Glimpses of Tibetan Divination: Past and Present

250 Pages·2019·3.216 MB·English

by  Petra Maurer, Donatella Rossi, Rolf Scheuermann

GlimpsesofTibetanDivination
Prognostication in History
Editedby
Chia-FengChang(TaiwanNationalUniversity)
MichaelLackner(Friedrich-Alexander-UniversityErlangen-Nürnberg)
KlausHerbers(Friedrich-Alexander-UniversityErlangen-Nürnberg)
AlexanderFidora(UniversityofBarcelona)
volume 2
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/prhi
Glimpses of Tibetan
Divination
PastandPresent
Editedby
PetraMaurer
DonatellaRossi
Rolf Scheuermann
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Coverillustration:Chinesedivination,thangkasection.TheMuseumoftheFiveContinents(previously
theVölkerkundeMuseum),Munich,reproducedbypermission.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Maurer,PetraH.,editor.|Rossi,Donatella,editor.|Scheuermann,Rolf,
editor.
Title:GlimpsesofTibetandivination:pastandpresent/editedbyPetraMaurer,
DonatellaRossi,RolfScheuermann.
Description:Leiden;Boston:Brill,[2019]|Series:Prognosticationinhistory,
2589-4404;Volume2|Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2019030666(print)|LCCN2019030667(ebook)|
ISBN9789004407374(hardback)|ISBN9789004410688(ebook)
Subjects:LCSH:Divination–TibetRegion.|TibetRegion–Religiouslifeand
customs.
Classification:LCCBF1773.2.T5G552019(print)|LCCBF1773.2.T5(ebook)|
DDC133.309515–dc23
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2019030666
LCebookrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2019030667
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ISSN2589-4404
ISBN978-90-04-40737-4(hardback)
ISBN978-90-04-41068-8(e-book)
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Contents
Preface vii
BackgroundHistoryoftheVolume xxii
OntheContributionsContainedinThisVolume xxv
ListofFiguresandTables xxix
NotesonContributors xxx
1 ACaseofProphecyinPost-imperialTibet 1
PerKværne
2 ThreeDice,FourFaces,andSixty-FourCombinations:EarlyTibetan
DiceDivinationbytheNumbers 11
BrandonDotson
3 APreliminaryAnalysisofOldTibetanDiceDivinationTexts 49
AiNishida
4 DivinationsPadampaDidorDidNotDo,orDidorDidNotWrite 73
DanMartin
5 LandscapingTime,TimingLandscapes:TheRoleofTimeinthesa
dpyadTradition 89
PetraMaurer
6 SignsandPortentsinNatureandinDreams:WhatTheyMean
andWhatCanBeDoneaboutThem 118
CharlesRamble
7 IdentifyingtheMagicalDisplaysoftheLordsoftheWorld:
TheOneiromancyofthegSalbyedbyangbu 136
DonatellaRossi
8 Vibhūticandra’sSvapnohanaandtheExaminationofDreams 161
RolfScheuermann
9 Prognosis,Prophylaxis,andTrumps:ComparativeRemarksonSeveral
CommonFormsofTibetanCleromancy 181
AlexanderK.Smith
vi contents
10 TheRoleofLamynGegeenBlobzangbstan’dzinrgyalmtshaninthe
DisseminationofTibetanAstrology,DivinationandPrognostication
inMongolia 198
AgataBareja-Starzýnska
Index 213
Preface
Thedesiretoknowthefuture,toseekanswerstoquestionsbothspokenand
those left unsaid, is a deep-seated human instinct. In evolutionary terms, its
originsmaylieinthequestforsurvivalitself,intheneedtobehealed,andin
thenecessityofeffectivelyfulfillingthesocialandeconomicobligationsoflife
suchas the planting of fields and harvestingand so on.The humanpropen-
sitytolookintothefuture,andtotrytoseewhatitholdsinstoreforus,might
beoneofthemanypsychologicalfeaturesthatdistinguishhumansfromother
animals.
Rather than having recourse to long and intense critical examination of
thepossibilitiesavailable—weighingtheprosandconsofdifferentcoursesof
action for example—which still leave a large element of contingency when
it comes to outcomes, it was (and to a large extent still is) very common for
Tibetans to consult a diviner, an astrologer or an oracle as means of giving
respitefromthesetensionsofuncertaintyandofferingguidanceonhowtopro-
ceed.
