Tales of the Golden Corpse: Tibetan Folk Tales

239 Pages·2006·11.55 MB·English

by  Sherup

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