Philosophy and Religion / Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Chapter III. The Practising of The Black Art

Telling of Jetsün’s Guru and Mastery of the Black Art; and of how Jetsün Destroyed Thirty-Five of his Enemies and the Rich Barley Harvest of the Others, by Magic.

Again Rechung addressed Jetsün, saying, 'O Jetsün, thou hast said that thou didst first commit some black deeds. What were those black deeds, and how were they committed?’

Jetsün made answer, 'By black magic, and by bringing on hail-storms, I heaped up piles of demerit.’

Rechung then asked, ‘How didst thou happen to have recourse to such a thing? What led thee to do so?’

And Jetsün replied, 'Once I accompanied my preceptor to a feast held in the lower village of Tsa, at which feast he was the most important personage present, and seated at the head of the entire company. He was plied with drink by the guests and by several others also, and thus partaking too freely of the liquor provided was in a state of considerable excitement. At this stage, I was sent home in advance of my preceptor with the presents which he had received.¹ Being somewhat tipsy myself, and having seen several persons at the feast singing, I was seized with an irresistible desire to sing, being moved thereto by a desire to show off my fine voice, of which I was very proud.

'I came singing all along the way. The road to “The Invisible Knoll" passed right in front of our own house; and I still went on singing, even when I was nearing the house. My mother, who was roasting some barley inside the house, hearing my voice, could scarcely believe her ears, albeit my voice on account of its unusual sweetness could hardly be mistaken. Still, she thought, it could not be possible that I should be singing at a time when our circumstances were such that it could be said of us that we were about the most unhappy creatures alive. But looking out and seeing that it really was myself, she was utterly dumbfounded.

‘She dropped her tongs to the right and her roasting-whisk to the left, and, leaving the barley to burn in the pan, came out with a rod in her right hand and a handful of ashes in her left. Sliding down the longer steps and jumping down the shorter steps, she came and threw the ashes in my face, and striking me several times on the head with the rod exclaimed, “O, Mila-Sherab-Gyaltsen, see what a son hath been born to thee! Surely it cannot be thy blood that floweth in the veins of this vagabond! O, look what we have come to!” Thereupon she fell fainting to the ground.

'At that moment my sister came out, and saying, “O brother, what art thou thinking of? See to our mother!” she burst out weeping. This brought me to my senses; and feeling the justice of the rebuke I also wept. Then, for a time, we two continued tugging at our mother’s hands, calling to her in our anguish.

'After a while she revived, and regarding me with a fixed, displeased look on her tear-stained faced, said, “Son, dost thou really feel merry enough to sing? As for me, I think we are the most unhappy of all the unhappy beings existing in all the world; and the only thing I can do is to weep for very sorrow and grief.” And all three of us again wept loudly.

‘Then I said, “Mother, thou art right; but do not take it so much to heart. I solemnly promise to do for thee whatever thou mayst desire of me. What is thy will, my mother?”

My mother said, “What I should like is to see thee dressed in a coat of mail and mounted on a steed, dragging thy stirrups over the necks of these our enemies; but that would be a difficult thing to bring to pass, and attended, too, by much risk. However, what I wish is that thou shouldst learn the Black Art thoroughly, so that thou mayst be able to kill these enemies of ours, chiefly thine uncle and aunt who have caused us so much grief and misery, and cut off the root of their posterity down to the ninth generation. See if thou canst do that for me.”

'I faithfully promised to do my best to fulfil her wish, if she would provide the fees for the Gurus² of the Black Art, as also mine expenses on the road and for the time that I should be engaged in study.

‘My mother then sold half of the field called “Little Famine Carpet" in return for a splendid turquoise called “Radiant Star”, and a white pony called “Unbridled Lion", well known in the place. She also managed to get together two loads of madder for dyeing, and two loads of raw sugar. The sugar I disposed of to meet my present needs; and, setting out, duly arrived at Gungthang. In this place there was an inn called “Self-perfected Innâ”, and there I stayed some days looking out for companions – fellow-travellers who might be going the same way as myself. Thither soon arrived five favourite sons of good families, of Ngari-Döl, bound for Ü and Tsang,³ to learn something of religion as well as of black magic. I told them that I was out on the same errand as themselves, and asked if I might be allowed to accompany them. To this they agreed. Then I took them down to the lower part of Gungthang and there treated them to the best food and refreshments procurable.