InTibetansocietiespastandpresent,consultingadivinerwasandstillisas
sociallyacceptableasconsultingahealeroradoctor.Suchconsultationswere
notconsideredstrange,andsuchprognosticationswerenotderidedassuper-
stition.Suchpracticeshavestoodthetestof time—theyhavebeeninusefor
centuries—andtheycontinuetobewidespreadtoday.Norweresuchservices
restrictedtopeopleof aparticularsocialstatus.Divinerswereandareacces-
sibletoallandanyonecanconsultthem.Goingtoadivinerwhenonehasa
questionaboutthefuturewas(andis)asnaturalasgoingtoahealerwhenone
contractsadisease.InTibetansociety,onlytheStateOracleswererestrictedfor
usebythegovernmentalone,andordinarypeoplecouldnotapproachthem
withrequestsforprognostication.
Overthecenturies,Tibetansdevelopedmanypracticesof prognostication
andadaptedmanyothersfromneighboringculturesandreligions.Inthisway,
Tibetan divination evolved into a vast field of ritual expertise that has been
largely neglected in Tibetan Studies. Focused as they tend to be on Tibetan
history and Buddhism, scholars have often skirted the activities and beliefs
associatedwiththedailylivesandsimpleneedsofTibetans.Thisdisregardis
especiallysurprisinggiventhepopularityofprognosticationinTibet.Prognos-
ticationpermeatesmanyspheresoflife,revealsmanyfieldsofknowledge,and
laysopenmanyaspectsandlayersofTibetansocietyandculture.
Why study divination? Divinatory techniques and predictions can offer
insights into the cultural influences of neighboring countries.They open up
viii preface
awidefieldofknowledgeonmyth,religion,ritual,andculture;ondemonsand
gods,floraandfauna,onsecularandsacralactivities,onmaterialcultureand
religiousobjects,andevenonhowtoliveandtodie.Theycanhelpexplainthe
structureofhouses,andthechoiceoflocationforcemeteries.However,there
ismore.
Divinationtechniquesandprognosticationcaninformusaboutthestructure
of society,aboutitssocialclassesandgenderedroles,whileatthesametime
givingusaccesstotheinnerlivesof people,tothesecretsof humanemotion
andfeeling,andtothehopesandfearsofthepeople.Suchtechniquesandpre-
dictionsmaythusbeconsideredamirrorofsociety,helpingusreachadeeper
understandingofculture.Peopleareguidedbythewishtoknowthefuture,to
knowabouttheforcesthatmightinfluencetheiractivities,toknowinadvance
if an upcoming event or project will succeed or fail. Like a game, divination
isallaboutlossandgain.Dependingonthetechnique,predictionscaneven
helpachievespecificgoalsinlifeandavoidcertaindangers.Theyofferpeople
guidancethroughlife,helpingthemfindanswers,achieveemotionalstability
andtoemboldenfaith,inmuchthesamewaythatprayercanmakemiseryand
painmorebearable.
Theeventsforwhichdivinerswereconsultedcanrangefromregularlyper-
formedeverydayactivitiestoparticulareventssuchasmarriageorabuilding
projectthatmightbeperformedonlyonceinalifetime.Thequestionsraised
can range from simple to very complex. Some questions may require only a
straightforward“yes”or“no”answer;others,concerningtheoutcomeofapar-
ticularcourseof action,canbeansweredsimplywitha“good”or“bad”,with
variousshadesinbetween.Alternatively,aclientmayaskforarangeofdetails
andoptionsconcerningthefuture.
Dependingonthequestionpresentedandthemethodemployed,theinfor-
mation returned about the upcoming activities and events might be closely
relatedtotheaspectoftiming.Toguaranteethesuccessofanactivity,theclient
maybeenjoinedtoembarkontheprojectonlyatasuitabletime,fortimingcan
often be the decisive factor for a favorable outcome or a successful achieve-
ment.Justasthequestionsposedaboutthefuturecanbeveryvaried,sotoo
canthemeansforfindinganswerstothem.
1 Techniques
All techniques examine and analyze the current situation and the circum-
stancesoftherequestinthepresent.Manytechniques—includingthemedical
preface ix
practice of pulse diagnosis—also examine the past. With pulse diagnosis, a
Tibetan healer can read past events like a broken bone for example. As an
attempt to survey the various divination techniques, one might distinguish
themasfallingintothefollowingcategories.
First,therearethoseformsofdivinationwithoutanyspecificobject,suchas
divinationthroughdreams(rmilam)oroneiromancy,1orthroughomensthat
occurspontaneously,suchasportentsofdeath.‘Objectless’divinationrequires
profoundknowledgeonhowtointerpretthemanifoldsignsandomensthat
canappeartothedivinerintheseways.Oraclesandprophetsmightalsobe
subsumedunderthiscategory,astheirpredictionsfollowanintuitiveknowl-
edge,orelseinformationtransmittedbydivineagents.
Thenextcategoryof prognosticationsconcernsthoseinwhichdivination
occursthroughthemediumofanobjectthatexistsnaturallyorarisesbyitself.
