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The Story of the White Crystal
By Hildegaard Diemberger, Maria Antonia, Kurt Diemberger
Its title is "Shel dkar chos 'byung," ("The History of Shekar [White Crystal]") which is shortened form for "Shel dkar chos byun bshad nor bu 'i me long skal bzang mgrin" which is literally "Propitious Sayings Concern History of Shekar, Mirror of Jewels and Necklace of Good Fortune". The manuscript narrates: the doctrine of Buddha a source of wealth for all creatures, men and gods. The diffusion of the doctrine depends, first of all, on the Lord of a country. The Kings of the Tibetan royal family, and especially Songsten Gampo and Thrisong Detsen, carried out great works to spread the Buddhist doctrine in the Land of Snow and to elevate the remote barbarians (the Tibetans) by leading them to spiritual liberation. Therefore they invited great sages such as Padmasambhava to spread the sacred doctrine. Also the Lords of the South went to great lengths to expand the religion in their lands around Shekar, true "jewel of the earth" in the south of Tibet.
The Lords of the SouthPeople say that in ancient times the southern lant Lato lho (the Lato of the South), had no lord who ruled it and that it was inhabited by only a few families who were nomads and peasants. The area was rich in water, the grass grew in abundance and many wild animals lived there. No precise information is available, but it is said that, when King Thrisong Detsen invited the sage Kamalasila to Samye he stopped in Lato Iho.At that time there were only a few nomads living in Dingri Sa Marpo. There was a house at Chackyi Khagang, seven families of potters at Chudrug Sri and a few other groups of settlers scattered in the region. The names of Phadrug and Dingri are mentioned in the military documents of King Thrisong Detsen, leading to the assumption that some towns of a certain importance already existed in this part of the country. An ancestor of the Sakya family, seeking a propitious place in which to live, arrived in that area and settled down in Lato Iho in a seat possessing the ten virtues. Subsequently, the Land of the South became very rich and fertile. Later on Phadrug, Chudrug and other centres were ruled by local chiefs under the ponchen, who resided in Sakya. The governors sometimes went to China to present the New Year gifts and the petitions from the Sakya Monastery. The Emperor gave them their titles and seals. Once, Shonnu Wangchug of Lato Iho was sent to China as a representative of the ponchen. He had been chosen because of his high social and economic standing. Once admitted to the presence of the Emperor and his priest, he proposed, among other things, to carry out a census and to organize a postal service similar to that of the Mongols. They appreciated his initiatives and appointed him as the successor to the ponchen and Lord of the South. They conferred other important titles on him and gave him a tigerheaded button of rank. Shonnu Wangchug had a son called Oser Sengge who soon proved to be very expert in civil and religious laws. He also was sent to China, where he received commissions and prestigious recognitions, and he was appointed Sakya ponchen and Lord of the South on two occasions. He brought great prosperity to his country. At the time there was a popular saying that went as follows:
The ponchen 'Lion ray of Light' (Oser Sengge) |
The text was compiled in Shekar Monastery the water-rat year of the twelfth cycle (AD 1732) by Ngawang Kalden-Gyatsho.