‘Meanwhile, my mother had taken them aside and entreated them thus: “Young gentlemen, my son is not of a very studious disposition, neither doth he possess much perseverance. So I beg you to urge him to study, and to make himself proficient. And when ye return, I shall know how to show you my gratitude, and repay you for your kindness to him.”

'When the two loads of dye-stuff had been set upon the pony, and I had secured the turquoise about my person, we set forth. My mother accompanied us a considerable way, every now and then, at each halt, serving out chhang; and while we were walking and also during halts she appealed again ana again to my companions to look after me. I was her only son, and she could hardly bear to part from me; she clung to my hand and shed many tears. At length, taking me aside, she gave me the following parting admonition, in a low voice broken with sobs: “My dear son, consider what a state of wretchedness we are in, and carry out the object that lieth before thee. Thou must show thy power here in this place, by working some destruction. Thy study of magic is not the same as that of these young men; theirs is a matter of acquiring fame, but ours is a matter of desperate necessity. Shouldst thou return without being able to give some visible manifestation of thy power here, I swear to thee that I will kill myself in thy very presence.”

'Having thus admonished me, she left us; but I could hardly bear the parting, my heart was attached to her so fondly. Again and again I looked back at her, and could not withhold the tears which flowed unbidden down my cheeks despite all that I could do to keep them back. My mother, too, suffered no less. I being her only son, she keenly felt the anguish of parting. I could see her gazing back at me as long as we were within sight of one another; and a well-nigh irresistible desire came over me to turn back and see her once more, but, by an almost superhuman effort, I conquered it. Later events caused me to see that this was a premonition of what was to occur - a feeling foreshadowing that I was never to see my mother alive again. When we were completely out of sight of one another, my mother went back weeping to the village. And a few days later it was rumoured far and wide that the son of White Garland of the Nyang had gone away to learn black magic in order to be able to avenge his wrongs.

'I and my companions now proceeded along the Ü-Tsang road till we came to a place called Yakde, in Tsang-rong. Here I sold my pony and my dye-stuffs to a rich man, and receiving payment in gold secured it about my person. Crossing the Tsangpo (Purifier) River, we struck towards the Province of Ü, arriving duly at a place called Thön-luk-rakha (Sheep-Pen of Thön), where we met several lāmas from Ü. On inquiring of them as to who was the most noted adept in the Black Art for producing death, and destruction of property by hail-storms, one of them replied that there was a famous sorcerer named Lāma Yungtun-Trogyal (Wrathful and Victorious Teacher of Evil), of Nyak, in a village called Yarlung-Kyorpo, who was well known for his accomplishments in the art of producing death and destruction by means of black magic, of which Lāma he himself was a pupil. So we all turned our steps towards Lama Yungtun-Trogyal.

'On arriving at Yarlung-Kyorpo, and meeting the Black Magician, I saw that my companions made a present to him of part of their money only; but, as for me, I presented to him everything I had - all my pieces of gold, and the turquoise, and, in addition, even my very self, body and life, begging only that he would teach me black magic in such wise that I might be able to demonstrate mine attainments in unmistakable fashion by working some havoc on those who had robbed me of my patrimony. A further request I made was that he would provide me with food and clothing until I had acquired proficiency in the Art. The Lama smiled and said, “I will consider thy request.”

'And so we all began our studies, which, however, were not of a really effectual kind. We were taught some branches of black magic bearing high-sounding titles, such as that which was said to bestow the power of joining heaven and earth; also a method of dealing death; and, in addition, a few others of a beneficial kind.

'At this sort of study we were kept for nearly a year, about which time my companions began to think of returning home. As a parting gift, our Teacher presented each of us with a coat made of the fine woollen cloth that is woven in the Province of Ü. But I was far from feeling satisfied. I thought that such magical lore as we had mastered up till then was hardly enough for the production of any real effect in my village. And I knew that if I were not able to do something striking my mother would certainly kill herself in my presence. So I could not think of returning home. Observing my reluctance, my companions asked me if I did not want to go home. I replied that I had not yet learned anything. To this they rejoined, “What we have received is quite sufficient; all now dependeth upon our own application and perseverance. We had best follow these methods. Our Teacher telleth us that he hath nothing better to impart to us; and we know that to be true. However, if thou wish to stay on, by all means do so, and see if thou can learn a little more.” Thereupon, they prostrated themselves before the Teacher, and, offering him such gifts as they thought fit, started homeward.

