Nechung Oracle
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The Nechung Oracle is the official state oracle of Tibet and one of several oracles in ancient Tibet. His medium resided in the Nechung Monastery , of which it was abbot and from whom the name was derived. After the exile of the Tibetan government, this monastery was rebuilt in Dharamsala , India , near the residence of today's Dalai Lama . The medium residing there has the rank of vice minister. The Dalai Lama consults it on the Tibetan New Year celebrations .
Thubten Ngödrub has been the medium since September 4, 1987 . He is the 17th official and succeeded Lobsang Jigme, who held this position from 1945 until his death in 1984. As early as 1947, the Nechung oracle predicted the unrest surrounding the takeover of power by the communist regime and advised the 14th Dalai Lama in 1959 to leave China.
history
Origins
The practice of the oracle comes from the ancient religious traditions of Tibet, such as the Bon or the Nyingmapa . According to the Buddhist view, a deity transmits its consciousness in the Phowa , one of the six Yogas of Nāropa , in a kuten , the physical basis. The obsession is a hard experience that a period of convalescence entails. The oracles have played an important role in religion throughout the Himalayan region. Equally important was the advisory function for the government of Tibet and the current government in exile .
The deity expressed in the oracle is called Pekar , one of the spirits under Padmasambhava , who made him the supreme protector of Samyes .
He is said to have subsequently settled in the area of the Nechung monastery and was replaced in Samye by the spirit Tsiu Marpo.
The origin of the relationship between Pekar (Dorje Dragden) and the Dalai Lamas goes back to the 2nd Dalai Lama , who repeatedly visualized himself Pekar. Pekar became the protector of the Dalai Lama as well as the Drepung Monastery near the ancient Nechung Temple .
When the 5th Dalai Lama became head of state in 1642 , Dorje Dragden changed his status. He was supposed to protect the Dalai Lamas and the government, while another deity, Palden Lhamo , was charged with protecting Tibet itself. The Potala Palace was built as the seat of the Dalai Lama and the government, over which Dorje Dragden watched as the protector of the state. A physical support medium, the nechung kuten, was used to receive Pekar's advice. However, God is not spiritually free and his advice is only one element among others in the decision-making process.
The new Nechung Monastery was founded by the regent Thrinle Gyatsho (1660–1668) at the request of the 5th Dalai Lama . Under the reign of Sanggye Gyatsho (1679–1703), the work increased and the monastery was named "Nechung Dorje Drayang Ling" (Nechung, the garden of the melodic vajra sound), as it is still called today. Sanggye Gyatsho renewed the protective function of peccary.
Pekar ultimately had many seats. Nechung is the most important, but he is also the patron deity of Tshel Gungthang , the former residence of the Lama Shang Tsondru Dragpa , the founder of the Telpa Kagyupa lineage in the 12th century. He became the protector of Meru Nyingba, the home of the Nechung-Kuten in Lhasa. It is a monastery associated with Nechung, which was founded by Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. In this temple Thonmi Sambhota completed the creation of the Tibetan script , which emerged from an Indian alphabet. Like the Nechung Monastery, it is linked to three major schools: Sakya , Gelug, and Kagyu .
The Nechung Monastery grew from four to 113 monks at the time of the 13th Dalai Lama . The Nechung-Kuten stood as abbot at its head, from the 19th century he was followed by the Nechung-Rinpoche and the Nechung-Depa as those responsible for administration. All three were appointed by the Tibetan government. In 1959 only six monks from the monastery were able to flee to India. Of those that remained, only a handful survived. Nechung was partially destroyed and turned into a harvest warehouse. Most of its treasures have been looted.
The row of kuts
1. Kuten
In 1544, Pekar Gyalpo is said to have taken possession of a human being for the first time. Thus Drag Trang-Go-Wa Lobsang Palden the first medium of Nechung. Lobsang Palden gave tips on how to find the 3rd Dalai Lama . By 1945 the media were to come to Nechung from various monasteries.
