs mainly in Bengali and Indian vernaculars. These dohs or songs of experience give esoteric instructions in symbolic form while appearing often to be popular genres of secular ballads. Majestic Appearance sNang ba gZi ldan a nga child. Makara a semi-abstract design shaped like an imaginary sea creature. Mmak - same in Tibetan as in Sanskrit. Mmak is the female buddha who represents or , more accurately, is the element of earth.43 Mand Divine Beauty - Mand lha mdzes Joyful to Hears divine grandmother in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Manasarowar, Lake -Ma dros - Hellfer, 66 and Stein, 56, 35. A mythical lake where Padmasambhava tamed the ngas. From it flow the four great rivers known by many

41 names in many countries: the Sutlej, the Brahmaputra, the Indus, and a river called the Karnali in Nepal (Ghagra in India). Manasarowar is also called Anavatapta, which is the name of a nga who lives in the lake. The lake is just south of Mount Kalaish and, like Kailash, has been both a Hindu and a Buddhist pilgrimage spot. Maneney -Name of a goddess who is a sort of divine mother and guide to Gesar of Ling. Ne-ne or a-ne is an affectionate or diminutive for the paternal aunt. Or it can refer more generally to a woman of the older generation. 44 Ma, of course, means mother. She has many names. According to Nebesky-Wojkowitz Nam-men Karpo Maneney (gNam sman dKar po Ma ne ne), White Sky Goddess Maneney, is her full name. He also believes that Gungmen Karmo (Gung sman dKar mo) is her other name. p. 190. Mantra Holder - sngags chang - a master of mantrayna of the tantric path. Lotus Skullgarland is called the Mantra Holder. Mra - bdud - the god of illusion who tries to constantly foil the plans of the buddha to gain enlightenment. When the buddha is on the verge of enlightenment under the bodhi tree, Mra sends his daughters to seduce him. Then he has him attacked with hosts of armed soldiers, whose arrows merely turn into flowers. There is also a species of local Tibetan deity called a bdud or mra. So the text conflates the two, the indic devil and his servent, and the native Tibetan demon. Maroon Castle of Kyutri - mKhar sMug poi dKyus kgris - means The Maroon Castle of Encircling Bands.45 Marshd smar shod dwelling place of the prognosticator, Dorje Ngangyak. A.k.a. Le sTod sMar Shod [Steins edition], La sTod sMar Shod, sMar shod Shel dka Lha brag., and sMar mo. We translate the whole expression as the highland pass [la stod] of Marshod. Masang Ma Sang a kind of native Tibetan deity, usually shown wearing weapons and riding a horse. It often appears in rituals in the retinue of Vajrasadhu (rDo rje Legs

pa).46
master of the bride - grub moi skra bdag - literally, master of the hairdo, a standard expression for bridegroom. The bridal hairdo is especially elaborate.

42 Maternal Uncle - Tsha zhang - literally maternal nephew-uncle, epithet of Minister Denma. Mazhi ma bzhi- Four Mothers is an epithet of Trothung, not a place name or tribal name. There are many explanations of this name, one being that four women nursed Trothung when he was a child. medicinal herbs, six - bzang po drug, see TDCM, Vol III, p. 2512: nutmeg, which is good for the heart, musk, which is good for the lungs, for the liver saffron, for the aorta or central life vein cloves, for the kidney or avadhuti elettaria cardamonum, and for the spleen castor oil. Erik Pema Kunzang Schmidt mentions another list: yellow myrobalan (a ru; Terminalia chebula), beleric myrobalan (ba ru; Terminalia belerica), emblic myrobalan; (skyu ru; Emblica officinalis), bamboo manna (cu gang), musk (gla rtsi), and solidified elephant bile (gi wang). see TED.

meditational deity - yi dam - also translated directly as yidam. The vajrayna practitioners personal deity, or tutelary deity, who embodies the practitioners awakened nature. Yidam is explaned as a contraction of yid kyi dam tshig, the samaya or commitment of ones mind. Yidams are sambhogakya buddhas who are visualized in accordance with the psychological makeup of the practitioner. They are male or female, wrathful or peaceful, and carry symbolic ornaments which are an esoteric commentary on the nature and manifestation of the practitioners mind. Examples of famous yidams are Vajrayogin and Cakrasavara. There is a classical maala of five standard yidams, the five families of meditational buddhas. Here there is a yidam for each of the four directions and the center direction. Their families are Vajra family (transmutation of Agression), Padma Family (transmutation of Passion), Buddha family (of ignorance), Ratna family (greed), and Karma family (jealousy). Hayagrva is the yidam of the Lotus family. meditative equipose - myam par bzhag pa -- (skt. smdh or smdhi or samhita) -a state in which meditative concentration or perfect stillness is attained. This can also be used as a general expression for the practice of medtation. meekness - chog shes , which literally means something like contentment or complaisance, as in chung ngus chog shes pa, to be content with little. melodious speech, sixty aspects gsungs yangs uam ;ag duig cu sixty aspects of

43 melodious speech ascribed to the Buddha as the ideal. This list is found in both sutras and tantras. Melody of A Modulating Long Neigh - Tsher ring moi rta - the tune to which Wild Kiang, Gesars horse, sings his melodies. Melody of the Roaring Tigress - sTag moi ngar glui rta - Hellfer, 64 ft.1 that this is another name for Trothungs traditional melody. The word Tiger relates to the name of his clan, Tagrong (Tiger Valley). menmo - (sman mo ) - A female wargod (dralha). Literally, sman means both medicine and woman. Thus, menmo can also be an respectful term for a woman. Whenever in this translation we give the word in Tibetan, it refers to a deitess. Many different kinds of female spirits are referred to as menmos. Often in smoke purification chants they are simply paired with dralhas, as in may all dralhas and menmos come. But there are also certain classical lists of native deitesses who are called the twelve Menmo or the Menmo of the Four Directions. And often the important great sisterhoods of goddesses, i.e. classical lists of goddesses, such as the five Long life Goddesses are called menmos. As native Tibetan feminine deities they can be quite wrathful, and then they are very like the Greek furies. 47 Most menmos live in the sky or in the intermediate region above the earth. An interesting earthbound one is thab sman, the hearth menmo, who is related to the Hearth god, one of the thirteen dralhas. Merit - bsod nams - is here not an abstract possession of positive karma, but an actual energy or glow which people with much good merit possess. Michen Gyalwey Lhundrub - Mi chen rGyal bai Lhun grub - lit. Great Man, Royal Spontaneity. This is an important chieftain (dpon) in Ling--- the model of a powerful and wealthy leader, a sort of noble and respected warlord. He is chieftain of one of the Six Districts (tsho) of Middle Ling (stod gLing) and a leader among the aristocrats of the Elder Lineage of Ling. Michung Khade - Mi chung Kha bde - (Little Man Clever Mouth) - originally from the land of Gog, he lost his father and mother and was sold into the family of Chipn. Middle Lineage of Ling - gLing bring rgyud kyi gdung rgyud - between the Elder Lineage and the Younger Lineage of the three lineages of Ling, the Ombu clan. Their

44 Divine Prince is Anu Paseng. Middle Ling - stod gLing - comprised of The Six Districts of Ombu. see Districts, Six. Migan Shatri - Mi rgan Sha khri ( Old Man Leading a Bird) of Dingri - name of a mountain. Mighty and Terrible Ones, three hundred and sixty khas drag sum rgya drug cu a list of local wrathful deities.48 Mighty Warriors, thirty - (dPa Thul sum cu ) - The chief knights in Gesars army. Among them are seven warriors of a higher degree called the Seven Super Warriors (Yang thul, lit. even mightier), and Ultimate Warriors (zhe thul). See Even Mightier. Most of them have their own sagas in the greater epic. They are all incarnations or aspects (cha shas) of incarnations of the eighty Mahsiddhas. CN

Mikyong Karpo - Mi skyong dKar po - (White Man-Protector) another name for Sentag Adom. His castle is dPa la Fortress. And so sometimes he is known as Pala Mikyong Karpo. Minds Amusement - Sems rTsed name of miraculous waterproof shoes in the possession of the ngas. mind terma - terma or hidden texts which are hidden not in physical objects, but in the subconscious mind of a great being. see terma. Modulating Long Neigh - Tsher gyur Ring moi rTa - name of a tune Wild Kiang, Gesars horse, uses in a song he sings. mongolian gait - rta gros ldan - this is the special way of running Tibetans teach their horses which makes them give a smooth ride, so that the rider need not post. It looks a little like the high stepping gait used by horses in a steeple chase. Mother Text of the Mukpo Clan- ma yig -a book of prophecies about the future of Ling.49 Mnlam Lakha - sMn lam La kha - Aspiration Mountain Pass or Prayer Pass- a.k.a.

45 Mnlam Drakar (sMon lam Brag dkar ) Prayer White Mountain, is the place where Padmasambhava originally decided that Gesar would be born. see Hellfer, p. 66, note. 33. Moon Valley see Da Valley. Morning Star skar rgyan. mountain dog - ri khyi - met. for wolf. Mountain Pass of Falcon Cave Valley see Falcon Cave Valley. Mountain Pass of the Seven Dunes- Bye mai La bdun - a set of hills near Ma. Mountain Ranges, Six sgang drug [TDCN] Jalmo Snow Mountain (jal mo sgang ), Tsawa Mountain (tsha ba sgang ), Markham Mountain (smar khams sgang), Powor Mountain (sPo bor sgang), Mardza Mountain (dmar rdza gangs), and the Minyag Rab Mountain (mi nyag rab sgang) or Menyag (me nyag). Jalmo can be divided into two mountain ranges, Ma (rMa) and Dza (rDza). Mu - dMu - a tribe in the Younger lineage of Ling. Gesars human father is Sengln, whose mother was known as Muza, Woman of the Mu Tribe. Thus Gesar is closely related to the Mu of the Younger Lineage, as is Chipn, the chieftain of the Younger Lineage.50 Great variation in spelling: Mu, sMu, rMu, gMu. Mu gab - dMu gab - literally covered by Mu-demons. This demonic force is the most detrimental of the eight classes of gods and spirits. The Mu gods have the power to obscure clarity, virtue and goodness, such that the victim is completely unaware of the plague. Mu in older texts have sometimes a more exalted meaning, but in this context they are demons. See Mukpo Dong. Muchang dMu spyang name of a clan. Alternate spellings: mu spyang, dmu skong (s) mu-kheng - mu khengs - a type of noble steed. Mukpo Dong - sMug po lDong - name of the Mukpo tribe or clan. Dong by itself literally means tribe, The tribe may be called Dong, or Mukpo or both together--

46 all are proper names of Gesars tribe. It means dark-skinned, a color associated with many of the local deities. For example, the Mu, important gods for the foundation of the imperial line of Tibetan kings, are considered dark-skinned. Mukpo Kyutri - sMug po dKyus dkris - perhaps the name of a castle in the Mukpo tribe. Mupa Darjam Sheep -a-peep dMu pa Dar jam Ngo lug - one of the three Sheep-apeep boys, a member of the Mupa tribe, and therefore of the Younger Lineage of Ling. myrobalan a ru - yellow myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), the herb held in the hands of the Healing Buddha in most traitional iconography. See medicinal herbs, six. n, pra, and bindu Sanskrit, in Tibetan rtsa, rlung, and thig le. According to Asian yoga, the body is divided into channels which are called ndi. 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 material that runs through these systems is called bindu, which literally means drop. Their movement thorugh the channels is called pra or wind. The movement of these energies controls some biological functions and it controls discursive thoughts. Therefore,one can control the mind through yogic exercises which control pra. nga - (tib. klu, pronounced lu) - dragons, serpents, a class of deities associated with water in all its forms. Iconographically they are usually represnted with human torsos and blue-skinned serpent-like lower bodies. The women have turquoise hair. As an Indic deity the ngas figure lalso prominently in the Indian epic tradition, particularly the Mahbhrata, which begins with a description of the war between the ngas and Garuda. But the word lu also refers to a native Tibetan deity associated with water and representing one of the three levels of the cosmos in native Tibetan religion: lha, nyen, and lu. Ng is a female lu. The most famous of the lu or ngas is Tsugna Rinchen, the king of the ngas who rules a realm at the bottom of the ocean. Nga Downs - klu dis - a set of hills in Ling. Ngarjungarbha - kLu sgrub sNying po another name for the great Indian Buddhist philosopher Ngarjun, the developer of the Mahayana school known as Madhyamika or The Middle Way. According to Tibetan tradition he became a tantric practitioner and lived hundreds of years. Ngarjun means friend of the ngas. It refers to the