'Putting on the coat given me by the Teacher, I accompanied them the distance of a morning’s walk, by way of seeing them off; and then, bidding them farewell, retraced my steps towards my Teacher’s house. On the way up, I collected in the lap of my robe quite a quantity of manure which I found lying on the road. My Teacher having a nice piece of garden land, I dug a hole in it and buried the manure there. From the roof of his house, the Teacher, having seen what I had done, is said to have spoken to the pupils at that moment round about him thus: - “Among all the pupils I ever have had, I never had nor ever shall have one more affectionate and industrious than that boy. It seemeth that the reason why he did not come to bid me farewell this morning was because he was returning to me. I recollect that on his first coming here he spoke of some neighbours having ill-treated him, and that he wished me to teach him magic so that he might be able to give demonstration of his acquirements in his native place, at the same time offering himself to me body and life. What a simple fellow he is! If what he sayeth be true, it would be a shame, nay, downright cruelty, to refuse to teach him the Art.” I was told of this afterward by one of the young pupils; and I was filled with joy at the prospect of being favoured with really effective instruction.

‘Upon my going into the presence of my Teacher, he addressed me thus : “Well, Thöpaga, how is it that thou hast not gone home?” I had folded up the dress which he had presented to me, and now offered it to him as a fresh gift. Then, bowing in reverence before him, and touching his feet with my forehead, I said, “O Venerable Guru, I am an orphan, with a widowed mother and a sister. We have been deprived of our patrimony by our neighbours, headed by our paternal uncle and aunt, and ill-treated beyond endurance. As we had no power to obtain our rights or avenge ourselves, my mother hath sent me away to learn the Black Art; and if I return without being able to wreak vengeance upon those who have wronged us, my mother will kill herself in my presence. So I did not dare to go home; and I now entreat thee to teach me the Art in a manner that will be really effective.” The Guru then asked me to tell him the whole story of our ill-treatment, and of how we had been defrauded. I related to him all that had happened from the time of my father’s death, and of how we had been wronged and ill-treated by our uncle and aunt, my narrative being broken by my sobs, while the tears streamed from mine eyes.

‘On hearing the whole story, my Teacher, too, was unable to restrain his tears, which I could see coursing down his cheeks. Then he said, “If what thou sayest be true, thou hast indeed been treated most cruelly and unjustly. I could myself wreak vengeance by mine Art, but must not do so without due cause, after full inquiry. Many an appeal hath been made to me by various people that I might teach them this peerless Art of mine. Unlimited quantities of gold and turquoises from the Ngari-Province, silks and brick-tea from Kham and Amdo, grain, butter, and woollen fabrics in loads upon loads from the Provinces of Ü and Tsang, cattle and ponies by the thousands from Dzayul, Tagpo, and the Kongpo Provinces, have come pouring in upon me, as offerings in exchange for this Art. But none yet hath said as thou hast, that he offered himself to me, body and life. So I will make inquiry into thy case.”

'My Teacher had a disciple who was fleeter than a horse and stronger than an elephant. This disciple was sent to my native place with instructions to make inquiry into the facts of my case; and in a few days he came back with a report that all my statements were perfectly true, and that it seemed only an act of justice to bestow on me the Art.

‘Thereupon my Guru said to me, “I withheld the Art from thee in the beginning, because I feared that thou mightst use it stupidly, without having sufficient cause for its exercise.⁴ But now that I am satisfied as to thy truthfulness, I shall teach thee the whole Art. Only, thou must go to another place to learn it. Formerly I had a most destructive piece of black magic called the Zadong-Marnak (Purple Basilisk), potent to paralyse and to kill, which I taught to Khulung-Yöntön-Gyatso (Ocean of Virtue of Khulung), of Nub-Khulung, in the valley of the Tsangpo. He was a physician and also a Tantric.⁵ He possessed a knowledge of the art of launching hail-storms and of guiding them with the tips of his fingers, which art he taught to me. We then swore friendship to each other, and arranged that whoever went to him to learn the art of launching hail-storms should be sent to me, while those who came to me to learn the art of producing death should be sent to him with my recommendations. It will, therefore, be necessary for thee to go to him to learn the art thou desirest, and thither I now shall send thee.”