2. Kuten
The second Kuten is known under the names Jampa Gyatso and Ringangpa. The latter refers to its region of origin, Rinchen Gang
3. Kuten
The 3rd Kuten, Nangso Gönor, was a lay member of the government (nangso) when he experienced his first trance.
4. Kuten
The 4th Kuten, Sepo Sönam, was a confidante of the 5th Dalai Lama , to whom he gave much advice, especially when tensions arose between Tibet and the Kingdom of Bhutan in the 1650s . During this period, the Dalai Lama protected the Nechung Monastery and the Kuten became the official state oracle.
5. Kuten
The 5th Kuten, Tsewang Pelbar, was in office for the ten years from 1679 to 1689. The regent Sanggye Gyatsho had statues made for the Nechung Monastery, which he supervised. It shouldn't have more than fifty monks. After the death of the 5th Dalai Lama, he predicted his return. He died in 1689 at the age of 58.
6. Kuten
The 6th Kuten, Lobsang Legjor Gyatso, came from Kongpo and experienced his first trance in 1690. The number of monks in Nechung rose to 101.
7. Kuten
The 7th Kuten, Tsangyang Tamdrin (Lobsang Tashi), experienced his first trance in 1725. He was a confidante of the 7th Dalai Lama in the first half of his life. He had several trances and introduced the rite of the 13 deities of Yamantaka and the burnt offerings in Nechung. Such was his reputation that he was given a lot of land in eastern Kham for the Nechung Monastery. He died of old age in 1747.
8. Kuten
The 8th Kuten, Ngawang Gyatsho, came from Dartsedo and from Gar Dratsang Monastery. He experienced his first trance in central Tibet in 1747, in the presence of the 7th Dalai Lama.
9. Kuten
The 9th Kuten, Yulo Köpa, is little known. He was in office in 1822. It could come from Yulo Kö, a small settlement near Nechung. He was raised to the rank of Khenchung.
10. Kuten
The 10th Kuten, Kalsang Tsültrim, held office between 1837 and 1856. In 1849 he was named Khenchen, the fourth highest rank in government, for his efficiency. He died shortly after the 12th Dalai Lama
11. Kuten
The 11th kuten, Lhalung Shakya Yarphel, was one of the most remarkable kuten. In 1878 Lhalung Shakya Yarphel commissioned the former abbot of Gyume, Lobsang Dargye, with the search for the reincarnation of the 12th Dalai Lama . Lobsang Dargye went to the shores of Lhamo Lhatso Lake , which was known to lead to visions after long meditations. After the seventh night he saw the child, his parents, their names and their house. The 11th Kuten confirmed the visions. A search party, led by Lobsang Dargye, found the house of a humble woodcutter on the Dagpo, where the boy lived. His father was called Kunzang Rinchen and his mother was Lobsang Dolma. In a trance, the 11th Kuten confirmed that it was the 13th Dalai Lama .
In February 1899, the 11th Kuten warned the Dalai Lama during a trance that his life was in danger and that he had to be more careful. Despite his advice, the once lively Dalai Lama became regularly ill and quickly tired. When questioned again, the Kuten pointed out that black magic was involved and ordered that a pair of boots in his possession be taken from the Tertön Sogyal. Sogyal was interviewed. He thought that Shaö Trulkou gave him the boots on behalf of the Dalai Lama. With premonitions, he put them in a corner after he had put them on. When they were examined, an ominous pentacle was found in the soles of their shoes, which revealed the name and date of birth of Thubten Gyatsho. It turned out to be a conspiracy by the former regent, Demo Rinpoche. Many took their own lives after they were arrested, including Shao Trulkou, who threw himself out of the window.
12. Kuten
The 12th Kuten, Lobsang Sönam, a monk from Kham, was introduced to his office in a trance in February 1901.
13. Kuten
The 13th Kuten, Lhalungpa Gyaltsen Tharchin, came from the Bhrumpa family who owned a lot of land in the Dagpo region. He was recognized on Losar in 1913 during his first trance. In the 1920s he was removed from office by the Dalai Lama and went into exile in Lhokha.
14. Kuten
The 13th Dalai Lama reinstated the 12th Kuten, Lobsang Sönam, in his office. In a trance during the 1932 Tibetan New Year celebrations, he warned the Dalai Lama that his end was imminent. He revealed his illness to him and advised him to issue orders for the future stability of the country.
According to a website, Lobsang Namgyal allegedly hastened the death of the 13th Dalai Lama through false medical advice. The same website claims that he was made a State Oracle in 1934 while the 13th Dalai Lama passed away on September 17, 1933.
15. Kuten
Lobsang Namgyal participated in the search for the 14th Dalai Lama. The oracle required that three search parties be sent: to central Tibet, to Amdo and to Kham.
16. Kuten
According to Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, the 16th medium used in 1945, Lobsang Jigme, was the first to come from the Nechung Monastery. On July 21, 1951, he advised the young Dalai Lama, who was in Yatung , to return to Lhasa. In March 1959, the oracle was also consulted twice. It advised the Dalai Lama to go into exile in India, which was confirmed by another technique, dice throwing.
In his autobiography, the Dalai Lama described the incident from his own perspective. On March 10, 1959, numerous Lhasa residents gathered in front of the Norbulingka to defend the Dalai Lama against the Chinese. Tensions between Tibetans and Chinese increased. Despite the Dalai Lama's request that the crowd withdraw, many people stayed in the square. In this situation, the Dalai Lama consulted the oracle, which invited him to stay and to continue dialogue with the Chinese, whereupon he doubted this decision for the first time. In the days that followed, Ngabo Ngawang Jigme informed the Dalai Lama that the People's Liberation Army was preparing to attack the crowd and bomb the Norbulingka. On March 17th, the Dalai Lama turned to the oracle again, and to his astonishment, “Go! Go! Tonight! ”Shouted. It stepped forward to clearly and in detail write down the route that the Dalai Lama would have to travel from Norbulingka to the border. When the oracle passed out, two mortar shells exploded in the moor near the north gate. In retrospect, the Dalai Lama is convinced that Dorje Drakden knew from the start that he would have to leave Lhasa on March 17th, but that he did not make this known immediately to prevent rumors from spreading. He notes that the mo , another form of divination, confirmed the oracle's advice.
Two well-known prophecies of Lobsang Jigme were recorded by Ellen Pearlman. One is about Tibet getting into great trouble in 1950, the other about the Dalai Lama's escape in 1959. Pearlman specified that Lobsang Jigme fell ill in 1951, which for many is due to his disturbing visions. For years it should no longer be possible for him to walk without help. In 1959 he joined the Dalai Lama on the run to India, where he recovered from his illness and died in Dharamsala in 1984.
17. Kuten
On September 4, 1987, Thubten Ngödrub , Lama of Nechung since 1971, became the 17th Kuten.
Costume and trance
On official occasions, the medium wears several robes on top of each other. The top garment is made of gold brocade and is decorated with four colors, which symbolize the four elements : red, blue, green and yellow. On the chest there is a mirror ( melong ) surrounded by turquoises and amethysts with the mantra of Dorje Drakden.
Accompanied by mantras, prayers and music, he enters the state of trance. When the trance is sufficiently advanced, a 14 kilogram hood is placed on his head, and sometimes a 30 kilogram armor with four flags and three victory banners is added. Then he gets up and takes a sword with which he begins to dance. He performs this dance after every question. He gives an answer, which must then be interpreted. At the end of the séance he performs one last prayer and then loses consciousness.
Heinrich Harrer described in detail a séance of the Nechung Oracle in his book Seven Years in Tibet . Harrer also reports that if the oracle gave bad advice several times, it was relieved of its function.
literature
- Thubten Ngödrub : Nechung, l'oracle du Dalaï-lama , avec Françoise Bottereau-Gardey et Laurent Deshayes, Presses de la Renaissance, Paris 2009, ISBN 978-2-7509-0487-6 .
