The Superhuman Life of Gesar of Ling Author:Alexandra David-Neel, Lama Yongden, Violet Sydney (Translator) First published in 1934, The Gesar of Ling Epic is the Iliad of Central Asia. The origin of the work has come under much discussion. Some declare it is Buddhist, others see in it a solar myth that symbolizes winter and spring. The version presented here was the result of the author having the opportunity to hear the story told by the wandering R... more »hapsodists and was then able to note down their recitations.
King Gesar, renowned throughout Tibet and Central Asia, represents the ideal warrior -- the principle of all-victorious confidence. As the central force of sanity, he conquers all his enemies, the evil forces of the four directions, who turn people's minds away from the true teachings of Buddhism. These enemies graphically represent the different manifestations of cowardly mind.
As Chogyam Trungpa explains in the Foreword: "When we talk here about conquering the enemy, it is important to understand that we are not talking about aggression. The genuine warrior does not become resentful or arrogant ... It is absolutely necessary for the warrior to subjugate his own ambition to conquer at the same time that he is subjugating his other more obvious enemies. Thus the idea of warriorship altogether is that by facing all our enemies fearlessly, with gentleness and intelligence, we can develop ourselves and thereby attain self-realization."
The legends of Gesar usually take weeks for a bard to recount. Filled with magic, adventure, and the triumphs of this great warrior-king, the stories will delight all, young and old alike.« less