47 story that Ngarjun fetched the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras from the keeping of the ngas beneath the sea where they were held in trust for future generations. ng - see nga. Namkha Sengzhal - Nam mkha Seng zhal - Sky Lion Face,51 head of the Greater or Elder linege of Ling. Also known as Divine Son (lha bu) Namkha Sengzhal or Lhabu Namkha Sengzhal. Nanda klu rgyal dga bo - a nga king whose name in Tibetan is pronounced Gawo or Gawa. naval chakra of emanation - lte ba sprul pai khor lo - name of one of the chakras. See chakra. Nelchag Six Brothers Wealth Lady - Nel chag Phu Drug Phyug Mo- the home of Kyalo Tonpa. nemesis - kha dre - lit. mouth demons. An expression in village language for problems which coincidentally arise when a person is praised too much. If, for example, a childs qualities are praised too much, it might attract disaster and the demons drawn to inflict the disaster are called mouth demons, because they were drawn by the words of praise. Neney - See Maneney. neurotic upheavals - lhongs tshad - false visions which occur in the course of Chd practice. Ngari mNga ris - the Western section of Tibet. aka The Three Circles of Ngari (mNga ris sKor gsum). Nidna, 12 - twelve links in a causal chain which describe the enslaved life cycle of anybody living in cyclic existence: ignorance, karmic formations, consciousness, nameand-form, six sense gates, contact, perception, desire, taking up (seizing, attachment = upadana), become, birth, sickness-old-age-and-death. nirmakya - the physical body of the buddha. See bodies of the buddha, three.

48 noble steed - rta mdo ba - another elegant term for a special horse. See supreme steed. non-men - mi ma yi - term for any sort of worldly deities. Non-men, Eight Orders of - mi min sde brgyad - see Eight Classes of Beings. Norbu Dradul - (norbu dgra dul ) epithet for Gesar, meaning Jewel Tamer of Enemies. Norbu Lhadar - Nor bu Lha dar - (Jewel Divine Pennant) - also known as Gung gi

dMar leb and Rong tsha Ge phen dMar leb .52 He is maternal nephew of the Rong.
He is Gesars younger brother (gcung po)53 and son of Rongza Sheltr`n, the queen wife of Sengln. He is one of the Mighty Warriors and one of the Favorite Sons. His name is usually given with Rongtsha as a prefix, to indicate his maternal descent from the Rong tribe. Northern God, the - byang lha - epithet of Hayagrva. Nyima Gyaltsen Nyi ma rGyal mtsan a chief. Nyitri Karchen - Nyi khri sKar chen - Twenty Thousand Great Stars - the son of Sadam of Jang, a nephew of the Emperor of China. Nyenchen Thanglha - gNyen chen Thang lha - (Great Nyen Plains Deity) name of a large range of mountains and name of the very famous and powerful nyen who is the lord of that mountain. It is located sixty miles NW of Lhasa, a range of mountains parallel with the Himalayas and North of the Brahmaputra (Tib: Tsangpo) River.54 Nyentag Marpo - gNyan-stag dMarpo - Red Nyen Tiger - a mountain god who occurs in the Gesar Epic. Nyatra Bakha - Nya spra Bakha - name of a legendary fish in Hor. Nyatsha Aten - (Nya tsha A brtan) - var. A bstan. One of Trothungs older sons, one of the Mighty Warriors. Nyatsha, for some reason, seems to mean fish nephew. nyen - gnyen - gods of mountain ranges. In the three-fold hierarchy of native deities (lha, nyen, and lu) they occupy the middle realm between heaven and the underground,

49 equivalent to the sides of mountains. Famous nyen are Machen Pomra and Nyenchen Thanglha, and Gesars patron Gedzo. Nyen are usually powerful gods who exercise a certrain proprietorship over the lands where their mountain ranges lie and are thus often called sa-bdag, earthlords. Nyentag - sNyan stag - Nyen Tiger, the name of a tutelary deity of Gesar who has the form of a wargod.55 Also known as Red Nyentag (gNyan stag dMar po . ) Nyibum Daryag of Serpa - gSer pai Nyi bum Dar yag - the Ser tribe is of the Elder lineage of Ling. Nyibum Daryag literally means Excellent Hundred Thousand fold Sun Silk. He is one of the Thirty Mighty Warriors and one of the Four Divine Heirs. (Lha sras sPun bzhi) Nyima Gyaltsen of Kharu - dKhar ru Nyi ma rGyal mTshan - Chief of the tribe of Kharu, one of the thirteen such chiefs. Nyima Gyaltsen of Weri - Be ri Nyi ma rGyal mtshan, var. Be ru.... - alias of Gesar when he appears to Drugmo as a bandit. Nyima Lhundrub - Nyi ma Lhun grub (Spontaneous Sun) - a warrior of the Middle Lineage of Ling, sometimes known as Gtpo Nyima Lhundrub (Fierce Spontaneous Sun), he was one of the Thirty Fathers and Uncles of Ling, and one of the Thirteen Favorite Sons. -dey Gung-gyal - Od de Gung rgyal - Luminous Heavenly King- a mountain located in Central Tibet (dbus) and, as a mountain god, father of the great mountain deity Nyenchen oath-breaking demons dam sri (pronounced damsi) these are terribly powerful demons who began as tantric practitioners and then turned against the Dharma. As enemies of the Dharma they have all the power they built up through the practice of virtue when they were Buddhists, but now it serves the enemys cause. Thanglha. Ancestor of the Tibetan Kings.56 Offering Treasures of the ngas, nine dkor nor sna dgu Nine precious objects in the possession of the ngas: the jewel Deep Blue Blazing Rays of Splendor, the sea-horse Splendid Stride Flying Knowledge, the precious stole Soft and Warm, the waterproof

50 shoes Minds Amusement, the little vase Water Quintessence Crystal, the tiny turquoise branch Wood Quintessence, the armor Rustless Lapis, the antidote to poison Poison Curing Potent Drop, and the febrifuge Serpent Essence. According to Stein Serpent Essence refers to the highest grade of sandalwood. [Stein 56, ft.p.36] One Horn in Nine-hundred - dGu brGya Ra gCig Kyalos horse. One Thousand Lotus Fringed - Padma Lan tsar sTong ldan name of an offering scarf. Omza - Om bza - Wife of the Om Tribe. See Chphen Nagpo. oral instructions Sanskrit: upadea, T: gdams sngag In tantra, the guru personally communicates the essence of meditation practice to his students orally. Sometimes these teachings are so clear that they are written down and published in any case. Opulent Goddess of the Space Element Nam mKhai dByings Phyug ma -the goddess of the element of space. This is the female Buddha representing among the five elements, the element of space. She is consort of the central Buddha in the maala of the five Buddha families. pacifying - see Enlightened Activities, Four. Padma Rga Palace - Pladma Rgai Pho brang - Ruby Palace, an abode of Buddha Amitbha. Padmasambhava - pad ma byung - the tantric magician who brought tantra to Tibet. His name means born from a lotus, an indication of his magical origins. Padmasambhava is regarded as a completely enlightened buddha who still dwells on a demon island on another continent and still works to protect the Dharma in Tibet. He is one of the principal objects of devotion in Tibetan religion. Palgyi Seng-ge - a priest of Ling, see Langchen Palgyi Seng-ge. Paravsin - gos dkar lcang lo can or gas dkar mo - The female buddha who resides in the West and is the element of fire. Her name means Clothed in White Robes. See buddha families, five. ntarakita - Abbot of Nland University, he is author of important works on

51 Mahyna philosophy such as the Madhyamaklakra, a work on Madhyamakan philosophy and the Tattvasagraha, a summary of all philosophical systems. He arrived in Tibet and taught advanced Buddhist teachings widely. He developed the basis for the philosophical school which provided the metaphysical foundations for much of Nyingma practice, the Yogcra-Madhyamaka-Svtantrika. He invited Padmasambhava to Tibet when he encountered obstacles to the building of the first great Tibetan monastery. Panghol sPang hol place in Persia. Pang-ra Yu-dzong - sPangra gYu rDzong - Fenced Meadow Turquoise Fortress - one among several names of Chieftain Shingtris castle. Pagyal - dPa rgyal - a servant. Palo Tsegye - sPalo rTse rgyas - name of mountain sacred to Gurkar, the king of Hor. sPa-lo either means plaited hair or arrogant. 57 Pang-ra Yu-dzong - sPangra gYu rDzong - Turquoise Fortress Fenced Meadow - a name of Shingtris castle.

pramits, six this is Sanskrit, the Tibetan is pha rol tu phyin pa six perfections, six virtuous practices which make up the practices of the mahyna path: generosity (Skt: dna, Skt: sbyin pa, discipline (Skt: ila, Tib: tsul khrims), patience (Skt: knti, Tib: bzod pa), exertion (Skt: vrya, Tib: btson grus), meditation (Skt: dhyna, Tib: bsam gtan). The Perfections are six transcendent actions that are performed from the point of view of an enlightened being. Thererfore you have to have bodhicitta, the enlightened mind or enlightened attitude, in order to perform them. When an ordinary person who has not yet crossed to the other shore attempts to perform the six perfections, since it is not done from the ultimate point of view, that action is called relative bodhicitta. Much of the mahyna teachings are devoted to giving subtle instructions in these six practices so that one can built up to doing them in the ultimate way.
path of means - thabs lam - synonym for the practices of Karmayoga, also known as the practices of the Third Abhieka, the tantric practices of sexual union. Patriarchal Tribes of Gog, Eighteen - Gog Pha Tsho bco brgyad - literaly, the eighteen father districts of Gog. These, apparently, are areas of Gog organized

52 according to clans patriarchally derived. A significant thing to note, since matriarchal filiations are also noted in the epics genealogies. It is probably in the region of Jyekundo. 58 patron gods - go bai lha - the five deities who perch on the body of a warrior and protect him or her from attack:. Here is one typical list: crown of the head - Yul lha (country god) (sometimes Garuda) right shoulder - dGra Lha (wargod) right armpit - Pho lha (male god) left armpit - Mo lha (female god) heart - Srog lha (life force god)59 Pehar - a Central Asian deity that was brought to Tibet at the time of the founding of the Tibetan empire, and became a guardian of the first monastic center, Samye. He is easily identifiable by his peculiar circular hat. Penne Ritra - spen ne ri bkra - name of a mountain betwee the Ma and Dza Rivers. 60 Pernagchen - Ber nag can - The two-armed Mahkala, one of the major tantric dharma protectors. In the world of the epic he is particularly associated with the region of Gadey (bGa bDe) and the tribe of Bru (Bru). His name means wearing a black Ber or robe.61 Personal Power - see field of power. Phagdru - Phag Gru a place name in Western Tibet. Phorog Tongcham - Pho rog sTong cham - Anu Zigphens horse. pika - (bra ba) - a prairie dog like rodent who burrows, creating complicated tunnel systems. Biologists call them black-lipped pikas. High pasturage nomads consider them a pest, because they believe that their burrowing activity destroys grass lands, turning the ground into barren black earth (sa nag po). pointing out instructions - sems kyi ngo sprod - oral teachings in which the guru shows the student the nature of mind directly --an individual instruction which in some tantric lineages is considered a necessary prelude to the study of the deeper meditation practices.