'Thereupon he provided me and his eldest son named Darma-Wangchuk (Powerful Young Man) with a yak-load of eatables and with presents, consisting of fine woollen cloth, and, also having received from him a letter of recommendation bound with a scarf,⁶ we set out upon our journey and in due time arrived at Nub-Khulung, in the valley of the Tsangpo. There we each made a gift of a piece of fine woollen cloth, and presented our letter; and, relating all the circumstances again, I prayed that I might be favoured with instruction in the Art.

'Khulung-Yonton-Gyatso said, “My friend is constant in friendship and keepeth his promises. Assuredly I will give thee the instruction thou desirest. Build thyself a strong cell which cannot easily be pulled down with the hands, at the end of that spur down there,” pointing out the intended site to me. “Let it have three stories all underground; while one story more, on top of these three, must be built with strong beams, closely joined together. At the outer angles let it be covered with stones large as the body of a yak. Let it be so constructed that none will be able to find the entrance to it, or force their way into it.” He then gave me the necessary instructions [in magical practice].

‘After I had applied the instructions during seven days, my Teacher came and said, “Usually seven days are enough in which to achieve results, and they ought also to be sufficient in the present case.” But, since it was a far-off part of the country in which I wished to operate, I prayed that I might be allowed another seven days; and this prayer was granted.

'On the night of the fourteenth day, my Teacher again came to see me, and said, “To-night, at the end of thine altar, [or circle of offerings], thou wilt see the sign of thy success, and the accomplishment of thy wishes.” And, sure enough, that very night the Tutelary Deities made their appearance, bringing with them the bleeding heads and hearts of thirty-five persons, and laying down the trophies in a heap said, “Were not these the objects of thy wishes, in calling upon us over and over again these last few days?”

'Next morning, my Teacher came again, and said that there were two more persons who ought to be sacrificed, asking me whether I wanted them killed or not. I prayed that they might be spared alive as objects over which to gloat, and cite as examples of my power in the future. Thus it was that my two worst enemies, mine uncle and aunt, were omitted from the general destruction. I next offered thanks to the Karmic and Tutelary Deities, and left my cell-retreat. The site of that cell can be seen to the present day in Khulung.

'To come now to the practical phase of the accomplishment of my vengeance by means of the Black Art; if ye would like to know how it appeared to others, it took place thus: The eldest son of my paternal uncle was going to be married, and all who had taken my paternal uncle’s side were invited to the wedding feast. There were assembled in the house the other sons of that uncle, the bride, and those particular persons who had ill-treated us most, thirty-five persons in all. Some of the invited guests, of whom most were among those who inclined to our side, were on their way to the feast, talking and whispering to one another, saying, “These people are acting exactly according to the proverb: 'Trust others with possession of thy house, and be turned out of doors.’ Even if Thöpaga’s efforts at vengeance by means of black magic do not take effect, it is high time that the effect of karma should overtake them.”

'Thus, walking along and talking at their ease, they had just come in sight of the house, but had not had time to enter, when a maidservant, formerly ours, but now our uncle’s, came out of the house to fetch some water. As she passed the fenced-in yard where a large number of ponies had been enclosed, she could not see anything of them; but, instead, the whole place seemed to be filled with scorpions, spiders, snakes, frogs, and lizards; and, in the midst of them all, one monstrous scorpion⁷ was driving its claws into the principal pillar of the house, tugging at it and pulling it outwards. She was terrified at the sight, and barely had time to get away when several colts and mares, which had been tethered together below the house, became excited and raised a great commotion. Some of the colts, getting loose, rushed upon the mares. The whole lot were flung into the utmost confusion, the colts neighing and the mares kicking, until one of them knocked against the main pillar with such terrific force that it broke and fell, and the whole house came down with a tremendous crash.

'In all, there perished thirty-five persons, among them the bride, and all mine uncle’s sons. Clouds of smoke and dust obscured the sky. Dead bodies of men, women and children, and ponies choked the ruins.

'A heart-rending wail arose from those outside, which was heard by my sister, who, when she saw what had happened, rushed to her mother, crying out, “O mother, come and look! Our uncle's house hath fallen down, and a lot of people have been killed.”

