The Phantom of Jowo Rinpoche Buddha Status in Tibet

Princess who doesn't exist(1)

Fifteen hundred years ago, Deva Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, the capital of Nepāla, was the most prosperous and lively place in Nepāla, ancient Nepal.

At this time, the rainy season had just begun. The entire valley was covered by large dark clouds, and it was getting dark earlier than usual. The rain had not yet fallen, and the air was full of moisture, which made it hard to breathe, as if a boulder was placed on people’s chests. The streets were no longer noisy, and most of the people had fallen asleep.

The gates of the majestic Kelast Palace to the outside world had already been closed. And the scattered halls and courtyards in the Palace were silent. Except for the patrolling guards, no one else could be seen walking in the yards. There are still a few lights in the palace, just bits and pieces, as if they were about to be swallowed up by the night..

The imperial garden is full of all kinds of green trees and flowers. The water lilies in the pond are blooming, and a few herrings are sleeping peacefully under the lotus leaves. In the corner of the wall, a large clump of bright orange-red Alpinias are in full bloom, and its vines were flamboyant and lightly occupying the entire wall, like orange clouds cascading down. The highest twigs and vines quietly stretched out a few lantern-like delicate flowers into the imperial study room on the second floor.

The Imperial Study Room is located in a two-story attic in wooden based on boulders. The corridors, pillars, and ceilings are decorated with gemstones. There are fish-shaped copper-clad faucets with gold hoops at the four corners of the roof overhangs. The faucets will spray water when it rains, which is extremely beautiful. At the moment, the dozens of oil lamps in the imperial study were still bright. Through several windows with dense and beautiful wood carvings, a hazy twilight was sprinkled outside the building.

"Your Majesty, this is the third time for Tubo to ask for a royal marriage. Avalokiteshvara has already shown the relationship between His Royal Highness the Princess and Tubo. Please let the Princess go and have the marriage." In the study, Mahabha, the national priest of Nepāla, who was wearing his yellow monk's robe and a long beard with white eyebrows, landed on his right knee, and put his right hand on his chest, respectfully said to the king Amusu of Nepāla sitting on the throne in front.

"As you know, although there are many princes in the harem, I only have Bhrikuti, the only daughter. Although Tubo sent more gold and treasures this time, I still think it’s a vast wilderness and a snowy land. Their capital, JiXueWoTang, is extremely cold with a harsh climate. The people there are savage and vulgar, do not understand etiquette and have no education. How can I be willing to let Bhrikuti go to that place suffering?!" Amusu frowned and said, glancing at the portrait of his daughter and wife on the opposite wall, in which they were smiling at him.

The northeastern part of Nepāla is bordered by Tubo, where the snow-capped peaks towering into the clouds and covered with snow all year round are a good natural protective barrier, which blocks the cold wind from the north and also blocks the invasion of the northern countries. But it is also a place rarely visited by people. It has never been heard that anyone has conquered these snowy mountains since ancient times. There is almost no vitality there. Only sinners who have committed crimes and been exiled there. And a small number of guards are stationed at the foot of the mountain.

Most of the people of Nepāla live in the southern Kathmandu Valley, which belongs to the extension of the southern slope of the snow peaks and is a fertile land scoured by the Kathmandu River. The sun is shining all year round, the green trees are lush, and it’s always like spring days here. People from the Tang Court who come here for business and trade also call this place "South Tang in the snowy land", which shows the pleasant climate of the Kathmandu Valley.

The rapid development of Buddhism and the prosperity of teaching in neighboring India in the South also promoted the development of Nepāla culture. King Amusu was in his prime of life. Because of his daughter's special fate with the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, after he ascended the throne, he vigorously learned from India and promoted the development of Buddhism in the country. However, similar to India, there are still many people in the country who believe in Brahma. Amusu is open to this, allowing the people to choose their religions freely.

 There are many temples in Nepāla, and most of the people here devoutly believe in Buddhism. Therefore, the folk customs are simple and society is stable. As a result, there have been many great people who are well-versed in teachings, as well as a large number of craftsmen who are proficient in painting, sculpture and architecture.