53 Poison Curing Potent Drop - Dug zil zhon thig name of a magical medicine that cures poison in the possession of the ngas. poisons, five - Tib. myon mongs, Skt: klea - the five negative emotions: passion, aggression, ignorance, arrogance, and envy. Possessing One-thousand Lotuses Padma stong ldan name of one of Chipns scarves. power bow - dbang gzhu - poetic for rainbow. Power Lord - Shugs mGon - name of a wargod. Precious Jewels That Fulfill All Needs and Desires, Thirteen dGos dod nor bu bcu gsum a set of offerings the ngas made to Padmasambhava. Precious Vase That Cures Poison Dug Sel Rin chen Bum Pa the name of a precious vase in the possession of the ngas. Preserver Wargods, the Three Kindred - sKyob pai dGra lha sPun gsum - a society of wargods who protect the person of warriors from the attacks of weapons. prosperity energy g.yang Also translated enriching presence or prosperity energy. this word can simply refer to the fact that a person is wealthy, but it also means a kind of radiant and infectious power of wealth, almost a subtle substance whose touch can change ones karma and make one become wealthy. Objects can be infused with g.yang (pronounced yang)For example, there may be a particular Yak which carries wealth blessings and is called a yang yak. The owner of such a yak might guild its horns and weave lovely ribbons into its shaggy coat to celebrate and augment its yang. prosperity support - g.yang rten - a ritual object to increase ones yang (g.yang), enriching presence or prosperity energy.

Purang - sPu Rangs a region in Ngari in Western Tibet.

Pure Land - see field.

54 pra Sanskrit, in Tib. rlung. See ndi, pra, and bindu. The psychic energy which flows through the yogic body like wind. Protectors, three - (Rigs gsum mGon po) - lit. the three families of protectors - the three bodhisattvas who represent respectively wisdom (praj), compassion, and power: Majur, Avalokitevara, and Vajrapi. province - khag name of a geographical division. Literally, section or part or unit. Queen of Accomplishment - Grub pai rGyal mo - a goddess invoked in Ling in ceremonies of protection. Queen of the Four Seasons Dus bzhii rGyal mo -usually this expression refers to four goddesses: the Goddess of Spring, Goddess of Summer, etc. They appear in the suite of r Dev, one of the major protectors of Tibet. 62 Quintessence of Medicine Amrita- sMan bCud bDud rtsi name of a tea offered by the ngas to Padmasambhava. Rhula sGra gcan a malevolent heavenly body that causes eclipses by swallowing the moon. It has a thread-like body that is invisible, but the shadow of this body falling across a person on the earth causes epileptic fits. The name in Sanskrit means obstacle. This Rhula, constantly mentioned in court poetry, is not to be confused with the tantric yidam of the same name. rainbow body - ja lus - the act of disolving into light--- a physical manifestation of enlightenment among Dzogchen practitioners. When some fully realized Great Perfection gurus die, their bodies do not rot, but rather slowly transform into rays of light. This is called the rainbow body. Ragza Getsho Rag bza dGe mtsho Wife from Rag Virtuous Lake, one of the noblewomen of Ling. rkasa - srin po or when transliterated in Tibetan raka. - often translated as cannibal demons, rkasas are man-eating, shape-shifting monsters with magical powers. They appear particularly in Indian epics. The Buddhist protective deity, Mahkla has the

55 form of a rkasa. The wrathful female buddha, Vajrayogin has the form of a rkas, a female rkasa. Ralo Tnpa - see Tnpa Gyaltsen of Kyalo. ransom - glud- this is an offering made in order to distract or deflect a demon or other harmful deity from an afflicted person. There are many kinds of ransoms in Tibet and numerous varieities of ramson ceremonies. It maybe that at one time actual living scapegoats were used,63 but today the ransom objects are cakes (tormas) either in the shape of items to be offered such as cattle and horses or in the shape of the afflicted as a replacement object for the attack. Rare and Supreme Ones, Three - dKon mChog gSum - the three refuges of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. realms, three - see worlds, three realm of truth see Dharmadhtu. realms, six - gro ba rigs drug - six states of possible rebirth for beings trapped in sasra: the deva or god realm, the asura or jealous god realm, the human realm, animal realm, hungry ghost realm, and hell realm. Red Wetland Pastures - na dmar gzhung - probably the proper name of the place where Wild Kiang grew up. It is also a descriptive term for this kind of wetlands that appears red because of the presence of minerals in the soil. Regions, Four gLing bzhi - made up of the Four Rivers, Tsharong, Ma and Da . renunciate - bya bral literally an actionless person who has renounced even the most elementary of domestic or daily activities in order to develop perfect equanimity. Reverses the Rivers Flow - Chu bo Yar bsgyur - one of several names given to Zhalkars magical sword when the Chinese Emperor presented it to him as a present. Rich Like Massing Clouds - sPrin Lang Phyug mo - name of silk flags given by the Younger Lineage to Zhalkar on his birth celebration.

56 Ri-man ri mam place in India. Rinchen Darlu of Muchang - sMu sPyang Rin chen Dar lu - the priestly family of Muchang has this representative in the epic as speaker for the lesser lineage of Muchang. One of the Four Divine Heirs. Rivers, Four - Chu bzhi - Bri Chu, rMa Chu, rGyal mo rNgul Chu, Zla chu - Dri River, Ma River, Gyalmo Ngyul River (Queen Silver River), and Da River (Moon River). Rongza Sheltrsn - Rong bza shel sgron - (Crystal Torch, Wife from Rong). One of the Thirteen Queens, first wife of King Sengln, mother of Norbu Lhadar. Rigden Raudracakrin- Rigs ldan Drag po lCags khor chan- his tibetan name actually means One of Noble Family the Fierce Holder of the Iron Wheel - the twenty-fifth Rigden King of the mythical Kingdom of Shambhala, the last Rigden predicted by the Kalacakra Tantra. In his reign Shambhala will become visible to the human realm, its gates will open and an army will flow forth to conquer the enemies of the Dharma, creating a new golden age. River Slowly Flowing - Chu bo Dal bab- name of a melody. Roan - Gro sMug - name of Drugmos mare. Rongtsha Tragen - see Chipn. Rongza Rong bZa the Wife from Rong, one of the noblewomen of Ling. Rustless Lapis g.Ya med Vaidurya - name of a suit of armor owned by the ngas. Sadam, chieftain - sa dam dpon - chieftain or king of the land of Jang. Gesars enemy in the saga of the War with Jang. samdhi (tib: ting nge dzin) Samdhi is a Sanskrit word which has entered into Western usage. It means a state of deep meditative absorption on an object, sometimes associated with insight and sometimes simply associated with calmness. Samantabhadra this is Sanskrit, Tibetan is Kun-tu bZang po. His name means All-

57 Good. He is the primordial dharmakya Buddha, blue in color andnaked, often depicted in consort with Prajn, who is white in color. There is a bodhisattva of the same name who is famous for making elaborate offerings in the chapter of the Flower Garland Sutra entitled, The Vows and Practices of Samantabhadra. samaya - (tib. dam tshig) - literally, sacred word in Tibetan. Oath. Commitment. Samayas are special tantric commitments which bind the practitioner with fatal rigor in subtle ways. When a tantric practitioner makes a samaya vow, it seals or binds the disciple to a certain attitude or action. The samayas are many and subtle, an integral part of every tantric practice. Transgression of a samaya vow has terible karmic consequences. The most important of samayas are those that bind the disciple and guru together. Samaya vows are also used to bind individuals to tribes and members of one tribe to another. Samdrup Ling Dzong - bSam grub gLing rDzong - Garden that Accomplishes All Wishes Fortress - a name of Shingtris castle. sasra khor ba - In contrast to nirva, sasra is the vicious cycle of transmigratory existence. It arises out of ignorance and is characterized by suffering. Also translated as cyclic existence because sasra means to circle round and round. One Tibetan etynology traces it to a longer expression which means whirlpool. The idea is that just by behaving properly, according to consensus reality or relative truth one is like a drowning man slowly foundering in a whirlpool, circling round and round repeating domestic patterns and sinking ever lower with each circle, until one drowns. sambhogakya buddha - the visionary body of the buddha. See bodies of the buddha, three. secret chakra that sustains bliss - gsang ba bde skyong khor lo - the chakra in the sexual center. See chakra. select portion- phud - the select portion is the first offering of food or drink made during a ceremony involving a series of offerings. It may symbolize making an offering first to the central deity before the retinue deities are served. Or else, as in a ja phud or select offering of tea, it might be an offering of tea to the deities, usually the Three Jewels and transworldly deities, before the humans partake. Sengcham Drugmo - Seng lcam Brug mo - see Drugmo. A name of Drugmo.

58 Literally, Lionness Dragon Lady. lcam by itself means sister, but here, like sman, it simply is a feminine noun ending. Sengln, King - Seng blon rGyal po - Leader of the Thirty Brothers and Cousins, usually called Senlsn Gyalpo or King Sengln in the epic. He is Gesars human father, a son of Chlha Phen (chos lha phen ) of the Younger Lineage, descending from the Bum (Bum) tribe. He is a reincarnation of the Legs phyin, Sudatta, also known as Anthapiaka. 64 He is brother to both Trothung and Chipn. His wife is Gyaza, a Chinese aristocrat named Lhakar Dronma or White Divine Torch (Lha dkar sGron ma. Therefore his son is called Gyatsha Zhalkar, Chinese Nephew. Sengtag Adom (Lion Tiger Primal Bear) -seng stag A dom - a leader in the Middle Lineage of Ling, one among the group called the Thirty Fathers and Uncles of Ling, and one of the Seven Super Warriors, he was one of the most famous warriors of his clan. Sergham - gSer-gham - also gSer gyi A rgam - Golden Argham (Argham is sanskrit for a water offering) - One of the chieftains of the Six Districts of Upper Ling and one of the Mighty Warriors. Head of the Middle Lineage. He is also known as Centurion Sergyi Argham. See Centurion. Sergyi Argham See Sergham. Serza - gSer bza - Wife of the Ser Tribe. See Chphen Nagpo. From her descended the Greater or Elder Lineage of Ling, based on a connection with the Ser tribe. Serpey Buchung Tharyag - gSer pai Bu chung Thar yag (Good Savor, Younger Son of Serpa)- One of the Thirty Fathers and Uncles, one of the Thirteen Favorite Sons. A cadet of the Serpa clan and thus of the Elder Lineage of Ling. His main name is Tharyag, Good Savor. Also known simply as Serpey Buchung. 65 Sertsho - gSer Mtsho - Golden Lake - aka. Kharagza (Kha rag gZa ), the Wife from Kharag. Usually she is known as Denza, the wife from Den. See entries under Den and Denza. Seven-fold Treasure - see Treasure, Seven-fold. Shady Valley Forest Queen of Wealth - Srib lung Nag rgyal phyug mo.