'My mother got up and came to see what had happened, all the while very much doubting if it really could be so. But seeing the fallen house covered with clouds of dust, and hearing the piteous cries and wailing which filled the air, she was filled with astonishment, as also with cruel joy. Putting some rags on the end of a long pole, and raising it aloft like a banner, she cried aloud, “All glory to the Teachers and to the Gods! All ye neighbours, look now and see if Mila-Sherab- Gyaltsen hath begotten a worthy son or not, and if I have avenged myself or not. Though I had to eat coarse food and wear rags for a dress, see if this is not well worth our sacrifices. Look and tell whether or not that paternal uncle's challenge hath been answered, - he who said, 'Fight if strong, and curse if weak!' Now the curse of the weak and the few hath done more than the might of the many could ever have done. Look, just look at the human beings above and the animals below! See the treasures and provisions ruined! O what a cheering sight hath my son brought before mine eyes to bless mine old age! Delighted am I to have lived to enjoy such a scene! Could any other moment of my life be the equal of this in perfect triumphant joy!”

'With exclamations such as these, my mother gloated over the cruel spectacle, being heard by all the neighbours. Some of them said that she was right; others said that she was going too far, - that it was quite enough to have been avenged and that she ought not to give vent to such an excess of ill will.

‘News of my mother's joy came to the ears of the people who had lost relatives in the catastrophe, and they began to say, “Not only hath she been the cause of the mischief, but she giveth vent to her malignant triumph in language which is unbearable. Let us put her to the torture and wring out her wicked heart.” The older and more prudent said, “What advantage will it be to kill her, since her son will only do the same thing over again, and kill us all. Rather let us hunt out the cub first, and kill him on the spot; then we can do what we like with the dam.” To this all agreed.

'My paternal uncle, coming to hear of their plan, said, Ha! I have no more sons or daughters to lose; death will be welcome! and rushed forth intending to kill my mother forthwith. But the neighbours caught hold of him and said, “Listen! It was through our siding with thee that we have brought this calamity upon our heads. Thou art its main cause, and now again thou art about to do something of the same sort. If thou do not abide by the plan of action on which we have decided, of seeking out the son first and then dispatching the mother, we will fall out; for we are resolved to oppose thee in this matter.” Mine uncle, accordingly, had no choice but to submit to them.

'Meanwhile, they concocted a plot against my life, and were considering how best to send some persons to seek and kill me, when news of their plot came to the ears of my maternal uncle, who, going to my mother, upbraided her roundly with her rashness. “Thy recklessness”, he said, “is likely to imperil thine own life and that of thy son. The neighbours are conspiring against thee. What benefit was it to vent thy malignant joy in that fashion? Was it not enough to have wrought such havoc upon them?” Thus he scolded her at great length.

‘My mother only wept and said, “O my dear brother and uncle of my children, I feel the justice and the sound sense of thy rebuke, but put thyself in my place, and think of what I have endured! The property, vast and extensive as it was, taken from me by fraud, and myself subjected to such indignities and ill treatment! Could any mortal help feeling as I did?”

'My uncle replied, “Thou hast some reason on thy side, but I fear for thee. Look to the doors - fasten them well - murderers may come.” As soon as he had gone, my mother fastened the doors securely, and sat down to ponder what she should do next.

'The maidservant who had escaped the catastrophe, getting an inkling of the plot against us, and unable to bear the thought of the orphans of her dear old mistress and her late master being massacred, sent a private message informing my mother of the conspiracy, and exhorting her to send me warning of the danger.

'My mother, perceiving that for some time at least her life was safe, made up her mind how to act. She sold the remaining half of her field, “Little Famine Carpet”, getting seven pieces of gold for it. But seeing no one in the place whom she felt she could trust to take them to me, and being unable to find a reliable messenger elsewhere, she thought of coming herself to bring me the gold, as well as to warn me of the impending danger.

'However, as luck would have it, a pilgrim from Ü, who had been on pilgrimage to the sacred places in Nepal⁸ and was on his way home again, came to the door to beg alms. She asked him to come in; and, artfully putting a number of questions regarding his home and so forth, discovered that he would be a suitable person to whom to entrust a message for me. She next invited him to stay in her house for a few days, telling him that she had a son in Ü or Tsang to whom she wished to send a message. During the time that he stayed she treated him to the best of everything she had and made him very comfortable.

