「纳木错湖畔有个 “阴间通道”」Namtso Lake shore has a “Pathway through the Spirit World”

Pilgrims at Namtso Lake, near Lhasa in Tibet

排在之下的描述是从平措扎西先生所作的【世俗西藏】挑选的一件。这本书以西藏的民俗傅说为题目。

The description set out below is selected from Mr. Zhaxi Puncog ’s Secular Tibet. The subject of this book is Tibetan folktales.

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〝羊年的时候纳木错湖畔很热闹。前来朝圣观光旅游的人打破了纳木错湖原有的宁静。

At Sheep Year, Namtso Lake shore is very noisy. Previously arriving pilgrims and tourists have destroyed Namtso Lake’s original stillness.

〝藏转佛教认为，密宗本尊胜乐的身语意三宝，有三种具象的自然物所组成冈仁布钦山为其身，纳木错湖为其语朵日山为其意。这三处被贼予了神秘宗教色彩自然景观，自然成为了佛教徒心向所归的三个神圣之地，他们克服困难，日夜兼程，长途跋涉，为的是朝拜它们神圣的容颜。

Tibetan Buddhism recognizes that with respect to the secret school’s originally venerated and specially celebrated three treasures of Body, Speech and Mind, there are three natural features which are designated thus: Mt. Gang Rinpoche representing Body, Namtso Lake representing Speech, and Mt. Duo’er (朵日山) representing Mind, so naturally they are the three sacred places that are impressed on Buddhist disciples by the tendencies of their hearts. The difficulties they overcome, their journeys by day and night, and the long distances travelled are al for the sake of worshipping their sacred appearances.

〝朝拜三处圣地，还有一个吉祥年份得到区别，马年转冈仁布钦，羊年转纳木错湖，猿年转朵日山，如果在这个三年份里，能够相对应地朝拜这三处圣地，能使功德倍增，转一圈等于转十三圈，正合平常年所追求的转圈数。

In pilgrimage to the three holy places, there is also a distinction according to auspicious years. In horse year, it transfers to Gang Rinpoche Mountain, in sheep year, it transfers to Namtso Lake, and in monkey year, it transfers to Duo’er (朵日) Mountain. If one can go on pilgrimage to the three holy places in accordance with this, it can mulltiply the merit, and transmitting a scroll is equal to transmitting thirteen scrolls, in terms of the scrolls that one strives to transmit in an ordinary year.

〝羊年一到，尤其是进入藏历四月萨嘎大瓦时，佛教信徒中议论最多的，是去朝拜纳木错湖的事，有许多人一经踏上了前往朝圣的旅途。

With the arrival of sheep year, and especially on entering Sagadawa in the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, what is most discussed among Buddhist disciples is the matter of going on pilgrimage to Namtso Lake, and there are many who have already gone on previous trips to holy places.

〝羊年藏历四月，我有幸加入到了前往纳木错湖采访的队伍中。离纳木错湖很近了，高大的纳根拉山却像一道天然的屏障，挡住了我们的视线，挡住了我们的车子爬到了纳根拉山顶，眼前才豁然开朗， 纳木错湖的景色尽受眼底。纳木错湖水在阳光下折射出七彩光芒，湖畔上帐篷星罗棋布，接途旅人的客车穿梭如鱼。

In the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, I was fortunate to join a previous group in visiting Namtso Lake. Very close to Namtso Lake, the huge and high Lakenla Mountain seemed to be a natural protective screen, blocking our light line, and holding up our vehicle from crawling to the summit. Only when it was right in front of our faces was it suddenly revealed did the scenery of Namtso Lake fill our view. In the sunlight, the water of Namtso Lake refracted a seven-color aura, the tents on the shore were scattered like stars, and the guest cars meeting the travellers shuttled back and forth like fish.

〝我敢肯定，历史上的任何一次羊年，没有哪一年会像今天这样，有如此多的善男信女集在纳木错湖畔，而且来自不同的地域。没有哪一年的纳木错湖畔，像今天这样喧闹过。纳木错湖正在用她那广袤的胸襟，迎接着四方香客。

I dare to assert that out of all the sheep years in history, there was never one like this, with so many excellent men and faithful women on the shore, and furthemore, coming from so many places. And there was never a year when the shore of Namtso Lake was as noisy as this one. Namtso Lake was just in the midst of using the broad and soft front of her chest raiment, to welcome the distinguished quests from the four directions.