59 shady side of the valley - sgrib - this is a standard Tibetan topological expression. Northeastern Tibet is full of lateral valleys which have one side in shade most of the time (sgrib) and one side in sun most of the time (nyin). The valley usually ends in a box canyon. Shalkar Gyang-rag of Mupa - Mu pai Shel dkar rGyang grags - A member of the Bumpa clan of the Younger Lineage, just like Gyatsha Zhalkar. One of the Thirty Fathers and Sons and Thirteen Favorite Sons. His name might mean White Crystal Furlong. Sharu Sky Fortress - Sha ru gNam rdzong - the first place Gesar subjugates in the bDud gLing, The Demon and Ling. Sheep-a-peep - Ngo Lug - The three Ngo-lug were three young men so handsome that people would travel great distances just to look at their faces and would pay an entire sheep just to get a glimpse of their faces. So they came to be called the three Ngo-lug, literally sheep faces. However, the term actually means something like One sheep, one look. The translation Sheep-a-peep seemed to be in the spirit of the original. The three Sheep-a-peep were respectively Tsangwey Ngolug of A-ge, Darjam Ngolug of Mupa, and Sintsa Ngolug of Tagrong. Sherab Gyatso Shes rabs rgya mtsho Chipsns secretary. Shingtri, King - Shing khri - King of Mn, one of the Devil Kings of the Four or Eight Direcitons. si demons - sri or bsri - ancient invisible Tibetan demons who cause cyclical patterns of misfortune. For example, if the first born of several generations all die, it would be regarded as a family curse of Si demons. 66 siddhi - see accomplishment. ila, samdhi, and praj - tsul khrims, ting nge dzin, and shes rab - the three disciplines (ila): discipline, meditation, and wisdom. Sindhu - another name for one of the four great rivers (kha 'bab chu bzhi) that flow from lake Anavatapta or Manosarowar. Connected historically with the region of the

60 now lost Saraswati river that was important in the ancient Indus civilization. Sister Wears a White Luminous Coat - see Wears a White Luminous Coat. Six Modulations in Nine Pitches - dGu seng Drug gyur - name of a song tune Drugmo uses. skandhas, five this is Sanskrit, tib. is phung po The five skandhas are aggregates of dharmas, or atoms of experience, which make up the individual. A person needs dharmas from these five aggregates arising in coordination with each other in order to produce the complex of experiences known as ego-clinging. The five are form (skt: rpa, tib: gzugs), feeling (vedan, tshor ba), perception (samjn, du shes), formation (saskra, di byed), and consciousness (vijnna, rnam par shes pa). Sky Fortress Rich Woman rNam rDzong Phyug mo- see Falcon, Upper. Slate Mountain Lightning Proof - rDza ri Thog thub - Name of the armour made from meteoric iron which the Chinese Emperor presented to Lhabu Legpa. The Slow Flowing of a Great River - Chu gliung Dal Bab Drang te - name of a melody used by Gogmo when she sings. Sling Shot Spring Nine Turns - Ur rdo Chu Mig dGu sgril - the name of Jorus sling shot. The sling shot is a standard weapon for a shepherd boy. Small Maroon Golden Urn gSer zo sMug chung - a magical possession of the ngas. snake essence - sprul gyi snying po a febrifuge in the possession of the ngas. Snow Mountain Haughty Gait - Gangri aGying shes, the nyen Gyogchen Dongras horse. smoke offering - lha sangs - pronounced lha sang. literally, divine purification. This is a ceremony in which clouds of juniper smoke are offered along with tea, liquor, and various offerings from native Tibetan religion. The lha or gods are invited to descend down the column of smoke and purify the place. smoke offering urns - sangs khang - a censer or incense burner or stove on which a lha

61 sang, a purificatory smoke offering, is made. So bsvo a mantric sound in native Tibetan religion. From its spelling one can see that it once had a more impressive pronunciation. Soaring Golden Bird Gait - gser bya ldin gros - a horse given to Zhalkar by the Ser tribe at his birthday celebration. Soft and Warm Dro Jam name of a precious stole owned by the ngas. Sogkya Ralpa Cliff - (Sog skya Ral pa) - home of King Shingtri of Mn. 67 solidification, solidified - A thas - pronounced A te - a special term used in the Atiyana, the highest vehicle of the Nyingma lineage, for deep-seated habitual patterns of conceptualization and perception which make the transparent phenomenal world seem solid, which make that which is not truly existent seem truly existent, which make the unreal illusory manifestations of mind seem externally real. Habituation. Also refers to the tendancy to solidfiy the sense of existence of the self or subject. Snam Men bSod nams sman- Merit Herb, a woman. Sons and nephews - bu tsha the younger generation, as compared with pha khu, the fathers and uncles of the older generation. sphere of dharma see dharmadhtu in glossary. Splendid Stride Flying Knowledge - gZi Bang Phur Shes name of a magical seahorse in the possession of the ngas. Spring of the Ngas - kLu yi Chu Mig - a body of water, lake or stream where Gogmo met her father after she had entered Senglns family. Sugata - bDe bzhin gshegs pa - Well-gone one, an epithet for the buddhas, like Tathgata, the Thus-gone One. Supreme Bliss Good Nature bde mchog ngnag yag son of Great God White Luminosity and Mand Divine Beauty, father of Joyful to Hear, the previous incarnation of Gesar of Ling.

62 sweets, three - mngar gsum - white sugar, brown suger, and honey. secrets, three - gsang gsum - Body, Speech, and Mind. splendor - gzi brjid - (pronounded ziji) - a kind of energy of magnificence, magnanimity, and power that surrounds warriors and great people. Chgyam Trungpa, Rinpoche translated it sometimes as dignity and sometimes as confidence. It means essentially majesty or splendor, a kind of radiance that one would expect to show from the head and shoulders of a king. Splendidly Surpressing a Thousand Sword Points - sTong-rtse Zil-gnon - one of several names of the magical sword given by the Emperor of China to Gyatsha Zhalkar. Sridpa Kolmoy Rog Fortress - (Srid pa Khor moi Rog rDzong, also Kholmo Rong Dzong, many spelling variations) - name of Trothungs castle. Srintsha Sheep-a-peep - sTag Rong Srin tsha Ngolug - He name means Rak Maternal Nephew of Tagrong. He is a member of the Tagrong Tribe in the Younger Lineage of Ling. stupa - mchod rten - an ornamental tower or oblelisk like monument containing the relics of some enlightened beings. They are considered sources of blessings and instruments of wishfulfillment. Stupid Mute Stone Target gLen yu Kha tham rDo tho a name for Metog Lhadze, Flower Divine Beauty, Gesars mother when she was a nga princess. We have no special explanation for the strangeness of her name. Perhaps it is a scribal error or just another peculiarity of nga culture. Sukhvati - The Happy Land - the name of a pure land created by Amitbha. See field. sunny side of the valley - nyin - the opposite of srib, the shady side. In the highlands there are many lateral valleys. One side gets the sun and the other side is usually shady. Sun Thunder Voice - Nyi ma Brug Grags - name of a cymbal played at great formal

63 gatherings . One of the Seven-fold Treasures. Super Warriors, seven - (yang thul) - a group of superior warriors among the Thirty Mighty Warriors: Gyatsha Zhelkar (rGya tsha Zhal dkar), Sengtag Adom (Seng sTag A dom), Tsazhang Denma Changtra (Tsha zhang Dan ma Byang khra), Anu Zigphen (A nu gZig Phen), Druga Dech Kyongwer Nag (Bru dga bDe chos sKyong ber Nag), Chlu Buyi Darphen (Chos lu Bu yi Dar phen), and Nyatsa Aten (Nya Tsha A rten) supports - (rten ) - a rten is a support or basis for something. In rituals, it is the iconic element or ritual object which represents the deity. So, for example, a tanka or icon of Hayagrva would be a rten, a support for Hayagrva. Often deities are invoked and invited to invest or dwell in their supports on a shrine. Supreme Bliss Good Nature bDe mchog Ngang Yag divine father of Joyful to Hear, the previous incarnation of Gesar as a deity in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Surrounds and Speeds the Horse, the Wargod who - Khor bai mGyogs byed dGra lha a class of dralhas who surround a horse perching on the tips of its ears, on its hooves as they run, on its fine ornaments, etc. sweet potatoes - gro ma (pronounced troma or droma.) These are a characteristic Tibetan brand of sweet potato and figure significantly in the epic. They are small, bite sized roots like sweet potatoes, but varying in shape. A bowl of them might be offered as a snack or delicacy. 68 Sweet Youth Yuyi Metog - snang chung gYu yi Me tog , see Yuyi Metog. sweets, the three - mngar gsum - suger, honey, and molasses--- three offerings used in ceremonies of native Tibetan relgion and in lha sangs, smoke offerings. Swirling Auspiciousness - bKra shis Khyil ba, the proper name for Rongtsa Tragens tea kettle. Swirling Melody of a Happy Song - sKyid glu Khyil wai rta - name of the melody used by Judge Wangpo Darphen in his song. Taglung - sTag Lung a place name.

64 tantric feast see gaacakra. Tag-rong - (sTag rong ) (Tiger Valley) - a province ruled by Trothung, in present day Sichuan province. Trogyal - Khro rgyal - (Wrathful King of Tag-rong) - Another name for Trothung. Tagthang Tramo - sTag-thang Khra-mo - Colorful Tiger Plain. Same as Upper Tiger Plain Gathering Place. Takako - Jog po - A nga king, one of the Five Eminent Beings who received the Anu Yoga transmission of the Higher Tantras. [EPK] Tangthong Gyalpo - Thang sTong rGyal po- lit. field of emptiness king - the spiritual advisor to the Mukpo tribe and the Kingdom of Ling. A mahsiddha. Tao Mitso Marnag - rTa'u Mi mTso Mar Nag also lTau69 Tenpa Dargyey - bsTan pa Dar rGyas - Lit. Teachings Spreading and Flourishing, Chief Rongtsa Tragens body servant. Paired with Snam Yarphel. [40:3] Tong-ri Nam dzong - sTong ri gNam dzong - Thousand Mountains Sky Fortress - a name of Shingtris castle. Tr - sGrol ma - is a female emanation of Avaloketevara, the bodhisattva of compassion. She is invoked as a remover of obstacles, but also as the particular patron of women.70 There are several forms in which Tr is visualized, the white and the green aspects being the most popular. The liturgies directed towards the different aspects focus on different services requested of the goddess. Tashi Lhatso - bKra zhis Lha mtsho - Auspicious Divine Lake - aka Metog Tashi Lhatso (Flower Auspicious Divine Lake), and Bdza, Bod bza, i.e. the Tibetan Wife. She was the wife of Chipn. Tenpa Dargyey bsTan pa Dar rgyas Spreading and Propagating the Teachings one of Rongtsa Tragens servants. terma - a discovered text. According to the teachings of the Nyingma lineage

65 Padmasambhava hid important Buddhist texts so tht they would not be destroyed during a period of repression of Buddhism. Terma are categorized according to where they are found. For example, terma hidden in rocks are called rock terma. Terma which simply appear in the mind are sometimes classfied as mind terma (dgongs gter). Thangtong Gyalpo thang stong rgyal po the Buddhist lama who serves as the priest of Ling. There is no special reason to think this character in the epic is the same as the famous bridge builder Thangtong Gyalpo, who invented Tibetan theatre. Tharpa Gyaltsen - Be dkar Thar pa rGyal mtshan - Banner of Liberation, chief of Nagru. theu rang - one of the eight classes of gods, a class of local deities generally harmful to humankind. According to one description, the theu rang are invisible one-legged demons who ride mounted on tornados. They are harmful to children and are also the deities to whom gamblers pray when they are playing dice. He who receives the blessings of the theu rang will win in gambling, but after death he must become a servant of the theu rang. 71 Thogmey Bum - Thog-med Bum - Beginningless Hundred Thousand- of the Younger Lineage, son of Dragyal Bum-me. Thousand Mountains Treasury of Wealth - sTong ri Nor gyi Bang mdzod - name of Sengtag Adoms horse. three gates - sgo gsum - the gates of body, speech, and mind. . three sufferings - sdug bsngal gsum - suffering of pain on top of pain (dukha dukhat), suffering of change (viparima), suffering of conditioned existence (saskra dukhat). three trainings - bslab gsum - trika - training in discipline (ila), meditation (samdhi), and knowledge (praj). throat chakra of great bliss - mgring pa longs spyod khor lo - one of the chakras. See chakra. Thubten Nyima - Thub bstan Nyi ma - a Tibetan lama, an incarnation of Khyentse