Amongthesearetheinterpretationof clearvisionsthatoccuronthesurface
ofanyclearandevenobject,suchasalake,theblueskyoramirror(pra),and
theinterpretationof topographyasabranchof geomancy.Dreamsaresimi-
lartoalandscapeoralake,vectorsof hiddenknowledgedisguisedinimages
that require interpretation. Other signs that occur naturally or arise of their
ownaccordarephenomenainnaturesuchastheblowingof thewind—the
examination of the flickering of a butter lamp (marmebrtagpa), the shape
anddirectionof aplumeof smoke(sposkyidudpa),thewhorlsonahorse’s
pelage(gtsug),2themarksonahumanbody,physicalreactionsinone’sbody
suchassneezingorthetwinklingoftheeyes,oranimalcallssuchasthecaw-
ingof crows,andsoon.Thedivinerinterpretstheseomensbythesigns,pat-
terns,shapesandtheeventsthemselves.Nofurtherorextraneouscalculation
isrequired.
A third category subsumes those divination techniques which interpret
patterns using a particular object. This includes methods such as scapuli-
mancy(sogmo,divinationwithshoulder-blades),divinationwithrosaries(mo
’phreng),witharrows(mda’mo,inTibetanculturethereareatleasttwokindsof
arrowdivination),withpebbles(lde’u’phrulwhichprobablygoesbacktogeo-
mancy,i.e.“theartofdotting”),withdice(shomo),withcords(juthig),andso
on.
Chinese divination or calculation (nag rtsis) should be regarded as a fur-
therseparatecategory.Thedivinermerelycalculatesthefutureofhisclientby
establishingarelationshipbetweenthepastandthepresent.Anyprediction
1 SeeRamble,Rossi,andScheuermanninthisvolume.
2 SeeMaurer,Petra.HandschriftenzurtibetischenHippiatrieundHipplogie(Bonn:VGHWis-
senschaftsverlag,2001),170–179.
x preface
dependsonaspectsanddimensionsintheirrelationtotime,andthiskindof
prognosticationisapurelytechnicalprocedure.
Themainpurposeofallthesetechniquesistoavoidunfavorableorunpleas-
antsituationsandavertdamage,calamity,hindranceordisease.Meansofpre-
ventingharmcanincluderitualpractices(gto)andyogicexercises(forexample
toavoiddeath)aswellasotherritualstoovercomeanddefeatthedemonper-
petratorsofwhateverharmisthreatened.
ThemannerinwhichthevarioustechniqueswerepreservedinTibetsug-
gestsmanyculturalinfluences.Forexample,theChineseoriginoftheso-called
Chinesecalculationordivination(nagrtsis)isveryclear.Divinationwithdice
waspopularinIndiaandCentralAsia,butwasalsowidespreadintheIslamic
tradition.3Prognosticationinvolvinganimals,suchasthecallsofbirdsandthe
whorlsonahorse’scoatoccurextensivelyinIndia.Theuseof knottedcords
is likely to be of Bon origin as also may be divination by means of counting
beadsona“rosary”.Thissimplepracticeisperformedbylaymenandmonks,
andisverypopularinTibetancommunities.Mostifnotallofthesedivinatory
practiseshoweverareofmulti-culturaloriginand/orinfluenceandnotbased
onoriginallyBuddhistconcepts.Itwasthe5thDalaiLamawhointegrateddiv-
ination into Buddhism and Buddhist concepts such as rten’brel (dependant
origination)wereobviouslyconsecutivelysuperimposed.
2 Terminology
Themanifoldinfluencesandformsof Tibetandivinationarevisiblethrough
thediverseterminologyappliedtothem.Itseemsthatexceptpra,thevarious
terms point to other cultural backgrounds rather than referring to a specific
technique.Thetermsphya,moandpraalreadyappearinOldTibetansources
andalsoinBonliterature,whereasrtsismightbeoflaterorigin.4
A person who predicts the future can be a monk or a layperson, male or
female.Withtheexceptionoforacles,thetechniqueisnotdefinedbytheper-
sonwhoperformsit,butratherthedesignationofthespecialistisdefinedby
the method he or she uses. So, for example, the term rtsispa or rtsismkhan
referstoanastrologer,divineror“calculator”.Inthiscontextitdenotessimply
the individual who performs the so-called Chinese calculation (nagrtsis) by
3 SeeDotsoninthisvolume.
4 Karmay,SamtenG.“TheAppearanceoftheLittleBlack-headedMan,”inTheArrowandthe
Spindle.StudiesintheHistory,Myths,RitualsandBeliefsinTibet(Kathmandu:MandalaBook
Point,2009),247.