Part 22 (2/2)
And may I not be influenced by my negative past actions, But multiply and emulate my past merits.
Wherever I may be born, in whatever land it may be, May I quickly encounter the meditational deity of my past lives.
Knowing, from immediately after birth, how to speak and walk, May I remember my past lives and attain the power of non-forgetfulness.
May I easily come to master by study and reflection, The manifold stages of learning - small, intermediate and great.
May the country into which I am born be auspicious, And may all sentient beings be blessed with happiness.
O, Peaceful and Wrathful Conquerors, may I and all others Become entirely at one with you, and come to resemble you, In all your forms, your retinues, your lifespan and your buddha fields, And in every quality of your supreme auspicious marks.
Through the compa.s.sion of Samantabhadra and the infinite Peaceful and Wrathful Deities, By the power of the truth of pure reality, And by the blessing of the mantrins who practise one-pointedly, May [every wish of] this aspirational prayer be fulfilled.
This prayer ent.i.tled the Aspirational Prayer which Protects from Fear of the Intermediate States was composed by the preceptor from Oddiyna, Padmkara. May this profound sacred teaching not be extinguished until all the worlds of cyclic existence have been emptied.
SAMAYA rgya rgya rgya!
This is a treasure-text of Tulku Karma Lingpa.
13.
A Masked Drama of Rebirth CONTEXT.
This allegorical play portrays the experiences of the archetypal evil-doer Lakanraka and the archetypal virtuous householder rjta as they meet with Yama, the embodiment of the inexorable laws of cause and effect, in the intermediate state of rebirth. This lighthearted masked drama is still commonly performed today during public ceremonial occasions throughout Tibet, Bhutan and the Buddhist regions of the Himalayas. The play is staged, often to huge audiences, in the courtyards or public ceremonial areas of a monastery, often at the time of the annual 10th day sacred dances commemorating the life of Padmasambhava.
PART ONE.
Herein is contained [a masked drama ent.i.tled] Natural Liberation of the Intermediate State of Rebirth: A Teaching Revealing the Natural Expression of Virtue and Negativity, in the Intermediate State of Rebirth;1 which is an extract from the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities: A Profound Sacred Teaching [ent.i.tled] Natural Liberation through [Recognition of] Enlightened Intention.2 I respectfully bow down to the uncreated Buddha-body of Reality: Samantabhadra and Samantabhadr in union; To the unceasing Buddha-body of Perfect Resource: The Peaceful and Wrathful Lotus Deities; And to the naturally arising Buddha-body of Emanation: Padmkara.
May [all beings] be liberated in the intermediate state!
Having earlier presented the empowerments and introductions From the Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States, An extract from the Peaceful and Wrathful Lotus Deities,3 And having introduced the intermediate state of reality, which is the 'great liberation by seeing',4 Now I will present [a means of demonstrating] the introduction to the intermediate state of rebirth.5
THE SCENE.
Here, having completed the previous introductions [to the intermediate states of the time of death and reality], I will present [in the form of a masked drama] the introduction to the intermediate state of rebirth. The spiritual teacher [should now appear fully attired] in the costume of Yama Dharmarja, and wear a large wrathful mask, depicting Yama. He is carrying a large wooden slate in his right hand, and in his left he holds a large round mirror. Dressed in a silk brocade gown, he is seated on a great throne. In his retinue, there is a figure dressed as the black Ox-headed Raksa Demon,6 wearing an ox-head mask and holding a black la.s.so. Then, seated to the right, there is another figure dressed as the Monkey-headed Elemental Spirit,7 with the face of a monkey, and holding a weight and measure in his hands.8 Other figures also present include: one dressed as the Boar-headed Cemetery Spirit,9 carrying a wooden slate; one dressed as the venomous Snake-headed Demon,10 with the face of a snake and carrying a mirror; one dressed as the ferocious Bear-headed figure,11 with the face of a bear and holding a bellows; one dressed as the awesome Lion-headed figure,12 with the face of a lion and clutching a hammer; and one dressed as the Garuda-headed Bird figure,13 with the face of a garuda and holding a saw. These figures with diverse [animal]-heads who are attired similarly to Yama, are dignified and standing in rows, to the right and left of Dharmarja.