66 Rinpoche who worked on an edition of the Gesar epic in the 80s. Tiger Fortress - (stag rdzong) - see Yak Calf Tiger Fortress. Tigers in their Prime - stag shar - also Young Tigers and Youthful Tigers. An epic term for young warriors, for young braves. Tnpa Gyaltsen of Kyalo - (sKya lo sTon pa rGyal mtshan )-- lit. Teacher Victory Banner of Kyalo, is the leader of the wealthy class of Ling. He is the father of Drugmo, Gesar's future bride and a leader in the Province of Gog. torma - gtor ma - sacrificial cakes. Some tormas represent deities and buddhas who are worshipped on the shrine. Others represent offerings of food and other desirables. They are usually made of roasted barley, painted with food dyes, and ornamented with colored wheels of butter. Traltse Shechog, Leader of a Thousand - sTong dpon Gral rtse Shes mchog (Myriarch Traltse Supreme Knowledge) - He is chieftain of one of the Six Districts (tsho) of Middle Ling (sTod gLing).72 He is always called by a Chinese/Central Asian military term: leader of a thousand, stong dpon.73 Var. gra rtse(s). tramens - wrathful, animal-headed, naked demon women who serve as protectors of maalas. They usually carry bladed weapons and stab their enemies to death or pound them through with nails. They hunt restlessly at the periphery of the maala. treasure, seven-fold - Seven precious objects that were the common wealth of the tribe. They were a statue of Shakyamuni made of conch shell, a statue of Avalokitevara in conch, a turquoise statue of Tr, the conch of the law White Lady Furlong, the drum of the law Brilliantly Shining, the cymbal Sun Thunder Voice, and the banner Wargod Spear Support. Tremulous Melody of the Cookoo Bird - Khu byug lDem gLui ngag rta - name of a melody. Tri-te sPri ste place name. Upper and Lower Tri are the last two of the Nine Great Wings. Tribes of Tibet, Six Miu gDung Drug 74: In Drigung the Kyura Tribe (bBi-gung Kyu

67

ra), in Taglung the Khazi Tribe (sTag lung Kha zi), in Sakya the Khn Tribe (Sa skya khon), in Chgyal the Nam Tribe(Chos rGyal gNam), at Kyungpo the Gya Tribe (Khyungpo Gya) and at Neu Dong the Tribe of the Lha, (sNeu gDong Lha).
tribes, nine tsho dgu - another list of ancient aristocratic families of Tibet: : Ga (sGa), Dru (Bru), and Dong (lDong)75; Se (Sad ), Mu (dMu), and Dong; and Pal (dPal), Da (Zla), and Dra (Bra ). See Sino-Tibetan Marches for a lengthy philological and structuralist analysis of these families in Tibetan literature. Tribal wards, of Kar and Nag - dKar nag sTong skor Tsho pa - Stein gives their names as dKar ru and Nag ru, which would simply mean White and Black families. sTong skor literally means Thousand Circuit or Thousand Turnings. Trichang Pagyal - Khri spyang dPa rgyal - Wolf Throne Victorious Warrior, son of Chphen Nagpo and Omza. Founder of the Middle Lineage of Ling. Trisong Deutsen - (Khri srong lDeu btsan) (714-797) - Ruler of the Tibetan empire four generations after its founder, Songtsen Gampo (Srong btsan sGam po). He was predicted by the Majurmlatantra. He brought the great founders of the rNyingma Lineage and Mahyna to Tibet. These were the tantric guru Padmasambhava and the great abbot ntarakita. Therefore the three are sometimes known as a triad, the Guru, Abbot, and King (mkhan slob chos gsum). He is regarded as an emanation of the bodhisattva of wisdom, Majur. Trogyal - Khro rgyal - a name for Trothung. It means Wrathful King and is related to the wrathful yidam Hayagrva of whom he is an emanation. troma - kro ma - a species of wild yam that abounds in Tibet. They are very small and of many different shapes. see sweet potatoes. Trothung - khro thung - (pronounced Trotung) Gesars uncle, chieftain of the Tagrong province in present day Sichuan. Later he would be one of the Thirty Brethren of Ling (Phu nu gSum cu). But although he became a mighty warrior on the side of Ling, out of jealousy he was always opposed to Gesar and attempted to betray him repeatedly. Actually, having a higher being incarnate as Trothung in order to serve as an obstacle to Gesars activities was one of Gesars original requirements in heaven before he incarnated in Ling. So despite the play of Trothungs opposition, he is actually an indispensable part of Gesars primal retinue of deities and wargods. He is

68 the but of innumerable jokes and the model of a misguided tantric practitoner. When we first meet Trothung, he is actively opposed to the interests of Ling and in favor of the advancement of his own districts interests, even though he fights alongside Chipn and the other divisions of the Mukpo clan. He is sometimes called four mothers Trothung, because he was nurtured by four women in h is childhood. Trothung is sometimes considered as a reincarnation of Hayagrva, the horseheaded wrathful buddha (yidam) of the Padma family. This deity, who is also known as the god of the North, is also his personal yidam or tutelary deity. Tshalpa - tshal pa a place in Middle Tibet. Tsharong Tsha rong one of the Four Regions of Tibet (gLing). tsen - (btsan) - Deities associated with rocks and the sides of mountains. In the threefold order of gods (lha ), nyen, and lu (ngas), they stand in the middle or intermediate space between heaven and earth with the nyen. Often represented as red in color. [Stein,56: 386]76 Tsazhang - Tsha zhang - Maternal Uncle - An epithet for Denma, short for Tsazhang Denma Chang Tra. See Denma. Tsawa - tsha ba - name of a district. tsho - district - As in The Six Districts of White Ling- gling dkar tsho drug . Tsho is probably a Chinese word for tribal territories. Here it refers to a sixfold division of Ling. Tsugna Rinchen - gTsug na Rin chen (skt: Ratnaca) lit. Jewel in the Crest. This is the king of the Ngas and maternal grandfather of Gesar. Jewel in the Head refers to a classical Asian belief that all serpents have a jewel in their heads just above and between the eyes. Turquoise Bird - (g.Yu Bya)- name of the horse belonging to the son of Trothung. Turquoise Meadow - (Neu g.Yu Thang), Twelve Countries of Ling - rDzong chen bCu gnyis - literally, the Twelve Great Fortresses of Ling. An epithet of the country of Ling. See Fortresss.

69 Turquoise Lake of Existence srid pa g.Yu mtsho name of a lake. Twelve Provinces (khri skor) - a khri skor is literally the number ten thousand. It refers to the idea that each of the provinces of Ling had, in theory, ten thousand households. The Two Excellent Ones the Sun and the Moon Conjoined Yak gnyis Nyi zla Kha Sprod or kha mdi or kha dzom the word conjoined probably refers to a geographical feature, the meeting of two or more canyon entrances. dbu one of the Four Horns of Tibet, a province in Central Tibet. Urgyen Padma - one of the many names of the Tantric yogi who founded Tibet, Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born from the land of Uiya or Urgyen. Ultimate Warriors, Three - (Zhe Thul gSum)- Falcon, Eagle, and Wolf, three great warriors even greater than the Mighty Warriors and the Super Warriors. Uncle Tharpey Zerna - (A khod Thar pai Zer sNa) - (Nose Liberated with Sickle) a servant of Trothung, not to be confused with Trothungs general, Uncle Tharpa. See Chapter 1, Horse Race, ft 149. Also, Tharpey Zorna. The name originates in the story of how this man accidentally cut of his nose with a knife when he was eating a piece of meat, holding the piece in his teeth with one hand, while he cut off a bite with his left. CN uncontrived conduct - see yogic conduct. Upper Dilyak Tiger Plain in Ma - (rMa Dil yag sTag thang Gong ma) - The gathering place for the people of Ling at their grand assemblies and one stage on the trade route between Tibet and China (une tape sur la route des marchands de Chine et du Tibet... [Hellfer, 60]). Dilyak according to Hellfer is a form of del yag , meaning good hill. The usual name for this place is Tagthang Gongma (sTag Thang Gong ma), Upper Tiger Plain. Upper Falcon Sky Fortress - khra stod gnam rdzong Rongtsa's palace. Upper Tiger Plain Gathering Place - (du ra stag thang gong ma) - see Upper Dilyak Tiger Plain in Ma. The place of assembly of the people of Ling.

70 Uiyna - (or-gyan) - An epithet of Padmasambhava. Actually, this is the name of the semi-mythical land in which he was born. uncles and nephews - khu tshan . u-zi tea u-zi apparently a kind of Chinese tea. Vaisakha - Sa ga zla ba - of the one of the 28 nakatras (rgyu skar nyi shu rtsa brgyad), which are divisions or phases of the lunar zodiac.[Stutley: 200] It is also the name for the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. Vairavaa this is Sanskrit. Tib. is rNam thos sras - Vairavaa is the deity of wealth. He has the form of a king and wears glorious, effulgent clothes. vajra the ritual scepter used by tantric practitioners in their liturgical practice. The original vajra was the king of the gods, Indras weapon. It was made from adamantine, a substance so hard that it could cut anything, but could not be cut. That is why the word vajra is sometimes translated diamond and as an adjective indestructible. For some reason it is also translated as thunderbolt. The shape of the vajra is a short rod with three, four, five, or nine points sticking out at either end. The points are curled in and touch each other to make a flower bud shape. But if the weapon is deployed, its points open outwards and destroy the enemy. 77 Vajra Lake Born Lord of the Victorious One - rGyal dbang mTsho skyes rDo rje - an epithet for Padmasambhava. Vajradhara - rDo rje Chang - the primordial buddha, the divine source of the Tantric teachings of the New Translation School. Vajradhara means Holder of the Vajra. He is a dharmakya buddha, that is, a deity who represents the mind and ultimate nature of the buddha. He also represents the primordial founder of some tantric lineages. Vajrasdhu - This is Sanskrit, the Tibetan is rDo rje Legs pa - one of the most important protector deities in Tibet. A wrathful protector riding a brown ram, holding the implements of a blacksmith. He is, among other things, the protector of the lineage of Marpa the Translator. Also known as the genyen Vajrasadhu and as the samayabound Vajrasadhu (dam can rDo rje Legs pa).

71 Vajrasattva this is Sanskrit, tib: rdo rje sems dpa . Among the five buddha families, the buddha of the East, white in color, holding a vajra in the right hand and a bell held at the waist. In a sense Vajrasattva is the generic tantric god, for his name means Vajra Being. His hundred syllable mantra is used to purify violations and corruptions of samaya, of tantric sacred vows. Vajravarh Sanskrit, Tibetan is rDo rje Phags mo. This is a form of the female, semi-wrathful Buddha, Vajrayogin. She is often called simply phags mo, the Sow, which is a more noble expression in Tibetan than in English. Probably originally related to Varha, the third incarnation of Vishnu who became a gigantic boar and saved the Earth from perishing in a flood by lifting it up on its tusk. Valley of Eighteen Falcon Caves - Lung Khra Phug bCo brGyad- the region where Rongtsa Tragens fortress is located. Vallies, Four rong bzhi a geographical division of lower or Eastern Ling. Vast as the Sky -Nam mkha Leb chen - name of a helmet given by the Younger Lineage to Zhalkar on his birth celebration. Vinyakas bgegs , literally, removers. A kind of demon who obstructs a persons dharma practice. This is also an epithet of Ganea, the elephant-headed deity with a babys body, a deity who removes obstructions to practice. He appears in semiwrathful form in Tibetan tantra as a king of the wargods and as a local protector deity. In this case then the name refers to a protecting rather than obstructing spirit.78 virtues, ten - (dge ba bcu ) - abandoning killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh words, idle gossip, coveteousness, harming others, and wrong views. vulture demon - (rgod dre) - a kind of demon. Vulture Peak - Bya rgod sPungs ri - the mountain in Northern India on which akyamuni Buddha gave his first sermons. ward stong khor a territorial division which literally means a thousand circuits, connected with the larger one called khri khor, ten thousand circuits. We translate stong khor as ward and khri khor as circuit.

