In Tibet, on the north side of the Potala Palace, there is a Dragon-King Lake with a mysterious layout. The Dragon-King Pavilion on the island in the heart of the lake enshrines a beautiful and dignified dragon-girl whose name: Mo-zhu-sir-ching.
In the Tubo Dynasty in ancient Tibet, a huge and complex system of gods was formed by the Bon religion at the beginning. The early folk beliefs believed that all things have animism. Perhaps such local religions at early stage started to have the theory of ghosts and gods. During the Han Dynasty and Tibetan Empire years, it was rumored that the ancient western region (outside of China to north and middle east) was an area dominated by demons.
According to legends, the king, who was inclined to the cause of grand Buddha, prayed to Master Padmasambhava, hoping that the master would use compassion and bodhicitta to educate all beings in the snowy regions that were difficult to tame, and prayed to purify this land. Master Padmasambhava suggested that the king should build a Buddhist temple and establish the foundation of the Dharma, not only to subdue demons, but also to benefit sentient beings.
The king obeyed the instructions and began to build a Buddhist temple. At this time, the leader of the ghosts and gods in the Tubo area was a Dragon-king in the Mozhu area who is named Mo-zhu-sir-ching. The master believes that the Dragon-king should be subdued before the cause of preaching the Dharma can be helped.
Mo-zhu-sir-ching lives in a palace in the deepest part of Lhasa’s east, Sirching Langchu Snow Mountain Lake. There is a lush forest near the lake. At the beginning, the Dragon-King, Mo-zhu-sir-ching was a cultivated snake, which often changed into a young and beautiful girl to take a walk in the forest. The Dragon-King brought wealth and abundant water to people, so people called this forest “Sir-ching-lin-car“.
It’s saying that: as long as a girl sees Dragon-King eyes and looks at each other with sincerely, she will become smarter and more beautiful, and she will be also easier to have baby-boy due to pregnancy. If a man meets Dragon-King, he will be deceived by the dragon eyes, he will be flirted and then become an irrational idiot or like a fool eventually. No man can escape, nor can he resist the charming、 glamorous and attractive appearance of Dragon-King.
During the day, there are people who come to build the temple, but at night it is led by ghosts and gods to help build the temple. The master subdued all the demons and monsters with the Sanskrit voice of thunder and empowerment, and preached to let the ghosts and gods understand the terrible suffering of the six realms of reincarnation. Only the wood to build the temple is insufficient, and the forest resources of the Dragon-King are needed to help.
The master drove Mo-zhu-sir-ching to work for the construction of Samye Monastery, under one condition that master would assist the snake to upgrade as a real dragon. However, Mo-zhu-sir-ching requested to be a human being, but Master Padmasambhava only allowed to promise her to become the Dragon-King, as the guardian of the Tibetan King, to enjoy the people’s blessings and worship.
Remark: in Taipei…the school yard used to be a Dragon-Lake…
—The End of Story—
Written by JCLee © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
JCLee 