King Gesar - A Tibetan heroic epic
At that point, Sangzhub woke up to find that it was all just a dream.
He went back home in a trance, repeating what he had experienced in his mind
over and over. Finally, his father brought him to the Living Buddha Ledain at
the Zonghu Monastery for advice.
With the Buddha's good advice, Sangzhub remained in the monastery for
recuperation. However, his dream recurred every night. In one dream, he was
reading King Gesar with great interest, and when he woke up, his mind was filled
with stories about the king.
When he had returned from the monastery, Sangzhub sang the epic of King Gesar
from time to time, which made him feel very good. Gradually, he became a
proficient King Gesar balladeer. Sangzhub's neighbors were astonished at his
accomplishments and were very proud.
To make a living, Sangzhub traveled around the locality, following the flow
of Buddhist worshippers and singing the great epic. Along the way, he also
labored for the Tibetan troops. During these trips, Sangzhub came across many
artists, and always listened carefully to what they sang, learning a great deal.
A few years later, Sangzhub became a master King Gesar balladeer.
When he returned home, he was disappointed to see that everything remained
unchanged: His parents still toiled in the fields, struggling to remain afloat.
Sangzhub then decided to leave once again, but this time he never returned and
did not maintain contact with his family.
He had a Gesar hat and walking stick made. The stick, complete with an iron
ring at one end, took the shape of Gesar' s whip, which possessed magical powers
and could even be used as a horse.
With the two magical weapons, Sangzhub sang King Gesar along the
way. He became so popular that he was once invited to sing in one village when
he was still singing in another.
Legend has it that Shannan Prefecture was ruled by King Sinchi, who was
defeated in the war between the Moin and Ling tribes. Sangzhub understood this
was why the locals, who were Moin descendants, did not like the epic. However,
county officials and nobles loved to listen and they invited Sangzhub to sing
for them anyway.
One day, Sangzhub followed some worshippers to the Lhagyiali Residence, which
glistened like the Potala Palace, and was invited to sing at the residence.
Gyiali Chiqen was a well-known noble in Shannan: According to legend, he was
the offspring of Songtsan Gambo. Sangzhub stayed at the residence for several
days and was treated well. He sang "Ngada Lhamo" for Chiqen, capturing the
hearts of the whole residence.
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