72 wargods -(dgra lha ) - pronounced dralha or sometimes doplha) - deities that represent the strength and physical integrity of a warrior. Iconographically, they are usually shown as armed figures on horseback. Some, however, are more like nature spirits and are represented as animals or as part-animal part-man. For example, in some tankas the Thirteen wargods of Tibet are shown as Thirteen animals considered native to Tibet. There are two spellings for this word with slightly different meanings: dgra lha, means literally enemy god, the idea being that this is a deity that protects a warrior against enemies. lha is the Tibetan term for deity when it is translating the indic word deva-- the generic term for god.79 There is a Tibetan term bla, which is pronounced almost the same as lha and is sometimes used interchangably with lha. The root meaning of bla, however, is above, the idea being that the gods live above in the sky region. dGra bla therefore means enemy god, just like dgra lha. It is sometimes etymolgized, however, as above the enemy, meaning protects against enemies. bLa is also a Tibetan word for a kind of soul or life force which departs the body at the time of death. The dgra bla is therefore not just a warlike protective spirit, but a sort of life force that resides on the body of the warrior and protects him or her from psychic and physical attacks. For more on the notion of bla, see life stone. The term dralha is so popular in Tibetan stories and native Tibetan religion that its reference has expanded beyond the range of its original definition as a defensive spirit of war to mean any ssort of local deity. There is a traditional Tibetan list of local, non-Buddhistic deities known as The Eight Classes of Gods (lha sde brgyad ). This list includes varoius classes of local deities such as werma, theu rang, nyen, lu, and dralha. The term dralha, however, is so widely used that sometimes its reference expands and it refers loosely to the entire list of the eight classes of gods-- to all more or less epic, non-Indic, local Tibetan deities. The word dralha is used by some lamas as a simple replacement for the word lha in all its senses. In particular, it can refer to the deities that represent or embody domestic forces of life and livlihood. Tucci gives an example of this type of lha cited from a volume of the great Rimey collection of practices, the Rinchen gTer mdzod . 80 Some of these lha perch on the warriors body as principles of life and physical integrity. They are called the Five Patron Gods (go bai lha lnga): the phrag lha or shoulder god or male god, the ma lha, mother god, and the khyung lha or garuda god, the pho lha (father god), and the srog lha (life force god). The Rinchen gTer mdzod continues with typical dralha such as the thab lha (hearth god), nor lha (wealth god), tshong lha (market god), mgron lha, god of banquets, lam lha (road lha), zas lha (food god), the phyi lha and nang lha (outside god

73 and inside god), and the go lha (god of leaders or beginnings). wargod castles - bsas mkhar - shrines to local spirits, especially the eight classes of devis, especially the wargods. They are in the form of piles of stone that look somewhat like castles. Wargod shrines are usually called sekhar or castles, because where such a royal and martial spirit resides should be a fortified palace. Wargod Ceremonial Spear - dGra lha rTen mDung - one of the Seven-fold Treasures, the name of a banner. see support for meankng of rten. wargods, praise of - dgra lha spang stod - This is a ceremony performed usually after a lha sang, a smoke offering as a thanksgiving offering to the wargods.81 Water Crystal that Cures All Fevers and Diseases Chu Shel Tsha Nad Kun Dzoms a treasure of the ngas. Wears a White Luminous Coat - Tha le Od dKar can - name of a magical being co-born with Gesar. CN: Tha probably refers to thalle, a kind of robe or coat. well-gone ones - (skt: sugatas, tib: bde gshegs ) epithet for the Buddhas emphasizing that while sentient beings go from suffering to suffering, the well-gone ones go from bliss to bliss. well-gone buddha nature (skt: sugatagarbha, tib: bde gshegs snying po) the standard term for buddha nature in Sanskrit is tathgata-garbha, literally the womb of the thusgone ones. This expression means the same thing. It simply substitutes Su, meaning well for Tath meaning thus. Weri Tribe - lDong Be ri--- a tribe inhabiting a land near Ma. The country of Be-ri is located to the East of Derge on the Dza chu (the Yalung) [the Dza River]. In the Annals of Kokonor, edited by Sunpa mkhanpo (1704-1787), the king of Beri is described as a follower of the Bn religion. Hellfer, p.107, ft. 3. werma - (wer ma ) - one of the eight classes of gods, a species of warlike spirit like the wargods or dralhas. Some texts say that originally the werma were the spirits of the tips of arrows that guided their flight. White Blaze Gva pa name of Gyalwe Lhundrups horse. Aka. Ga-pa khri jams,

74 White Blaze Gentle Throne. White Cloak - Ber dKha - name of Gesar when disguised as an Indian minister. White Conch Garuda - Dung Khyung dKar po - an elder brother (phu bo) co-born with Gesar. This deity is obviously the same as Little White Conch, whose name is a homonym, chung (little) and khyung (garuda) being pronounced the same in Northern dialects. Since the Gesar epic is an oral work, it is hard to say that one is right and the other wrong. White Excellent God - Karmo Lhabzang - name of the conch armor presented by the Chinese emperor to Gyatsha Zhalkar. White Lady Furlong - dkar mo rgyang grags- name of the conch of the law in Werma Lhadars song about the horse race. A furlong, a rgyang grags, is the furthest distance a voice can call. This conch is one of the Seven-fold Treasures. White Lady Myriad Swirls - dKar mo Bum khyil - a spring in Ling. White Law and Order - Khrims Shong dKar mo - the tent where the nobles of Ling met in Tagrong. White Ling - White is a common epithet meaning simple the good. Opposed to black, meaning the bad. see Ling, epithets. White Lord of Men - Mi mgon dKar po a nga prince. White Luminosity Od lDan dKar also known as Great God White Luminosity (Lha Chen Od lDan dKar), divine grandfather of Joyful to Hear, Gesars previous incarnation in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. White Melody with Six Modulations - dKarmo Drug Gyur - name of a melody. White Moon Color - Zla Bai lDog can -a horse given to Zhalkar by the Ombu clan at his birthday celebration. white muzzle - (kha dkar) - metaphor for the kiang or wild ass. (see kiang) 82

75 whites, the three - dkar gsum - offerings of three kinds of diary products: milk, yogourt, and curd drink--- used in ceremonies of native Tibetan religion and lha sangs, smoke offerings. White Sky Horse - gNam rta dKar po - pronounced Namta Karpo. The father of Wild Kiang, Gesars horse. White Supreme Bliss bDe mChog dKar po a godling lha sras, literally a son of a god, living in the Heaven of the Thirty Three. He is transformed by Padmasambhava into Hayagra in order to become grandfather of Joyful to Hear. wife - gza, pronounced za. Many of the heroes genealogies are traced both paternally and matriarchally. So, for example, all the wives of Chla Bum, the ancestor of the Cadet Lineage of Ling are identified by their maternal tribal origins. That is, they are identified as descending from one of his three wives, Rongza, the wife from the Rong Tribe, Gaza, wife from Ga, and Muza, the wife from Mu. The sons of these wives are given names that indicate their maternal lineage using the word tsha. maternal nephew. So, for example, Zhalkar is the son of Sengln and Lhakar Tronma, the Gyaza, the Chinese Wife. Thus he is known as Gyatsha, the Chinese maternal nephew. Wild Kiang - (rkyang rgod )- one of the names of Gesars wonderous horse. A kiang is a wild ass, a large and impressive animal that roams the highlands of Tibet. Herds of them inhabit the vast plain of Changthang and Northeastern Tibet. Gesars horse is not literally a kiang, but it lived wild among them before it was captured by Drugmo and Gesars molther. wild yak - brong - pronounced Drong. A species of yak that runs in herds on the high planes and is rarely domesticated. windhorse - rlung rta - 1) an ancient sino-tibetan diagram which shows four beasts, sometimes the eight trigrams of the Chinese Classic of Changes (I Ching), and a flying horse with a flaming jewel on its saddle. It is often presented on a flag or pennant that flaps in the wind and thereby propogates blessings and uplifted windhorse (see next meaning) to the place. These windhorse flags can be found by the hundreds before a Tibetan residence or temple, decorating flagpoles and cords stretched between two high places. 2) Windhorse is also a kind of energy of dignity and confidence and personal power which must be awakened by a warrior in order to have success in

76 battle. A person with perpetually fully opened windhorse has a field of power about him which gives him an air of success and invincibility. This field is called wang thang (dbang thang), field of power or authentic presence. See glossary entry on field of power. One of the aims of the Gesar Epic as a didactic piece within its own culture is to teach the art and consequences of controlling ones windhorse. wisdom - In this translation the Sanskrit term jna, ye-shes in Tibetan will be as wisdom rather than primordial wisdom, which would be a literal syllable by syllable translation of the Tibetan term. Usually this refers to the highest mystical wisdom, to non-dual wisdom. We will preserve knowledge for praj and prajparmit will be the perfection of knowledge or transcendent knowledge. wisdom kin - ye shes mkha dro ma - a goddess who represents an absolute wisdom principal and is therefore enlightened. wisdom holder skt: vidydhara, tib: rig dzin- originally these were enlightened divine beings who lived above the human realm and in fact were beyond samsra.83 The ancient magical and meditational practices they taught made one eventually transform into a wisdom holder and thus vidydhara became not a name for a kind of being, but the name for a realized person who had gained enlightenment through ancient practices of tantra and alchemical transformation. Finally today it means a name for a person who has attained the ultimate wisdom (rigpa) of complete enlightenment.. Wishfulfilling Cuts at a Touch - bSam pa Reg Chod - meaning that obedient to the will of its owner, it cuts at a touch. The name of a sword given by the Ombu clan to Zhalkar at his birth celebration. wishfulfilling jewel - (yid bzhin norbu) - short for jewel which fulfills whatever mind desires. Usually a symbol for the Dharma or the guru. In legend if this jewel is placed on a high platform, a pole perhaps, and ornamented in the proper way, when it is supplicated with the proper forms it will rain down whatever the supplicator wishes for. words of truth - bden tshig - means both vows and statements so true that they have their own power. For example, chants such as The Heart Stra are said to be words of truth and have incantational powers. Vows made by great yogins and yoginis are words of truth that come true through their spiritual power. worlds, three - khams gsum or srid gsum - The three worlds of sasra: the heaven of

77 the gods (lha ), the world of humans (mi), and the underworlds of ngas (klu ). Sometimes this refers to the three realms of Desire, Form, and Formless Realm, if the reference is more Buddhist than local religion oriented. Wrathful Grimacing One Khro gNyen can a wrathful form of Tara. Wrathful Lake - (khro mo mtsho ) pro. Tromo Tsho, one of Trothungs daughters. Wu tai Shan - eGya nag Ri bo rTse lnga - The famous Five Peaked Mountain in China, traditional home of Manjuri. Located in Northeast Shansi Province in Northeastern China. Xichuan - a Chinese province. Yaka Wealth God - sNod sbyin Nor lha - name for Kubera, the Indic god of wealth universally worshipped throughout Asia and across religions. He has the fleshy, luxurious body of a yaka and is considered king of a city of yakas who live on the to of Mt. Meru. Yak Calf Tiger Fortress - (Beu sTag rDzong ) - name of one of Trothungs castles. Yaknyi Nyida Khado (Two Goods Sun and Moon Conjoined) yag gnyi nyi zla kha

sprod- another name for Yaki Kado, the assembly area of the Mukpo Tribe.84
Yama this is Sakrit, Tibetan is chi bdag the traditional lord of the underworld, a wrathful god with a bulls horns. He is an ancient pre-Buddhist deity of the Hindu pantheon. He wears a mirror-like breastplate in which all of ones previous actions appear as ones as Yama judges ones karma and determines birth in the lower realms or above. Yamshud - Yam shud - a leader among the Tsen demons, sometimes called Lord of the Tsen - btsan kyi rje. Yardrog - Yarbrog a place name. Yarlha Shampo - Yar lha Sham po - sacred mountain located in the Yarlung Valley in Central Tibet, the province where the original kings lived in Central Tibet. It is the patron mountain deity of the kings of Tibet. (Hellfer, 164, ff. 15)