This country is also rich in copper mines, which has greatly promoted the development of copper products and handicrafts. In particular, the technology of casting Buddha statues and instruments is unique in neighboring countries, attracting merchants from all over the world to trade copper mines and handicrafts here. At present, the kingdom of Nepāla has entered a prosperous period under the rule of King Amusu.

Amusu couldn't help being angry at the thought of Songtsen Gampo, the young king of Tubo. In the past, Songtsen Gampo sent people to ask for relatives again and again.  It was quite polite, though Amusu refused them on the spot without hesitation. This time, the young king actually wrote a letter and said: "your princess of Nepāla is destined to be my wife. If you don't agree to this marriage, I will suppress the border with an iron army of 50,000 soldiers!" How dare is he!

But this young man is really powerful enough. When he ascended the throne at the age of thirteen, he was faced with the poisoning of his father by rebel ministers, and the rebellions of the vassal kings in the territory. The whole Tubo was in danger of collapse. As a young king, he led his troops to fight around to quell the rebellion. He also took the opportunity to subdue several surrounding tribes and small states, making Tubo an unprecedented scale and becoming a Tsenpo (King of Tubo) respected by the people.

The most terrible thing is that the eastern part of Tubo borders the Tang Court, which is rich in products and resources and also prosperous in trade. The young Tsenpo strongly encouraged his people to learn the language and character of the Tang Court, which not only promoted relationships between the people of the two countries, but also improved the trade exchanges with the Tang Court, which directly and greatly improved the economy in Tubo.

And because Tang Court was located in the birthplace of the Central Plains civilization and had more civilized regulations and etiquette, Songtsen Gampo followed some centralized methods of government in Tang Court to fully control the land, army and financial resources of the feudal lords and nobles. In addition, some eminent monks and great virtues were introduced from India to promote Buddhism in Tubo, which not only educated the people under the rule, but also restrained the original Bon religion, which had a huge influence in Tubo.

 Now this rising Tubo has surpassed Nepāla in terms of land area, population, economy and army. In the last ten or twenty years, the weather on the snowy and cold plateau has become mild and humid. Cattle and sheep have a bumper harvest every year, and the population has gradually increased. Therefore, the overall development of Tubo is very rapid. Although it is not comparable to the Tang Court, it has the appearance of annexing its neighboring small countries.

Therefore, when Amusu saw this marriage proposal with threats, he was also a little bit afraid, and he summoned the national priest Mahabha into the palace to discuss it overnight.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember how the queen gave birth to the princess that day?" Mahabha raised his head and asked Amusu squarely.

"Of course, I do remember that the queen had a difficult childbirth that day and fainted in the middle., which was very dangerous." Amusu was still a little scared when he thought of the past, "The queen in her coma saw Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva appearing. Because there was a relationship between the Bodhisattva and the king and the queen in the past, an incarnation of the Bodhisattva would become the daughter of the king, but at the age of 16, the princess must go northeast to Tubo to seal and save the great female Rakshasa spirit.

 At that time, I had been waiting outside for a whole day also, and inadvertently took a nap. I also got the exact same dream as the queen. In my dream, I gave my words to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva that I would devote myself to practicing Dharma in this life, raising the princess well, and helping Avalokitesvara incarnate to accomplish this merit. After waking up, I got the news immediately that the queen gave birth to the princess successfully. Fortunately, the mother and daughter were safe. Therefore, I vigorously supported and promoted Buddhism throughout the country. "

 "Yes, it's time for Your Majesty to keep your promise! If Your Majesty insists on not letting go of the princess, I am afraid it will not only affect the fortunes of Tubo and our country, but also affect the princess and the karma of Buddhism in this world. Please think over it, Your Majesty!" The national priest Mahabha  knelt down and bent over, continuing to persuade the king.

After listening to the National Priest's words, the king of Nepāla, Amusu, found himself in a dilemma. He was still thinking over it, and the study room fell into silence again.