'Trimming a lamp and addressing a prayer to the Deities invoked and worshipped by me, she begged them to give her a sign whether her message would be safely delivered or not, and whether her wishes would be accomplished. If she were to have success, so she prayed, then the lamp was to continue burning for a long time; but if failure were to attend her, then the lamp was to go out speedily. It so happened that the lamp continued burning for a whole day and night. Thus assured that her message would not miscarry, she gave the pilgrim some pieces of cured hide to serve as soles for his leather boots, and told him to get them put on, as he would find them needful.

'The pilgrim had an old blanket-cloak, and my mother, offering to mend it for him wherever it had rents or holes, took it and put a somewhat large patch on the back ; and, unknown to its owner, hid the seven pieces of gold within the patch. She sewed over it another patch, black in colour and square in shape, and ornamented it with a star prominently worked in thick white thread-work. In doing this, she fastened the seven pieces of gold by putting in stitches all around each, so as to make the pattern look like a group of six stars, one in each angle of the large enclosing star, and one in its centre,⁹ but showing less prominently than the large star itself. She then handed the pilgrim a sealed letter which he was to deliver to me, and, giving him a handsome present, charged him to convey the letter to me in safety.

'When the pilgrim-devotee had departed, my mother, wishing to instil fear in the minds of the neighbours, instructed my sister Peta to tell some of the folk that the pilgrim had brought a letter from me. The letter which, of course, was a sham one, ran thus: “I hope that my mother and sister are quite well, and that they have seen the results of my magical powers. Doth any one dare to bear enmity towards you or to intimidate and ill-treat you? If so, ye have only to let me know that one's name and family, together with the causes of his or her behaviour, and so forth, and I will simply annihilate that one. It is easily done. Indeed it is easier for me to kill a person than to say grace before meat. I will not only kill one, two, or three persons, but I will root out entire generations, even down to the ninth generation. If it be the whole community that beareth you ill will, just come here, and I will simply sweep the whole countryside with destruction, leaving not a trace of any one behind. Here I am living in ease and comfort. Ye need not have any anxiety about me. I am spending my days in the study of the Art.”

'This letter was signed and sealed in a way to make it appear as if it had come from me, and was shown to those round about whom we knew to be on our side; and, finally, it was handed over to our maternal uncle, that it might be shown to all in the place. This stratagem had the intended effect of causing the enraged people to abandon their design of having recourse to desperate measures. They consulted together, and induced my paternal uncle to restore our field called “Worma Triangle”, my patrimony, to my mother.

‘Meanwhile, the pilgrim-messenger went on from place to place inquiring for my whereabouts; and learning that I was at Nub-Khulung, came thither; and, finding me and giving me all the news concerning the welfare of my mother and sister, handed me my mother's letter, part of which ran thus: “My dear son Thöpaga, I hope thou art enjoying sound health. I am well satisfied with thee; thou hast proved thyself worthy of the name of thy father, the noble Mila-Sherab-Gyaltsen, and my desires have been accomplished. The manifestations of thy knowledge of black magic have been seen here in most impressive fashion. Thirty-five persons have been killed in a house which fell down on them. But the occurrence hath embittered the people against us; they hate us and mean us no good. I now request thee to launch a terrible hail-storm. I have heard that there are nine different kinds of hail-storms. Launch one of them. That will complete the satisfaction of thine old mother. These people here are conspiring against our lives. They speak of sending some men to kill thee and, after thee, myself. So, for both our sakes, take good care of thyself. Shouldst thou be short of means, search for a valley facing north, overshadowed by a black cloud, and lit by the stars called Mindook (the Pleiades). There thou wilt find seven of our relatives. Ask of them, and thou wilt obtain whatever thou desirest in the way of provisions. Shouldst thou fail to find the valley, know that the pilgrim-devotee who beareth this liveth in that valley. Do not inquire about it from any one else.”

'Now here was a riddle indeed. I was quite unable to make out what the letter meant. My desire to return home and see my mother was very great. I had run short of money and needed it sorely, but I knew not where these relatives lived. I knew nothing of the valley. My cheeks ran with floods of tears. I inquired of the pilgrim concerning the relatives, whom, so the letter said, he knew. I asked him who they were, and where they lived; I also asked him where he himself lived. He replied that he belonged to Ngari-Gungthang. On my questioning him further as to the whereabouts of my relatives spoken of in the letter, as also about himself and his movements, he said that he had been to several places, but knew of none where any relatives of mine lived nor anything of such relatives themselves. He himself was a native of Ü. So I asked him to wait a little until I came back. I then went and showed the letter to my Guru, at the same time telling him the news that I had got by word of mouth from the messenger.