78 Yazang g.ya bzang a place name in Middle Tibet. Yazi Karmo Tsegtong (Thousand Storied White Castle of the Yazi)- Yazi dKarmo rTsegs stong- the castle of Gurkar, King of the Hor. Yellow Hor - see Hor. Yeshe Tsogyal - ye shes mtsho rgyal - a famous female tantrika, consort of Padmasambhava, one of the founders of tantrism in Tibet. Yerpa Cloud Lover Yer pai sprin dga- name of a nga child of the untouchable caste who goes to invite Lotus Born to the land of the ngas. Yidam - see meditational deity. Yo gYo one of the Four Horns of Tibet. Four Provinces in Central Tibet. yogic conduct - (brtul zhugs kyi sbyod pa) - a special term for the uncontrived activity of a completely accomplished and realized yogin. In yogic conduct, no rules or moral laws are obeyed. Rather, every action is performed based on direct perception of the truth and spontaneous non-dual compassion. Sometimes translated as uncontrived conduct. Younger Brother Little Luminous Nga Snake - see Little Luminous Nga Snake. Younger Lineage of Ling - gLing Chung rGyud kyi gDung rGyud - the cadet lineage of the three lineages of Ling, the Muchang clan. Their Divine Prince is Rinchen Darlu. Young Tigers - see Tigers in their Prime. Youthful Tigers - see Tigers in their Prime.

Yulo Kpa -

gYulo bKodpa - Taras pure land

Yulung Sumdo in Lower Ma- (rMa msmad gYu lung Gad ra Sum mdo )- The unpeopled land near Mount Magyal Pomra where Gesar and his mother spent his childhood. Also

79 called Lha lung Sum mdo-- Valley of the Gods Three Canyons. Stein translates this name as Confluent de trois valles encaisses de la Valle de Turquoise du rMa infrieur -- confluence of three canyons encased by the Turquoise Valley in Lower Ma. 85 According to CN the sum here does not really mean three, but simply a confluence. It could be a confluence of two rivers or two valleys and it would still be called a sum mdo. Yungtriwan Yung Khri Wan a place in Hor. Yutse - g.yY Ttse - name of a mountain which is a holy place in Golok. It lies in the fist curve of the Ma (rMa) River, or as the Chinese know it, the Yellow River. Its long name is Mi nyag g.Yu ri rTse rgyal - Turquoise Mountain King of Longevity of Mingyag. Yuyag Gsnpo Tong thub - gYu yag mGon po sTong thub - His name means Turquoise Mane Lord. He is one of the Thirty Fathers and Uncles and one of the Thiteen Favorite Sons. He is a warrior of the Middle Lineage of Ling. Yuyi Metog - gYu yi Me tog - (Turquoise Flower), also snang chung ..... (Sweet Youth Turquoise Flower) and snang chung gYu stag (Sweet Youth Turquoise Tiger).86 He is the youngest son of Chipsn, one of the thirty Fathers and Uncles and one of the Thirteen Favorite Sons. Zangkar (zings dkar) one of the Nine Wings of Ngari. Zhalu Karpo - Zhal-lu dKar po -literally, Dear White Face, same as Gyatsha Zhalkar. Zhuyi Zhoro Trabtsen - gZhu yi Zho ro Khrab btsan- ((Zhoro Might Armour of Bow) unidentified place name. Zigphen - see Anu Zigphen. Zima Tso - Zi ma mTsho - lover or wife of Lenpa Chgyal, sent to Ling from Kunga of the Yellow Hor. Stein, interpreting Zhalkhars attack on her literally, believes she is a prostitute. zodor - a class of worldly deities from the Bnpo pantheon and native Tibetan religion. In the epic the zodor is usually the god of Mount Magyal Pomra or Gedzo, a special

80 epic mountain god who protects and advises Gesar.87 Often they are the country god (yul lha), the local naturally existing deity who is the true proprietor (bdag po) of the land. Zurphud Napa - Zur phud lNa pa - Five Topknots - (skt: Pacaikha) an important nyen or mountain deity. Usually this deity is identified with the great nyen, Nyenchen Thanglha.

Stein, 56 glossary suggests that Abar Puyi Paljor and Abar Puyi Phentag are two different people, but textual evidence in the first three volumes makes them seem to be two names for the same person.
2

Rangjung Yeshe Tibetan-English Dictionary, by Eric Schmidt. Available electronically.

3

Hellfer, p. 66, ft. 33 and Stein 56, p.33, fol 40b. English translation is based on Steins romantic French translation.

Stein, 56, p. 24. Jschke, -p .370, calf. Blondeau, p. 157, slightly more detail and variant spellings.
6

Brahm is a very popular deity among native Tibetan cults as well as among the Buddhists. He is regarded as a special friend of Buddhism and a craftsman god. His Hindu role as creator of the world has made him in Tibetan culture almost the figure of a supreme artisan.

81
7

On the phu nu relationship in Tibetan epic, see Samten Karmay, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Vol. LVII, Part 2, 1955, pp. 303-313. Karmay points out that althought this seems to be a kinship term, it actually refers to political relationships as well--close personal alliances based usually on vows. We might almost translate it using the Native American notion of blood brother.
8

A most problematic translation. Hellfers edition has spangs for sbang which is in all of my texts as well. It could mean, as Hellfer suggests, Castle of Dung (le chateau de fumier). Or it could mean Meadow Castle or even Crematorium. The Nine levels of Naro probably describes some aspect of the building which has the same shape as the Tibetan O which is called the naro.
9

Tendzin Samphel suggests they may also be the mgur-lha, literally the song gods. According to him, these were orginally deities who stood behind the king when he made proclamations and increased the power and presence of his commands. For ancient kings gave their proclamations often in verse or song. And so these gods who invested the songs with the kind of power that would make them obeyed were called song gods. Sometimes they are the Thirteen mGur Lha. According to Nebesky-Wojkowitz, p. 223-224, these are Bn pre-buddhist deities, spelled sometimes gur, mgul, and mgur.
10

In this we follow a translation convention dating back to the time of Walter Scott when Gaelic terms for positions of leadership in the Scottish Highlands were translated in the same way. See Appendex I.
11

Several different spellings of the Chi in Chiss in the epic: lCi, sKyid, and sPyi. Many variations of spelling, all pronounced approximately the same: dpa gsas

zla ba, dpa gsar zla ba, and in Gansu dpa gsal, . The reference to the fifteenth day of the month or as it literally says, the fifteenth moon, could be that this is the day when the sun rises just as the moon sets, which is regarded as a kind of epiphanic moment. For example, the expression: bco lnga'i nyi zla ltar grol ba - liberated like the sun and moon on the fifteenth; [the moon rising simultaneous with the setting of the sun, liberated at the moment of death]. [Rangjung Yeshe Dictionary]
12

As Hellfer 62 notes, Stein, 56, pp. 28 and folio 31a shows that Dharmapla Black Robe (Chkyong Bernag) was originally from from Gadey, but of the tribe of Bru. He is, of course, not the Mahkla Bernagcan, but a man named after that protective spirit.
13

Hellfer believes his name actually means Darphen, Son of Chlu of

82 Dong.
14

Variant = sPrin-la ?yug mo, the form Stein observed, with the question mark indicating an uncertain letter.
15

For a more detailed description, see the Cosmology Chapter of the Shes bya kun khyab by Jamgn Kongtrul: Myriad Worlds: Buddhist Cosmology in Abhidharma, Klacakra and Dzog-chen , by Jamgsn Kongtrul Lodr Thaye (New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1995), 157-158.
16

Many variations recorded by Stein 56, p.143): Kho mo Rong rdzong (Khomo Valley Fortress), Kho moi Rog rDzong (Khomos Crow Fortress), and Khol mo Rong rdzong , which, if Kholmo means anything might mean Maiden Valley Fortress or possibly, Bellows Valley Fortress. All unlikely alternatives.
17

Cuts the Enemy to Pieces in Vendetta - sha pho sdum chod - lit. this line says meat male reconcile cut. It is a collocation of technical terms in the Tibetan nomads worl of justice through payback. pho sha is the blood money which must be paid upon a murder being committed. sha pho here probably means something like the flesh of an enemy. sdum sha on the other hand, is the killing of somebody who has killed ones friend of relative, vengence flesh. So the literal meaning of the name of this word is a sword that cuts somebody paying back a blood price or murder with another killing for vengences sake.
18

Dalung literally means symbol valley or code valley. Stein 61, p.17 and ft. 42 establishes that this was originaly zla lung, meaning moon valley. Both words are pronounced the same way.
19

The expression, of course, is borrowed from Lucas multi-media epic, Star Wars. Not only is Dark Side a literal translation of the Tibetan, but it corresponds so perfectly to the intension of Star Wars that we could hardly resist using it. The creatures of the Dark Side in the Gesar Epic are, after all, like Darth Vadar in Star Wars. They are great Buddhist practitioners gone awry. They are tantric practitioners who gained power through their religious practice and then at some point disagreed with their teachers and turned against them. The logic of their anger at their teacher would make them turn against the Buddha Dharma as well and decide to oppose it. They then took the powers conferred by their Buddhist practice with them into their evil ways, and thus were reborn as Demon Kings with special powers--- powers gained in a sense through the same kind of special practices that give Gesar and his warriors their

83 powers. The expression Dark Side also refers in native Tibetan tradition to deities that are opposed by nature to the white deities, as, for example, the Jealous Gods (skt. asuras) are opposed to the Gods (devas).
20

Stein:59, 183-184.

21

Mighty Youthful Glory of the Tribe - gdong btsan snang ngu A dpal highly speculative English translation. Variants with snang =gnang and dpal = dpan. Hellfer believes gnang ngu is diminuative for gnan, which she reads as youthful. Aphan she interprets as pandit. Thus Dongtsan nang-ngu Apens name would be Dongtsan the young pandit. (le tout jeune pandit).
22

Variant, gDong btsan sNang ngu A pan. Pronounced Dontsen Ngang ngu Apen or Apel..
23

See Index des Noms Propres,pp. 141-166 in Stein, 56. Stein identifies Bru as a variant and possibly Dri the name of one of the wives listed in Stein I:35a of the Lha gLing.
24

For a very precise localization see Stein, Les Tribus Anciennes des Marches Sino-Tibtaines, (Paris: Presses Universitaires de Frances, 1961), p. 40 and 44.

25

Hellfer 160 ft. La rgion comprise entre les fleuves rMa-chu et rDza chu est renomme pour ces cheveaux; mais il se peut que rMa-rDza d_signe le Zal-mo sGang, cf Stein, 1956 , p. 32, fol. 40a. Hellfer calls this the region between the Ma and Dza rivers and says that it is famous for its horses. CN, whose home monestary is near there, describes it as a mountain between the rivers.
26

Often we translate phu nu, elder and younger brothers, by brethren. Samten Karmay translates it in many ways according to the context, particularly as kinsmen.
27

Many alternative spellings and versions: e.g. khra phu dzom lung and khra phug dzam lung.
28

Stein, 1956: p.93 ft and Tucci, Tibetan Painted Scrolls, p. 617. see Hellfer: 65, quoting Stein: 59, pp. 184-185.

29

84
30

Norbu, op. cit. p. 231.