〝在旅游者眼里，朝圣者是纳木错湖畔的景点他们的虔诚，他们克服困难的勇气往往让旅游者叹服。然而，快速发展的现代交通工具使朝圣了路途变得不再艰难, 有些香客坐上大卡车沿着步行十三天才能转完纳木错湖转，只用一天的时间，就能萧洒地了却一生的转湖心愿。

In the eyes of the tourists, the pilgrims are one of Namtso Lake’a attractions, their bravery in overcoming difficulties sometimes maes the tourists exclaim in awe. Of course, the rapidly developing modern transportation facilities have made the journeys no longer difficult, and some Buddhist pilgrims, following the route that used to take thirteen days to arrive at Lake Namtso by foot, can now very stylishly achieve their lifetime desire of visiting Namtso in only one day.

〝扎西岛是纳木错湖畔最主要的转经圣地也是亮丽的景点之一。整个岛全程约为五公里，从早上天蒙蒙亮开始到晚上天完全黑为止，这里涌动着转经人的潮流。扎西岛上布满了大德高僧和圣人来此转经时留下的圣迹，脚印，还有自然的经文，引得转经的信徒们一路走走停停磕头祈祷。对虔诚的佛教的徒来说，转扎西岛意味着那洗清前世的罪孽，也可以从此地取点土粒当作圣物带到远方的家。

Zashi Island is Namtso Lake’s most important sacred place for using a prayer-wheel, and is also the most beautiful attraction. The entire island trip is abround 5 kilometers, and the tide of prayer-wheelers surges here from the obscure light of dawn to dusk. The surface of Zashi Island is covered with the sacred traces left behind by Greatly Meritorious Ones and high Sangha, foot prints (imprinted in rock), and naturally occuring scriptural texts (also imprinted in rock), which cause the prayer-wheel-whirling believers to start and stop throughout the entire trip, while kowtowing and praying. According to what devout Buddhist disciples say, to circumambulate Zaxi Island can wipe out the karma of pvevious lives, and one can also take the dust of this place as a sacred object back to one’s distant home.

〝这些信徒们的虔诚行为和取到圣土时如获至宝的喜悦，给我们这些采访者留下了很深的印象。然而，最让我难以忘怀的是，朝圣者穿过 “阴间通道” 的行为。

The sincerity of these believer’s behavior, whose happiness in gaining the sacred ground is like having recieved a treasure, leaves behind a very deep impresssion with us tourists. And accordingly, the most unforgettable thing for me is the pilgrims’ behavior in passisng through the “pathway through the spirit world.”

〝 “阴间通道” 位于扎西岛西面的一座磐石上。 如果说，扎西岛是纳木错湖畔最重要的圣迹，那么扎西岛上的 “阴间通道”，就是点缀扎西岛是一个亮点。磐石上的 “阴间通道” 每天都被朝圣的人群簇拥得水泄不通。

The “path through the spirit world” is at a huge boulder on the west side of Zaxi Island. If we say that Zaxi Island is the most important spiritual feature of Namtso lake, then the “pathway through the spirit world” is the prominent feature enchancing Zaxi Island. The “pathway through the spirit world” at the top of the boulder is thronged daily by pilgrims pressing around so that water could not even seep through them.

〝那天，我正好走到那块磐石上，带着好奇挤进人群一看，所谓的 “阴间通道”，是从磐石底部通道上部的一条崎岖不平的通道。介绍的圣迹的书上说， “阴间通道” ，是测量人的业障多小的通道。 如果你积德行善，即便你的身体粗壮肥胖，也可以从这条 “阴间通道” 穿过；如果你此生德行不善，即便你的身体苗条消瘦，也不能穿过 “阴间通道”。有很多人在磐石周围跃跃欲式，又不敢亲身测量自己的德行。为何不敢呢？ 因为在众目睽睽之下测量自己的德行，就仿佛是在接受众人的检验，确实需要一些勇气。