'My Guru glanced once at the letter and said, “Thopaga, thou seemest to have a very vindictive mother. So many persons dead, and yet she commandeth thee to launch hail-storms! What relatives hast thou in the North?” “I never before heard that I had any,” I replied, “and the letter is very obscurely worded. I have asked the pilgrim, but he knoweth nothing about them.”

‘My Gurus wife was a lady endowed with supernatural intelligence, being the incarnation of a ḍākinī. She read through the letter once, and then ordered me to call the pilgrim, which I did. She then had a nice big fire made, and chhang served, and caused the pilgrim to take off the cloak he was wearing. Then, assuming a playful air, she put it on her own back, and strutting up and down the room said, “Happy indeed those persons must be who can go everywhere with no other clothing but this on their back!” Thereupon she danced about a little and moved out of the room with the cloak on her back. Going to the roof of the house, she cut open the patch, took out the gold pieces, replaced the patch as it had been before, and, coming back into the room, restored the cloak to the pilgrim. Thereafter she gave him some dinner and sent him off to another apartment.

‘Having seen the pilgrim safely lodged, the lady called to me, saying, “Thöpaga, thy Teacher requesteth thee to come here into his presence.” Going thither, she presented me with the seven pieces of gold. On asking her where she had found the gold, she replied that it had been in the pilgrim's cloak, and continued, “Thöpaga must have a very shrewd mother. The valley facing north was the pilgrim's cloak; for, as the sun doth not shine into a valley facing north, so also the pilgrim's cloak was one through which no sun-rays could pierce. The black cloud referred to the square black patch. The constellation referred to the thread-work on the patch, and the seven relatives referred to the seven pieces of gold. Her ambiguous remark about not inquiring of any one else save the pilgrim himself referred to the fact that the pilgrim was clad in the cloak; and the remark itself was intended to direct thine attention to his own person, which thou wert to search.” At this my Teacher was highly pleased, and said, “Ye women are proverbially sharp-witted and keen-sighted, and this is only another proof of it.”

‘Out of the sum which thus came into my hands, I gave the pilgrim a tenth of one piece, at which he was delighted. I also offered the lady seven tenths; and to my Teacher gave three pieces, entreating him to teach me the art of launching hailstorms which my mother desired me to learn. For a knowledge of the Hail-Charm, he, in his turn, referred me back to my former Guru, Lāma Yungtun-Trogyal. Furnished with the necessary letter and a scarf, recommending that my request should be granted, I returned to Yarlung-Kyorpo.

'Meeting my former Guru, I presented to him the letter and the scarf sent by Khulung-Yöntön-Gyatso, and made offering to him of the three pieces of gold that still remained to me. He inquired as to my success in my former studies. I told him that I had been successful; that thirty-five people had been killed; and that I had received a letter asking for a plague of hail, and now prayed him to grant my request. “Very good,” said he, and at once imparted to me the Charm, ordering me to complete the ceremonial connected therewith in an old secluded cell [of a hermitage].

‘At the end of seven days I saw clouds gathering in the cell and lightning flashing, and heard the growling of thunder. I now thought I might direct the course of a hail-storm with my finger, and my Teacher agreed, saying, “Now thou art able to launch hail-storms,” at the same time asking me how tall the barley would be at that time.

'So I told him at about what time the seed was usually sown, when the young shoots commonly appeared, when it was high enough to hide pigeons, and finally at about what time the season for weeding arrived. My Teacher listened to me, and said that it was still too early. Later on, he again asked me about the seasons of the barley. I told him when the ears would appear, and when they would be full. He then said that it was time for me to go and launch my hail-storm; and with me he sent the strong, fleet pupil already mentioned.

'We disguised ourselves as pilgrims; and, coming to my village, saw that the harvest that year was so abundant that even the oldest folk of the place could not remember anything like it. On this account, a regulation was made for that year to the effect that nobody should reap at his or her own pleasure; a few days more, and all would begin to reap at one and the same time.¹⁰

'Then I erected the apparatus required for the working of my spell, on the heights above the valley, and began to chant the Charm; but not even a cloud as big as a sparrow gathered. I then called upon the names of the deities; and reciting the tale of our wrongs and the cruelty of our neighbours I struck the earth with my folded robe and wept bitterly.

'Almost immediately a huge, heavy, black cloud gathered in the sky; and when it had settled down there burst from it a violent hail-storm, which destroyed every single ear of grain in the fields. Three falls of hail followed in succession and cut deep gorges in the hill-sides. The country folk, thus deprived of their harvest, set up one great wail of distress and grief.

'The hail was followed by a heavy downpour of rain and a strong wind, which made the two of us feel very cold. So we sought a rocky cave facing north, and, having made a fire of stunted shrubs, were busy warming ourselves when we heard the voices of some people of the place who had come out hunting for game, with which to celebrate the usual harvest thanksgiving. They were saying among themselves, “Oh, this Thöpaga hath plagued the countryside more than any one ever hath done. See how many people he hath killed! And now this rich harvest, the like of which was never before seen, is all destroyed! If he fell into our hands at this moment, chopping him up piecemeal and dividing his flesh by morsels and his blood by drops would hardly suffice to satisfy our vengeance.”

'As they thus spoke, they were passing right in front of our cave, and one of the older persons said, “Keep quiet; talk low! I see smoke in the cave over yonder. We do not know who it may be." One of the younger men said, “It must surely be Thöpaga. He cannot have seen us. Let us hurry down to the village and bring up men, surround him, and kill him, else he will certainly work more mischief on the village.”

'So saying, they turned back to the village; whereupon my companion said to me, “Get thyself away first and I will impersonate thee and mock them.” We made an agreement to meet again on the fourth night at the Inn of Tingri. Knowing how fleet and strong he was, I had no misgivings in leaving him behind; and, much as I then yearned to see my mother, I had to forgo my wish. Because of mine enemies, I had to get away as quickly as possible and go round by the Nyanam Pass. On the way I was bitten by a dog, which caused me some delay and prevented mine arrival at the Inn within the appointed time.

'Meanwhile, my friend had been surrounded, but had burst right through the line of those seeking his life; and, eluding them by running swiftly when they neared him and walking slowly again when they were far behind, he lured them on. When they began to shoot arrows and throw missiles at him he retaliated by hurling a big stone amongst them, saying at the same time, “Beware, ye rascals! I will surely destroy by magical means whoever of you singles himself out as my most prominent foe. Have I not cause to feel delight at having killed so many of you before? How comforting to my heart! More than that, I have destroyed the whole of this year's rich harvest so completely that not a single grain of corn is left for any of you to pick up. Is not that splendid too? For the future, if ye do not behave properly to my mother and my sister, I will put a curse upon your hill-tops and a blight upon your valleys, and make what is left of you barren and accurst down to the ninth generation. I will turn this country into a desolate wilderness! See if I do not.” And as he went on speaking thus, his pursuers became frightened and began to say each to the other, “It was thou who brought on this,” and so forth and so on, upon which they all turned back.

'Thus it was that my friend, having reached Tingri before me, asked the inn-keeper there if a pilgrim answering to my description had come to the Inn. The inn-keeper replied, “No”; and added, “Ye pilgrims have no objection to drinking when ye get the chance. Now if thou go over there thou wilt find a marriage-feast going on, where thou wilt be welcome. I f thou have no bowl of thine own, I will lend thee mine, and thou canst have a proper time of it. Wilt thou go?”

‘Of course my friend said “Yes”, and took the bowl, which was as big as the head of Shinje,¹¹ deep and capacious, shapeless and unpolished. Armed therewith, he proceeded to the house of feasting, where I already was, seated in one of the back rows. My friend approached me and asked, “How is it that thou didst not reach the appointed place earlier?” I replied, “As I was going out begging one morning, a dog bit me on the leg and that delayed me.” My friend said, “Never mind!” And from that place we proceeded on our way together.

'On our arrival at Yarlung-Kyorpo, our Guru said, “Ye two have been attended by success and good fortune.” As there was no one who could have reached him before us and informed him we were astonished, and asked, “Who hath told thee? No one went ahead of us to inform thee.” He replied that the deities had appeared to him with countenances beaming with light like the full moon; and that he had already performed the due thanksgiving ceremonies. On the whole, he seemed highly pleased.

‘In this wise it was that I committed black deeds, avenging the wrongs done to me by mine enemies, waging war to the death with them.’

'This is the first act [done by Jetsün] - the worldly act of destroying his enemies.

Footnotes

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