31

There are many lists of deities that are organized into eight classes (sde brgyad). There is, for example, the snang srid sde brgyad , the eight classes of gods of the phenomenal world, very similar to the eight classes of gods, but includingp calendrical gods, gods of stars and constellations, and the Buddhist protector kings, as well as the usual lha, nyen, and lu.
32

The Rangjung Yeshe Electronic Dictionary list s Gungmen Lhari (gung sman lha ri) as Magyal Pomra's wife. This could be the same goddess.

33

References to the horse-necked warrior seem to be drawn from the highest and most advanced of all the cycles of found (terma) texts, the Khandro Nyingthing.
34

Stein56, gives a list of hidden lands: Kongpo, Padma dkod chen, sBrasmo lJongs (Sikkim), and Nepal.
35

Ordinarily the Hor are taken by Tibetans to be Mongolians, but Stein believes they may be another turkic people such as the Uighurs. Stein 59, p.188-194.
36

see Buddhas Lions by Abhayadatta,pp.128-130. and The Life of Marpa the Translator, by Tsang Nyn Heruka, trans. by the Marpa Translation Committee, (Boston: Shambhala Press, 1986), pxxxvi.
37

There are numerous mentions of a Lang family in the history of the Tibetan kings, see Stein 61, p. 16,16, 26, etc.
38

Readers should not confuse Lhabu Legpas name with that of the Haitian deity called Legpa. There is no connection.
39

Lhakar Drnma - Hellfer gives a variant in spelling sgrol ma for sgron ma, which is unattested in any of the editions I possess. sGrol ma would translate not as lamp but as savioress. Stein speculates that gLing Chen might actually by gleng chen - grand _vocateur. Perhaps I would translate this as great speaker or great debater.
41 40

Stein, 1958: pp. 199-200. In some lists, however, she is given as the goddess of water.

42

85
43

Hellfer, p. 56.

44

Stein 65, p. 46 sees this as Castle Mukpo Kyutri. It is possible that the word maroon is actually in this case the name of the Mukpo tribe.
45

Nebsky-Wojkowitz has an extensive discussion of circle of native Tibetan deities known as the Nine Ma Sang Brothers. See particularly page 156.
46

See Tucci, Vol II., p.720 and Nebesky-Wojkowitz, pp. 198-202. For the khas drag sum rgya drug cu see Nebesky-Wojkowitz, p. 340.

47

48

Mother Text is a literal translation of ma yig, but ma could be short for gdodma, meaning original as in original manuscript. see Rangjung Yeshe Electronic Dictionary. In any case, the Mukpo Mayig appears to be an ancient book of cryptic prophecies that predict the future glory of the Mukpo Clan. Chipn possesses this manuscript and the key to untying its riddles. Periodically he consults it for a vision of the future to support clan policy and strategy. See Ldong gi ma yig lun bstan : gling Ge-sar rgyal po'i sgrung, ed. Chos-skyong tshe-ring, (Zi-lin : Mtsho-snong mi rigs dpe skrung khang, 1991).
49

See Stein 61: 204-205.

50

Hellfer translates this name as Visage tourn vers le ciel, Face turned towards the sky. [Hellfer: 62].
51

[TN: p.419].

52

Steins glossary entry on this Rongtsha has a mistake. He gives one entry for a certain Rongtsha mentioned in Vol I. of the epic and then distinguishes this Rongtsha as a separate person, a child. He identifies the first Rongtsha as an older brother of Gesar, which seems to come from a misreading of his own translation of Vol I. 18a. In any case, as Hellfer recognizes correctly, this is certainly Gesars younger brother, we would say his half-brother, since he has the same father (Sengln, but a different mother, Rongza).
53

Websters New Geographical Dictionary, 874.

[Hellfer, 67].

54

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55

Hellfer, p 165, f. 18 and Nebesky-Wojkowitz, p 208.

56

rTse rgyas could mean points opening as in the points of the hundred pointed vajra. When the vajra is thrown, the points on it expand to destroy the enemy.
57

Stein speculates on the true location of Gog in Stein 59, p. 192 and p. 209, footnote 34.
58 59

Nebesky-Wojkowitz, 264.

Hellfer, 160, ft. 10. La superbe montagne to Pan-ne sera ultrieurement appele gDong chen nya nya de Chine. Stein, 1956, p. 28. Nebesky-Wojkowitz, p.25.

60

61 62

Ekvall records the use of living scapegoats as ransoms: Ekvall, Robert B., Religious Observances in Tibet, p.29.
63

This was the famous merchant who, being one of the first wealthy disciples of the Buddha, purchased the site of the first vihara or temple, the grove of Prince Jeta, the Jetvana. Anthapiaka figures in many of the suttas and the Pali vinaya--a layman who immediately recognized the importance of their being a buddha in the world, and the measureless value of an enlightened being.
64

Thubten Nyima has his name as Daryag. Unattested in the Mipham editions. My identification depends on Hellfers conclusions at Hellfer 63.
65

Nebsky-Wojkowitz 301-303 and Namkhai Norbu, Drung, Deu and Bn, (Kangra, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1995, trans. by Adriano Clemente and Andrew Lukianowicz), pp. 168-170.
66

CN believes this cliff is located in present day Eastern Tibet. Hellfer, (p. 166, 166) on the other hand, believes it is south of Lhasa..
67

Stein, 72, In the north and north-east, particularly, there are no trees, just grass and, in the way of animal life, the wild yak and hemione or wild ass (equss kiang).....From the region north of Saka in the west as far as Koko Nor or Amdo in the

87 east such conditions are the general rule. Another great stretch of the type occurs around Riwoche and Lhari. The only vegetable foodstuff man finds on these grassy plains is the silverweed (gro-ma), a species of potentilla or cinque foil with a kind of flury root that marmots hoard in their holes. To hunt the marmots, to live on them and otheir potentilla, this-- the epics have much to say on the matter-- is to lead the wretched life of an exile.
68

lTau Stein believes this is a transliteration of the Chinese place name Taofu.

69

For an interesting examle of a traditional Tibetan feminist use of this deity, see Delog: Journey to Realms Beyond Death, by Delog Dawa Drolma and Richard Barron, Padma Publishing, 1995. There Tr, a goddess worshipped by male and female alike is depicted as assisting a female practitioner against the impositions of a male authority system.
70

Communicated in a comversation with lama Tendzin Samphel in Paris. His name has many spelling variations: dgra rtse, sbra rtse.

71

72

Chiliarchos - This is actually a Chinese dignity (chien hu ) conferred particularly during the Qing dynasty ---aristocratic leaders of tribal military units. It means roughly Batallion commander and could mean one who commands a thousand soldiers or a thousand households. It is a translation of a Jurche word meng an and so could have originated not in a Chinese conferral of orders, but in some East Asian Silk Route military culture. (see A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China, by Charles O. Hucker, (Stanford: University Press), pp.330 and 153. Like the term sde, which we translate in the epic as Division, this title probably originates from a time when the region was settled by a standing army which disbanded and settled on the spot it had last occupied. The military government becomes a civil government and the soldiers become farmers and cattlemen, but the military titles are kept.
73

Six tribes among the Tibetan people bod kyi miu gdung drug Stein interprets the word miu to mean dwarves (nain ) relating to a legend that the originary Tibetan clans were a dwarvish people. Stein 56, p.32. For a list of the Miu gDung Drug see glossary, Tribes of Tibet, Six.
74

lDong (pronounced Dong) is another name for Mukpo Dong (sMug po lDong), the Mukpo Tribe. It literally means dark skinned.

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75

Nebesky-Wojkowitz gives an interesting detailed description [pp. 175-176]: ...one of the most important classes of Tibetan demoniacal deities. The btsan are mostly represented as forocious red riders wearing armour and riding red horses. In the right hand they usually brandish a red lance with a flag of the same colour, while the left hand throws the characteristic red snare of the btsan (btsan zhags). The tyical illness which the btsan are supposed to cause is colic (btsan nad gser thabs ). Later on the same page he translates a lovely description of the residence of a particular class of tsen, the rock tsen, which he found in an extremely obscure Nyingma text: In Tibet, in the middle of this kingdom lies a country--- the beautiful country of the btsan.. There a red castle of the btsan was built, with parapets of cornelian, with foundations of gold and turquoise, pinnacles of jewels, doors of brass, and with staircases of coral. It rises so high to heaven that birds cannot fly up to its top, its foundations lie so deep that no rat can penetrate there. In such a castle, who lives there and who not? These are the btsan, red men with red horses, with the nobly-born rock-btsan of a red colour (brag btsan dmar po)--- they live there. The Brag btsan dmar po is of a bright-red colour.. and he is of a beautiful appearance. He wears a golden cuirass. The breast-girdle and tail-belt of his horse blaze fiery like lightning. In his right hand he brandishes a red lance of copper with a blood-red silken flag... Above his head red birds are flying, and also in the sky red birds flutter around. Red dogs approach from the back. A storm of red fire sweeps around the deity, whose red btsan-snare flashes light lightning. ...

76

Indras vajra had a hundred points. In order to deploy it he would have to go into samadhi, mystic concentration, and intend his enemy from this state. It would leave his grasp, the hundred points, which were folded in on themselves like a bud would open and atomize the enemy. It was a law of nature that if Indra threw the vajra its object would be killed.
77

See Iconographic Dictionary of the Indian Religions: Hinduism-BuddhismJainism, by Gosta Liebert, (Leiden: Brill 1976), p 339.
78

Tucci gives a more precise analysis of the various meanings of lha in its pre-Buddhist and Buddhist usuages in Tibetan Painted Scrolls, II, p760.

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79

Tucci, Painted Scrolls: Vol II, p. 720.

80

Nebesky-Wojkowitz (pp. 319-338) describes one in detail. In a typical praise to the wargods, a dummy is dressed in a complete suit of armour and fixed to a shrine at the center pole of the house. A special wargod mask is placed on the face of the figure. Then elaborate offerings are made to each and every wargod that might protect and patronize the family. The nine kinds of armour that have been strapped to the dummy are praised and empoweed along with the nine weapons. The nine-fold armour: Garuda horned helmet, breast and back harmess, throat armour, handprotecting covers, heart-protecting piece, thigh knife, knee-covering armour, footprotecting armour, and a shield. The nine weapons: magic wheel, battle-axe, wavebladed knife, sword, bow, arrows, snare, lance, and slingshot.
81

The kiang is considered in some poetry to be a kind of horse and in others to be a kind of ass. Stein reports that when it is called white muzzle that indicates that the author thinks of it as a wild ass. [Stein, 59: 538]
82

See The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India, by David Gordon White, (Chicago: University Press, 1996), p.3, et. al.
83

Probably a place near the Chinese-Tibetan border where geographical features look like a drawing of the sun and the moon. The usual name for this place is Yaki Khado or Nyida Yaki Khado, which could be translated as the Valley Entrance of the Two Goods, the Sun and the Moon or possibly The Two Goods, the Sun and the Moon Conjoined. See Stein 56, p11: Yag-gi kha-mdo and below. Also Stein, p. 143. This place is also called Kyiso (sKyid so), the Happy Place, with these other names added as variable epithets. The character of The Gesar as an oral text can be seen here for the name Kyiso is spelled different ways from one edition to another and even from one chapter to another: lCi sos, sPyi sos.
84

Hellfers note 1, p. 109 is quite a rather complete description of this region in the epic.
85

The variations are two-fold: gnang for snang and stag for tog. Translation of gnang chung and snang chung as sweet youth is speculative, based on Hellfers translation le petit jeune. Dictionaries give a different meaning for snang chung, low esteem, low regard... [Goldstein], which certainly doesnt fit the context.
86

Stein 56, p. 388

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87

The story of his interventions of in the lives of a founding family of the Goloks can be found in Kornman, 97, A Tribal History.