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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 masterKing Gesarballadeer. 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 sangKing Gesaralong 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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