- Ellen Pearlman: Tibetan Sacred Dance: a journey into the religious and folk traditions , Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont 2002, ISBN 0-89281-918-9 .
- HRH Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark: Tibetan Oracles , in: James F. Fisher (Ed.): Himalayan anthropology: the Indo-Tibetan interface , World anthropology, vol. 35, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 1978, ISBN 90-279-7700-3 , pp. 287-298.
- Birgit Zotz : On the European perception of phenomena of possession and oracles in Tibet , Vienna University, 2010, [1] .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lawrence R. Spencer, p. 97
- ↑ Ellen Pearlman, Tibetan Sacred Dance: a journey into the religious and folk traditions , Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont, USA, 2002, ISBN 978-0-89281-918-8 , p. 94.
- ↑ Ellen Pearlman, op. Cit., Pp. 94-95.
- ↑ Christopher Paul Bell, Tsiu Marpo: The Career of a Tibetan Protector Deity .
- Jump up ↑ Thubten Ngödrub: Nechung, l'oracle du Dalaï-lama , avec Françoise Bottereau-Gardey et Laurent Deshayes, Presses de la Renaissance, Paris 2009, ISBN 978-2-7509-0487-6 , p. 106.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 107
- ↑ Thubten Ngodup, p. 108
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 109.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 110.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 111.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 201.
- ↑ a b Thubten Ngödrub, p. 202.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, pp. 202–203
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 203.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, pp. 203-204.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, pp. 206-207.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 207.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, pp. 211–212.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, pp. 213–215.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, p. 216.
- ↑ Thubten Ngödrub, pp. 217-218.
- ↑ Biographical note by Lobsang Namgyal on the website The Tibet Album : “In 1934 [he was] degraded to the rank of an ordinary monk. It was alleged that he made some mistakes about the Dalai Lama's medicine, and that this was the cause of His Holiness' death. "
- ↑ Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison: The CIA's Secret War in Tibet , The University Press of Kansas, Online Version, Kapite Contact ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : "On July 21, the monarch heeded advice channeled under trance by the state oracle and departed Yatung on a slow caravan back to the Tibetan capital."
- ↑ Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, op.cit., Online version, chapter Virginia ( memento of the original of September 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : "Sensing that the end was drawing near, on 12 March he called for the Nechung oracle to determine whether he should stay in Lhasa. While in a trance, the medium replied in the affirmative. This was not exactly the answer the Dalai Lama wanted, so another form of divination - a roll of the dice, literally - was sought. As luck would have it, the results were the same (...) The oracle was summoned again; apparently of a conservative bent, the entranced medium would not budge from his earlier ruling. Not until March 17, during the third channeling session in a week, did the oracle buckle. "Leave tonight," was his entranced message. The dice, too, cooperated, giving identical advice. (20). "
- ^ Tenzin Gyatso: Au loin la liberté , Fayard, Paris 1990, ISBN 2-213-02561-4 , pp. 191-197.
- ↑ Ellen Pearlman: Tibetan Sacred Dance: a journey into the religious and folk traditions , op. Cit .: “In 1947 Lobsang Jigme, the Tibetan State Oracle, prophesied that in the Year of the Tiger, 1950, Tibet would face great difficulty. In 1951, Lobsang Jigme fell ill, some say because of his repeated troubling visions, and for years was unable to walk without assistance. In 1959, after predicting the Dalai Lama's flight, Lobsang Jigme spent two months walking to India with His Holiness. His illness was eventually cured. "
- ↑ Stéphane Allix: Le Netchung Kuten, médium du Dalaï lama , in the web magazine Nouvelles Clés .
- ↑ Ellen Pearlman, op.cit., P. 96.
- ↑ Heinrich Harrer, op. Cit, pp. 106-108.
- ^ Heinrich Harrer, op. Cit .: "When an oracle goes on giving bad advice, they make short work of the mouthpiece. He is relieved of his office. This always seemed to me illogical. Did the god speak through the medium or did he not? "