That day, when I was properly arrived on top of that boulder, accompanied by people pushing quite strangely in to look, what is called the “pathway through the spirit world” is a tortuous and uneven pathway from the bottom of the boulder to its top. The book introducing the signs of holiness said that the “pathway through the spirit world” is a pathway which measures how much karma a person has. If you have accumulated the merit of good actions, even if your body is coarse, broad and fat, you can still pass through this “pathway through the spirit world”; but if you have accumulated the merit of evil actions in this life, even if your body is light and thin, you still can’t pass through the “pathway through the spirit world.” There are many people who skip and jump around that boulder, wanting to try it, and yet don’t dare to personally test the merit of their own actions. And why don’t they dare? Because with respect to testing the merit of one’s actions under the gaze of the masses, even if it were the Buddha recieving the evaluation of the masses, it would certainly take some courage.

〝我看到有些人，的确比较顺利地从通道穿过来，脸上就仰制不住高兴的劲，就好像他真的通过了阴间的生死检验。而有些人，尽管使出了浑身的劲，无论怎么挣扎身体，怎么调整方位，就是不能让你通过。这时候，守在洞口的人群就会爆发出阵阵的哈哈笑声，没能通过的人也好像真的有什么罪孽似的，很尴尬地从同中缩身出来。 在这样的 “安全检查” 面前， 好多人都想检验一下自己的业障。（佛教所谓德行不善所造成的罪障），又怕在众人面前遇上难堪。

I have seen some people, who really passed through the pathway with comparative ease, whose faces were transfused with the strength of unquenchable happiness, and really seemed to have passed the life and death examination in the spirit world. And then there were people who exhaustively endeavored to put forth the strength of their whole body, but no matter how hard you struggled, and no matter how you adjusted their position, it just wouldn’t let you pass through. ((This is the first time I’ve seen the English-style impersonal 2nd person pronoun ‘you’ used in Chinese. It has generally been my feeling that English and Chinese grammar are converging, but I’ve never seen this kind of stark example before -xp)). At that time, the crowd of people that were guarding the mouth of the cave exploded in gales of laughter, and the person who didn’t pass through extracted himself very awkwardly from the mouth of the passageway, as if he really had committed some offense。Confronted by this kind of “safety inspection,” many people will think of examining their karma (What Buddhism calls the evil kama from unmeritorious action), but still fear to encounter a painful scenario before the people.

〝在西藏许多圣地寺庙周围都有不同形式的 “安全检查站”，纳木错湖畔的 “阴间通道” 比其他的 “检查站”，其测式难度有过之而无不及。信徒们在这里经历了一此 “安全检查站” 后，不关顺不顺利，都要去转经。在转经的路上，我听到他们在议论一则体验业障的古老传说：相传很久一前，有一个屠夫想宰杀一只绵羊，宰杀前，把匕首放在捆好的绵羊旁，自己跑出去解手。这是，绵羊用羊蹄跑开土，把匕首掩埋了起来，眼里噙满泪水。屠夫回来看到此景，顿时生出从未有过的怜悯之心。他想，连畜生都如此怕死，而我虽为人生，却靠杀生过日子，真是犯下了滔天罪行。与其活着，还不如一死了之，想着想着，他就放下匕首，从悬崖跳下。因了他顿生的出离之心，他死后成佛了。

In Tibet, the perimeters of many sacred places and temples have different forms of “safety inspection stations,” but this one is more difficult to pass and there is none other that comes up to it. After believers have passed a number of “safety inspection stations,” no matter whether the outcome was favorable or not, they all want to turn their prayer wheels (i.e., continue on pilgrimage). On the pilgrimage road, I heard an old story about an examination of karma which went: ‘It has been passed down from a long time ago that there was a butcher who was going to slaughter a sheep, but before slaughtering, he laid his dagger down beside the sheep which was bound up to be slaughtered, and went to relieve himself. At that time the sheep used its hoof to paw open the ground, and buried the dagger, its whole face covered with tears running down. When the butcher returned and saw this, all at once he brought forth a compassionate mind that he had never had before. He thought, even animals fear death in this way, and although I have taken a human birth, I depend on killing animals for a living, which is certainly to commit monstrous crimes. And in living (this way) it’s not as (good as) simply dying, he was thinking and thinking, and then he just laid down his dagger and jumped off the hanging cliff. Because of the suddenly arising mind (of compassion) with which he left the world, he became a Buddha after death.’

