Tales of the Golden Corpse TIBET Tales of the Golden Corpse Tibetan Folk Tales retold by Sandra Benson foreword by ]etsun Perna illustrations by Sherup l l Interlink Books An imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. Northampton, MassachusettS First published in 2007 by INTERLINK BOOKS An imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MassachusettS 01060 www.interlinkbooks.com Text copyright © 2007 by Sandra Benson Foreword copyright © 2007 by Jecsun Perna Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Sherup All righcs reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Benson, Sandra. Tales of the golden corpse :Tibetan folktales I retold by Sandra Benson.-1st American ed. p. em. ISBN 1-56656-632-0 (pbk.) 1SBN 13: 978-1-56656-632-2 1. Tales-China-Tibet. I. Tide. GR337.B43 2005 398.2'0951'5-dc22 2005013184 Printed and bound in the United States of America To request our complete 40-page full-color catalog, please call us roll free at I-800-238-LINK, visit our website at www.interlinkbooks.com, or write to Interlink Publishing 46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060 e-mail: [email protected] To the Tibetans Table of Contents Foreword viii Acknowledgments ix Introduction I The First Story 13 The Carpenter Kunga 23 The Poor Man and the Serpent's Daughter 29 The Travelling Spirit 37 The Quiet Woman 43 The Daughter Serdrun 51 The Young Man Saved by a Black-and-White Dree 57 The Six Brothers 65 The Shepherd Boy 75 The Farmer and the Tyrant King 81 Dransel, the Poor Man 87 The Princess and the Frog 93 Sermotso and Gnulmotso 103 The Fountains ofTurquoise and Gold 109 The Rich Thief 115 The Feathered Prince 121 The Two Brothers 127 The Brave Young Woman 137 The Pig-Head Seer 143 Masang Yharu Khadra 15 5 The Stone Lion Opens His Mouth 165 A Debt of Gratitude 171 The Three Evil Brothers 181 The Honest Horse Keeper 195 The Three Hard-working Women 201 Commentary 2II Glossary 223 Recommended Reading 228 Foreword O ne aspect of Tibetan culture that is not widely known is the tradition and power of educating children through tales. Through stories, both oral and written, children learn about right and wrong, cause and effect, love and compassion, and generally the lessons of life. Not just children, but everyone-nomads, farmers, traders, artisans, indeed people of all walks of life in Tibet-revels in storytelling and listening. Tales of the Golden Corpse (mi ro gser sgrung) is an important collection of such folk tales. These tales not only captivate and delight the reader, but through them the ethical principles of right living are passed on from generation to generation. Sandra Benson has done a tremendous service to the readers by making this rich collection of Tibetan folk stories available in English. The hard work put into translating this collection is highly commendable. The original syntax and the beauty of the narration have been faithfully maintained. When one reads the tales in English, their humor and nuance is still vivid and the underlying significance of the consequences of the characters' actions comes· through, tale after tale. Fulfilling the original aspiration ofTibetan scholar Perna Bhum by this collection, Benson's English translation of Tales of the Golden Corpse serves as a bridge to the West, offering lesser-known aspects of Tibetan secular literature. -Jetsun Pema, sister ofH is Holiness the Dalai Lama viii Acknowledgments T his translation of Tales of the Golden Corpse was initiated by Perna Bhum, Tibetan scholar and former professor of Tibetan languages and letters at Lanzhou University in northwestern China and at Indiana University, now director of Latse Contem porary Tibetan Cultural Library in New York City. Perna Bhum felt that an English version of the complete collection of stories he heard as a child in Rebkong would be an excellent introduction for Westerners to the more secular aspects of his homeland. I am grateful to Perna Bhum for his I commitment to the lengthy translation process. Following the initial work with Perna Bhum, many Tibetans shared their knowledge of the stories, insights, and humor while reviewing the translation. Dawa Dolma diligently reread the complete collection in both English and Tibetan. Dr. Thubten Phuntsog, author and Tibetan professor at Beijing Nationalities University, further clarified the meaning of the many Tibetan phrases and traditions found in the text. Jigme Phunrsog, Lama Rinchen Phunrsog, Perna Rabgey, and Tempa Tsering shared wonderful stories of how they came to know these tales. Yangbum Gyal, Tserang Dorje, Norbu, Tashi Oser, and Lama Gyaltsen all provided useful information on various aspects of the collection. Ani Dechen and Ani Tenzin Choezum read the final version of the translation. The support and friendship of Bhungyal, Sonam Tsering, and Dorje Tsetan always added joy to the translation process. ix X TALES OF THE COLDEN CORPSE A heartfelt thanks goes to Perna Bhum's nephew Ka Bhum Gyal, who, assisted by Shawotar, provided the illustrations drawn by Sherup from the district of Rebkong in Amdo. Research for the introduction was assisted by the competent guidance of Allan Thrasher of the Sanskrit department and Susan Meinheit of the Tibetan department at the Library of Congress; John Lundquist at New York City Public Library; Tashi Tsering, former senior researcher at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives' in Dharamsala, India; Ree Mobley of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Jamyang Tsering in Santa Fe. I was also fortunate to receive invaluable comments and suggestions along the way from the following readers: Jill Ansel, Julie Brittain, Carole Cotter, Granville Green, Jean Green, Peter Harley, Lidian King, Susu King, Karla Lauitsen, Mary Patterson, Pat Schneider, Kevin Stuart, James Stubenraugh, and Claudia Williams. Advice from Jane Yolen, Goya Timpanilli, and Sydney Mackenzie was very valuable. Greg Hansen's advice helped set the focus for the introduction and broadened my understanding of these tales. Kathleen Conner graciously contributed her excellent editing skills and Bob Rashkin did an excellent job reviewing the final material. I also appreciated receiving advice from Namakhai Norbu and housing assistance from the American Shang Shung Institute in Conway, Massachusetts. Finally, I thank the folks at Interlink Publishing Group; my editor, Hilary Plum, is to be particularly commended for her patience and thoughtful suggestions throughout the editing process. Thank you all. I am deeply grateful to all who helped with this project. -Sandra Benson Santa Fe, New Mexico