The deity representing [the deceased's] good conscience14 is wearing a white peaceful mask and a white silk robe, and is carrying a bowl filled with white pebbles. The demon representing [the deceased's] bad conscience15 is wearing a black wrathful mask and a black gown, and is carrying a bowl filled with black pebbles. Before Dharmarja, on the right, is a long white carpet, which is rolled out like a white pathway, and at its end are two figures dressed in the costume of Mahkrunika, with one face and four arms, and bedecked with ornaments. They are seated at the end [of the white carpet] on a throne which is hidden by a curtain. On the left side is a long black carpet, which is rolled out like a black pathway, and it leads to the door of a dark room.
Hidden elsewhere, in his home, is a person named the late rjta ('gloriously born');16 while hidden somewhere in the corner [of the stage], is someone named the late Laksanraka ('hundred thousand h.e.l.ls'),17 who is a wrongdoing outcaste18 of low birth.
ACT ONE.
DHARMARAJA (as he draws a cross on the wooden slate): O! Ox-headed Raksa, it seems the time of death has come for a person in their home in the human world; the indication of this has appeared on my wooden slate.
OX-HEADED RAKSA (calling to the venomous Snake-headed Demon): O, Venomous Snake-headed One! Look in your mirror! What is this deceased person's country? What is his family line? And what is his name? Please look!
VENOMOUS SNAKE-HEADED DEMON: O! The deceased whose time has come is from the country of Tmradvpa in India, and he lived in the city of Sntikla, which is a towns.h.i.+p of butchers. As for his family line, he belonged to the lowest social cla.s.s of the four cla.s.ses;19 and his name is the wrongdoing Laksanraka. His lifespan has come to an end, and [thus an indication of this] has appeared on the wooden slate. Now, go [and fetch him]!
(Thereupon, the Ox-headed Raksa, the Boar-headed Cemetery Spirit, and the demon representing [the deceased's] bad conscience run off, while, in their wake, the deity representing [the deceased's] good conscience rushes to his a.s.sistance. As soon as they have found the 'wrongdoing one' in his house in the human world, they tie a black noose around his neck, and then Ox-headed [Raksa] and Boar-headed Cemetery Spirit both lead him away by the hands. The demon representing [the deceased's] bad conscience chases him from behind, carrying a load of black pebbles. Meanwhile, the deity representing [the deceased's] good conscience places [a mere] six white pebbles in the bowl for white pebbles, and, in embarra.s.sment, tries to help. Holding a white scarf, with his hands folded in a gesture of supplication, he attempts to pet.i.tion Ox-headed Raksa [on behalf of the deceased], but this is unsuccessful. Laksanraka is then brought screaming into the presence of [Dharma-]rja.) DHARMARAJA (interrogates him): Hmm! Who are you, you black human being, carrying a weight and measure? Where are you from? Why do you not dare to look at me directly? You appear to have attained a human form, but what portion of your positive virtue is [now] left? Have you ever had any scruples about committing negative actions? What do you have to say about this? Speak quickly now!
THE WRONGDOING ONE [LAKSANARAKA] (lamentingly): Alas! Alas! Permit me to speak in the presence of Yama Dharmarja! I had an ordinary human form, my resources were few, my food and clothing poor. I have had many female dependants and thus little to eat. I had to take the lives of many beings and many years have pa.s.sed since I ate rice, for I had nothing but warm [freshly slain] meat to eat. Many years have pa.s.sed since I drank rice wine or pure liquor; for when thirsty I had to drink water and blood.
Nowadays in the populated areas of the world there are many who claim to be spiritual friends. They frequently teach about the defects of having committed negative actions and the benefits of having carried out positive actions. However, I did not go to them! Also, everyone would say, 'Don't persist in such negative actions, as one day death will come, and at that time you will go to the h.e.l.ls. You should renounce wrongdoing and perform virtuous actions!'
Even though they advised me by saying these things, I thought, 'I don't know whether I believe in the h.e.l.ls or not, and anyway there is no one who says they have been there, and then returned [to prove it].' So, I said to those people, 'Who has gone to the h.e.l.ls and then returned? If the h.e.l.ls exist, where are they? These are just the lies of clever-talking people. Under the ground, there is just solid earth and solid rock. There are no h.e.l.ls. Above, there is only empty sky. There are no buddhas. So now while I'm alive, if I kill for my food, it doesn't matter. When I die, my body will be taken to the charnel ground and it will be eaten by birds and wild animals. Not a trace will be left. My mind will vanish, so at that time who will be left to go to the h.e.l.ls.20 HA! HA!'
So I did not believe in the h.e.l.ls and I committed negative acts. And I thought, 'Even if the h.e.l.ls do exist, they will only be set in some remote future life, so if I have sufficient food and clothing for now, the next life doesn't seem to matter.' So it was through this misunderstanding, this lack of awareness, and stupidity that I committed evil acts. It happened because I was not acquainted with the fact that you, Dharmarja, [you] Ox-headed Raksa and [all you] others, actually exist. I did not knowingly do evil just out of contempt for all of you, who exist here in the world of the intermediate state. The fault lies with this misunderstanding and lack of awareness. So, now, all of you, lord and entourage, I request you not to pa.s.s judgement upon me. If I had known when I lived in the human world that this all actually existed, I would never have committed negative actions. Now I am stuck here under the influence of negative mental states. Alas! Alas!, since you are a King of Dharma, be merciful to me! Be my friend and supporter!
Underground there exists great suffering, Dharmarja, so do not send me down there! Instead, please send me upward into the human world! Thereafter I will never perform evil actions again - only good ones!
THE DEITY REPRESENTING THE GOOD CONSCIENCE (offering a white silk scarf): O! Dharmarja, listen to me! This outcaste butcher from Tmradvpa has committed evil deeds owing to his delusion and blinding ignorance, as a result of which he did not understand [the difference between] good and bad actions. Since he did not act knowingly or with understanding, I therefore pet.i.tion you not to punish him. He has, after all, also carried out a small number of virtuous actions!
Once when six people were unable to escape from the current of a broad river, he saved all six - with a virtuous intent. As a mark of this, I have six white pebbles. And since there are also other virtuous actions, similar to this, which he has incidentally acc.u.mulated, Great Dharmarja, I request your forgiveness on his behalf. (As he says this, he prostrates three times [before Dharmarja] .) THE BLACK DEMON [REPRESENTING THE BAD CONSCIENCE]: HA, HA! Is this all you have to say, white deity [of good conscience]! Are you not embarra.s.sed to carry this [almost] empty bowl! He, this low-caste butcher, has spent his life in evil deeds and has robbed himself of his share of virtue.
He has slain all the animals he has ever seen.
He has taken warm flesh for food, And he has drunk warm blood as a beverage.
He has continuously spoken harshly [towards others].
In the upper valleys he has slain innocent wildlife; In the lower valleys he has slain innocent fish; And in between he has beaten innocent beggars.
He has defamed each and every spiritual teacher, Burnt down a large temple, Polluted a great lake with poison, Burnt a vast mountain forest, Beaten his parents, and destroyed a sacred reliquary.
Now in Tmradvpa, India, There is no greater wrongdoer than he!
Look at the mound of black pebbles!
(turning to Laksanraka) In case you don't recognise yourself, Your country is Tmralipti, India,21 And your city is ntikla.
Your father is the butcher, Tripon,22 Who came here eight years ago.
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