〝这一切过程，被一个正在山洞里修行的喇嘛看见了。他想，屠夫的一生以杀生为业，他的业障极其可重，我身为喇嘛，皈依佛门，许多年在这儿修行，他屠夫向能成佛，我喇嘛必能成佛无疑。带着嫉妒，他从山洞里走出来跳下悬崖，然而，他却没有成佛，反而粉身碎骨。以此说明，业障大小不能从我们所看到的外在行为论断，正如屠夫和喇嘛，屠夫虽以杀生之业，但他的心是纯净的，以死忏悔自己的罪行，则可以成佛。而喇嘛虽身在山洞，远离尘世，但他的心是没有净化，深存嫉妒，不具备成佛之条件。

This whole scenario was observed by a lama practicing in a mountain cave. He thought: this butcher had a whole life’s karma of killing beings, and his karma was certainly extremely heavy. I，am a lama, who has taken Refuge as a Buddhist, and who has practiced here for many years, and since that butcher could become a Buddha, I, a lama, can necessarily become a Buddha without doubt. So holding jealousy, he walked out of his cave and jumped off the hanging cliff. And it came to pass that not only did he not become a buddha, but his body was crushed and his bones were broken. By way of explanation, the amount of karma cannot be determined from the external behaviors that we can see. Just as in the case of the butcher and the lama — although the butcher had the karma of killing beings, his heart was pure, and by his death he repented for his crimes, and so he could become a Buddha. But although the lama’s body was in a mountain cave, far away from the profane world, his heart had not been purified, and had deep jealousy, and he had not prepared the conditions of becoming a Buddha.

〝”纳木错湖畔的 ‘阴间通道’ 对佛教徒来说，是活着时看死后能否顺利通过阴间的安全检查”，一个朝圣的信徒比喻得很形象。他还说，我们每个人在世的瞬间，时时刻刻都保持善根，无害人之心，都为别人着想，不杀生，不偷盗，不谎言，不嫉妒，消记恨的话，用不着到这 “阴间通道” 时， 才想起你的罪孽，用不着害怕死后同不过 “阴间通道” 。〞

“Namtso Lake shore’s ‘pathway through the spirit world’ tells Buddhist disciples, while they are living, whether they can successfully pass the safety inspection in the spirit world after death,” － a pilgrimaging believer’s analogy became very graphic. He also said that in the wink of an eye that is each one of our sojourns in this world, if we preserve good roots at all times, do not harm peoples’ hearts, do for others, do not kill beings, do not steal, do not speak wildly, do not harbor jealousy, and obliterate hateful speech, then it will not be necessary to go to the “pathway through the spirit world” to think of one’s offenses, and it will not be necessary to fear not passing the “pathway through the spirit world” after death.

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To cut to the chase on my commentary about this: Yes, Virginia, you can have Tibetan Buddhism without lamas, it is already happening as we write, and this is what it looks like. It is simply orthodox Buddhism based on the most basic Teaching of the Noble One: the law of karma. There’s a lot of REALLY charming folklore and local color added on in this account, but the Teaching remains uncorrupted by either shamanism or politics.

Frankly, this is the most refreshing thing I have ever read about Tibet in any language. The language here is what I would call proto-Mandarin. I can grok it, but I’ve never seen anything even vaguely like it, and I don’t think it’s either a Chinese dialect or Tibetanized Mandarin. I think it’s an independant descendant of the ancestor of Mandarin, the lingua franca of Central Asia of which Tibet is a part, which arose beginning circa 1000 AD. In other words, the Tibetans were already speaking this in dealing with the majority of their many neighboring ethnicities, quite apart from both their own language and what is now called Mandarin, before the modern era.

In dealing with Tibetan lamas in America, it has long been obvious to me that we get the failed cases over here. The Tibetan people are quite capable of smoking out a failed or incompetant lama, as this story demonstrates. In the modern era, such lamas have made a practice of running to the West, and America in particular, to evade this very effective oversight. But in the final analysis, they cannot evade me !!! I will take innumerable forms to bring them to justice for their crimes against sacred Dharma, and for their despotic behavior towards my people.

By my vow.

GATE, GATE, PARAGATE, PARASAMGATE, BODHI, SVAHA !

Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping