Chapter 3 "Lamp of the Earth" Supreme and Holy Existence

Supreme Holy Being (1) 2 sky. God, for Kasang, and Kasang's ancestors, those ancient Tibetans, is a supremely holy existence.In the place closest to the sky, they proudly enjoy the red birthmark left by the ancient sun on their skin.The purple color on the face is the kiss of the sun.They have the thinnest and cleanest air in the world.The most scorching sun.The bluest sky.And the vastest land.They are primitive and noble creatures, blooming for generations in the closest place to the sun. Kassan received her name before she was born.This name was given to her by her grandfather.Meaning, yesterday.She grew up in that vast land.The mountains have been entrenched at the end of the eye since ancient times, and the barley on the hillsides are gently toppled by the strong wind.Large herds of cattle and sheep float on the ground like clouds.

Every one or two years, when autumn comes, people will drive oxen and horses across the mountains, and exchange sheepskins and yaks for barley noodles and salt during the harvest season.When Kasang was six years old, in late autumn, his father and mother, together with a few middle-aged people in the village, drove the horse team and set foot on the road.Grandpa took Kassan to see his parents off, and she watched the horse team gradually go away and disappear on the ridge. In her memory, she felt that Mom, Dad and the horse team seemed to walk into the sun from the ridge. The horse team advances through the endless mountains.On the back of the nameless and desolate mountains and rivers, this sparse group of trekkers advances together with the occasional pilgrims.Crawl step by step, kowtow and wade through the land of the plateau.Move forward slowly.One step at a time, kissing the pure and endless fragrance of the land, and the pious belief.

No one can predict how long such a journey will be.People spend endless days and nights on horseback.They passed countless mani piles that were silent under the sun, and the seven-color wind horse flags shook gently with the wind, stirring the scorching sun into vivid colors.The journey has become extremely long because of the ups and downs.Their footsteps are like the hands of gods, caressing the long contours of the mountains. Passing by the Lama Temple on the high mountain, the high white walls and colorful Tibetan window paintings cut out the clear outlines against the background of the blue sky.The inside of the temple is filled with a strong fragrance of ghee, and the fireworks are curling up.The voice of the lamas singing sutras is very low and deep.In the high and deep narrow corridor, the light is dim.Only a row of purple-faced and devout people silently and lightly flipped the golden prayer wheel.Without exception, there is a black tumor on the forehead - that is the honorary medal left by a true Tibetan after kowtowing 100,000 equal growth heads in his life.Occasionally, a young lama passed by with his hands folded and his head bowed, with a faint golden light shining above his head.The dark red cassock is hidden in a tight corner.Only the prayer wheel rotates methodically and gently like the cycle of life.

Outside the long and narrow palace gate, the scorching sun lifted the blue sky high.Light pours down from the top of the Lama Temple.Dazzling eyes filled with tears. There is such a group of creatures.Relying on faith as nourishment, we can survive.The body is such an insignificant thing.It is nothing but a lotus flower.Just like a container, used to carry a thick and clean soul. Autumn is getting deeper and colder.As the day passed, distant starlight shone in the night.The Milky Way meanders across the sky.People sleep on the ground like eagles on the cliff.In the cold night, the horse snorted and exhaled hot, smoky air.And when the first ray of morning light hits the mountains and rivers at dawn, they will be on the road again.

This is the eternal temptation of the road.During his long life, Kassan gradually began to understand why he had the enthusiasm to say goodbye again and again and go on the road again.This is the imprint deeply imprinted by the blood of her father and mother in her childhood.She couldn't resist.Because only on the road, life is worthy of respect. People wade through the upper Qinglunzhuo grassland and see Qinglunzhuo Mountain.It is the highest and most dangerous mountain on the entire journey.After crossing the sacred mountain, it is the Xiaqinglunzhuo Grassland.After crossing the grassland, Yan Village is not far away.

The first horse led the way, and the whole team of cattle and horses trekked along the old road, and finally arrived at Yancun after five days. Yaks and sheepskins have been exchanged for food and salt, but people are waiting for the first snow in autumn.Because winter is coming soon, people are afraid of more snow, so people dare not stay for a long time. After a day of rectification in Yancun, they set foot on their way home. After the first snowfall, the Xiaqinglunzhuo Grassland is already a piece of pure white land, with mountains, rivers and fields covered by the first snow in late autumn everywhere.The heavy snow covers the mottled Lili Grassland.The boundless white undulates slightly against the ground, as if the remains of the earth were covered with a white pulu before waiting for the sky burial.A large area of ​​panic, slightly undulating under the scorching sun.In the distance, Qinglun Zhuo Mountain stands majestically.Because of the heavy snow, the mountain road was blocked and changed beyond recognition.The mountain became very steep and covered with snow. People could not find the exact path and could only follow the direction of the road in memory and experience.

There are clouds in the sky, people are worried, and they don't need to use stones and salt for divination to know that there is a smell of ice and snow in the air. Abba selected the strongest and most courageous old horses in the team as the first and second horses, and walked in front of the team to open the way.Facing the indifferent morning light, start again. At the foot of the mountain, another snowstorm came as expected.The snow gradually deepened, and the wind and snow that swept past covered the clouds and the sun, and nothing could be seen clearly. Only the blade-like gale mixed with large flakes of snowflakes was coming towards us, and walking was difficult.Can't stop, only keep going.

People struggled to climb the mountain on the leeward slope, and the snowflakes were wrapped in cracks and flew from the windward side, accumulating surprisingly fast on the leeward slope.Soon it will be as deep as thighs. If it is not for the tall head horse and two horses to open the way in front, stepping out a narrow but deep snow path like a trench with their hooves, people's legs will be stuck in the deep snow, making it difficult to move an inch . The whole body of the first horse was tightly wrapped in thick white snow, and its mane was frozen into ice.It buried its neck and lowered its head, struggling to open the way forward.The second horse followed closely behind, and it was the spouse of the first horse, trampling the snowy road firmly to let the group of horses following behind pass.

The wind and snow continued to rage, and the men and horses were already exhausted and on the verge of collapse.My father and mother's legs, feet and hands have already turned blue and purple from the cold, but they still dare not stop.Because as long as you stop, it will be a dead end.The wind and snow never stopped, and it was already late at night when we reached the top of the mountain with difficulty.Near the top of the mountain, the breath turns into ice, and the strong wind blows, making people feel shaky. For some reason, the team gradually stopped.Mom and Dad rushed to the front and found that the first horse and the second horse had fallen on the snow, panting with difficulty.The horse's head and neck were covered with snow, only the tears in the eyes turned into frost, reflecting the night, like a deep icy lake.The horse stared at its master, dying.They all knew that the winning horse was exhausted to the point of collapse.

People didn't dare to stop, they drove the horses behind and continued to move forward.The chaotic footsteps stepped beside the first horse and the second horse, and soon reached the top of the mountain.The leading horse lay in the snow, looked up at the footsteps of people leaving, and knew safely that his mission had been completed. Abba worriedly looked at the vast Shangqinglunzhuo grassland and the mountains at the end of the grassland from the top of the mountain.That is their hometown.He knew that there was no longer any delay.In order to let the later horses go down the mountain as soon as possible, it is necessary to give up the first and second horses that are completely immobile.

People stood silently on the top of the mountain watching the two fallen horses lying in the snow.The two horses are the sons of Fengshen raised by their fathers and mothers. They have the speed and beauty of eagles.But now they are old, and in order to make a way for people, they are too tired to walk anymore.With tears in his eyes, Abba took off the reins for the first horse and the second horse. When the reins were taken off by the owner, the two horses burst into tears, and the long tears formed ice marks on their faces, dripping on the white snow.The leading horse snorted weakly and moved its legs desperately, but couldn't stand up no matter what.In the end it let out a long breath, compromising the only time in its life to give up. The horse lowered its head, looking sadly and longingly at its owner, its tears dripped down and became hot, dripping down and melting the snow, the wind blew over its body, and the thick snowflakes on its mane rustled.Mom and Dad cried and stroked the horse's neck and forehead.These are the heroic souls of the plateau. They carried the barley from the village and led the horse team across the land, across the upper and lower Qinglunzhuo grasslands, and over the snow-covered holy mountain all the year round.They are the totems of the whole village, giving people the hope of survival, just like the snow roads they open, leading people back to their hometown. And now it has drained its life for it. Supreme Holy Being (2) My father and mother could no longer control themselves and returned to the horse team with tears in their eyes.On the way down the mountain, looking at the distant shadow of the prayer flags in their hometown, people keep moving forward with hope. The mournful neighing of the first horse and the second horse has been echoing on the silent top of the snow-capped mountain.It must be dying and overlooking the distant land, unwilling to return to the embrace of its hometown, unable to end the rest of its life by the owner's side.The melancholy and stern sound of the sound, and the fluttering fine snow are also moved by it, causing people to cry. Dad couldn't bear it, so he turned around and walked back alone.Grandma couldn't stop her, so she went back with Dad.The two left the horse team and went back to the top of the snow mountain alone.They saw two horses buried in the heavy snow, lying alone close together.Mom and Dad put the reins on them again, trying to help them up and go back to their hometown.The two horses were so weak that their eyes were slightly closed, and they couldn't stand up at all.When they saw their master come back, tears of gratitude kept dripping down. Mom and Dad sat down sadly, beside the horses, and stretched out their frozen hands to stroke their cold foreheads.The horse gradually closed his eyes peacefully, tears froze in the eye sockets, and a layer of frost formed on the deep eyelashes. When dawn came, the horse had already died quietly.The space between the sky and the earth was silvery white, and it was extremely quiet, except for the black goshawks hovering like vultures at a funeral.Mom and Dad shoveled the snow to bury the horse, and then they went down the mountain together.Their faces and limbs were severely frostbitten, and the snow buried their previous footprints, and they could no longer keep up with the horse team.No food, no water, no roads.Only the figure of my hometown is still swaying at the end of the snow field. Mom and Dad never came back.Sleeping forever under the icy blue sky, on top of the pure white snow-capped mountains. Pantomime-like silence.There is no longer the mournful neighing of horses, nor the sound of hard footsteps stepping on the snow.The silent snow mountain presents a huge slope, occupying the view.Below is a piece of pure white earth, above is the blue sky and still peaceful sunlight.Such silence turns out to be death. Kasan, your father and mother have returned to the land of their ancestors.The grassland there is like a green sea, the mountain flowers are blooming in all seasons, the pastoral songs are as clear as a river, and the sky is as blue as the legend.Where men no longer shed blood in war, where women no longer suffer childbirth.The moonlight is no longer cold, and the wind and snow are no longer raging. Kassan, they slept on the unfinished journey.Grandpa told her so.The voice is so calm. This long journey will require Kassan to travel alone in the future.Kassan didn't feel sad.She knows the impermanence of fate.Because our body is just a lotus flower that grows and dies on its own. The hallucinatory tragedy ends on the unfinished journey.As time goes by, the marks on the surface gradually disappear.After the death of Mom and Dad, Kassan became an increasingly silent child.She lives with grandpa.Afraid that the child would be lonely, the old man brought back a newborn Tibetan mastiff and gave it to Kasang. The little mastiff already has soft black fur, but its dark red pupils are as bright as jewels.Its body was curled up in Kassan's arms, like the most innocent and weak baby, with the desire to beg for food humming from its throat.It needs a lot of food to grow quickly, and is qualified to take care of the flock in this harsh environment.Grandpa told her that the mother of the little mastiff was a hero on the ranch and killed two leopards.He is pure-blooded and noble, and when he grows up he is sure to be the most heroic dog that has ever been rare.Grandpa named the little mastiff Jimmy.It means "fearless".Because the old man believed that it would be a brave and fearless warrior.Kassan loves the name.She hugged the young Jimei in her arms, and the little mastiff showed great energy, and had already begun to instinctively bite Kassan's finger, even though the baby teeth that hadn't yet grown in bit her hand felt like Itching with a little force.After the appearance of the little mastiff, Kasan's life took a turn for the better.She patiently feeds and pays attention to Ji Mei's growth.Its rapid change with each passing day proves Grandpa's assertion.At the age of four months, Ji Mei already had a much taller and thicker frame than Tibetan mastiffs of the same age.A body of pure black long hair without a trace of variegation, flying like the wind, fluctuating like ocean waves, shining like metallic luster.His eyes are as bright as two drops of volcanic lava, revealing a alert and loyal character. Women on the grasslands don't go out much.Herding and horseback riding are all men's business.So on weekdays, Kassang asked Jigme to watch over the herd, and she made tsampa and blood sausage alone in the black tent, picked up cow dung as firewood like all the locals, warmed the buttered tea, and waited for grandpa to come back.When there is no sky burial, Kassan will silently accompany his grandfather to chant sutras in the tent all night without sleep. The black tent where she lived was sewn by her grandfather with his own yak skin.That is the most common residence of herdsmen in Tibetan areas.My parents lived here when they were young.Poor homes don’t have lacquer paintings painted with powder and gold, or gold-plated cabinets. All the belongings are just packed in a few huge sheepskin bags and placed around the tent.It can resist the storm and facilitate migration.There are a few ancient card mats in the middle of the tent, the exquisite and complicated patterns have been worn by time, and they are simple and old. Kassan felt safer than ever inside the black tent, and after her parents died, she became less and less inclined to go out.It’s just that every time she sees the bright world through the cracks in the door curtain—thick white clouds falling heavily on the backs of the cows, the sky is blue, and Jigme’s galloping like a falcon flying—she feels that life is beautiful, and also very far away. Because too young.There are too many unknowns in this world.Kassan therefore chose to watch from the sidelines and was not in a hurry to step in. leave this world 3 Kassan was eight years old when his grandfather left this world suddenly.Ji Mei barked in a low voice, circling anxiously around his hastily collapsed body.Kasan wept uncontrollably.She felt a huge fear choke in her throat.The unfinished tsampa fell from the hand.In the black tent, the sound of the simmering fire of warm buttered tea burning silently can be clearly heard.Kassan felt as if he saw the vast snow field under the moonlight again, the plain white world.Silence is like death. The death of the celestial burial master caught everyone in the village by surprise.The herdsmen who came to express condolences watched around the tent, silent.They are all people who are not good at words.There is always a calm expression close to numbness on his face.Especially at times like this.Later, Rilang, the richest man in the village, stepped out of the crowd, sighed and said to Kasang, let Jibu do a sky burial for your grandfather. Jib is a distant relative of the Rilang family.A Khampa man of few words.From Nangqian Grassland.Tall and tough body, the edges and corners of the face are as sharp as a knife or an axe.Small, silent eyes.The color of the face is purple.In his hometown, he was also a Regaba (the person who delivered the corpse, that is, the celestial burial master). I heard that he was a traveling doctor with excellent medical skills. Later, he came here alone. Kassan, who was surrounded by the crowd, looked at the man timidly.He bit his lip. Jibu turned and left, and found Pulu Brown Shirt from his tent.According to their customs, the deceased should be undressed, put on a pulu, and then tied with ropes to form a curled up fetus in the mother's womb. The dead must be parked in their own tent for three days before being sent to the sky for burial. tower.Jib said to Kassan, you go away. Kassan moved timidly and stepped aside.Jimei followed behind her.Jibb went into the black tent.The thick felt curtains were drawn quickly. The crowd gradually dispersed.When Jib came out again, Kassan stood alone outside the tent.Jib faced her awkwardly, not knowing what to say, so he glanced at her and left.Passing by, he said, I will be guarding outside the tent tonight.Don't be afraid. Kassan stood still until he saw Jib go away.Trembling, she opened the door curtain, and saw the corpse of grandpa curled up, wrapped under a white pulu.Put it on the couch.The pose of a baby.Kassan put her hand over her face, she couldn't breathe.Sitting cross-legged in silence far away from grandpa, I felt trembling all over. She remained in this still position until sunset. She suddenly heard Ji Mei barking loudly and shuddered.Finally regaining consciousness, I stood up and went out to see what happened. It was Jibb standing at the far end of the tent, watching her silently.So Kassan pulled Jimei over and patted it on the head to make it quiet.Ji Mei barked in a low voice relentlessly.Kassan looked warily at this man who was no different from a stranger.She crouched down against Ji Mei.not talking. Jib is also without any words.After Jimei calmed down, she turned around and sat on the ground at a distance, leaning against the earthen wall of the sheep pen. Kassan looked at him.Then pat Jigme and bring it into the tent.The moment she lowered the felt curtain, she saw the desolate moonlight covering the field. three days and nights.Kassan knelt alone in front of his grandfather's body to keep watch.No one came in to bother her.Years later, she recalled these three nights with her grandfather's body in this way, and thus remembered that death is a far more dignified thing than existence.She began to vaguely know that perhaps another world is more beautiful.Otherwise, why so many relatives left her, but no one left a return date. Fourth dawn.Kassan knelt on the spot unconsciously, a gust of cold wind blew behind him, and a faint light shot in, illuminating the inside of the tent suddenly.She turned her head and saw that Khamba man was lifting a corner of the curtain and watching her silently.Because of the backlight, she couldn't see the man's face clearly, she only saw his tall torso blocking the morning light outside the tent, the edges and corners were as tough as a giant paper doll. He said to her, Kassan.It's time to send grandpa on his way. On the day of my grandfather's celestial burial, many herdsmen in the village went to the funeral.Kasang prepared tsampa and buttered tea, and followed a group of people to the new celestial burial platform.Ji Bu and several herdsmen walked ahead carrying Grandpa's body.Kassan quickened his pace again and again, panting to follow.When she finally reached the celestial burial platform, she knelt down to light a fire and cook buttered tea.This butter tea is boiled for the celestial burial masters to drink.Kassan could remember these customs well. The familiar Sang smoke in her memory rises.Jibb stood aside and chanted.A vague black spot appeared on the slightly whitish sky, and then it got closer and closer.The vultures are gradually coming, waiting to peck.Jibu stopped chanting the incantation, untied the pulu swiftly, and started to cut the knife with the chopping axe.At that moment, Kassan lowered her head.When she raised her head, Jibu was throwing the flesh and barley noodles to the vulture piece by piece.After the vultures had been pecking for a long time, Jibu cut the knife for the second time, mixed the bones and any debris with the green noodles again, and sprinkled them on the vultures. Jib stood aside and chanted.The whole process went very smoothly.Grandpa's body was pecked very clean.In their view, this means that the deceased is upright and pure, and can ascend to heaven smoothly.Kassan handed the tsampa to Jib to clean his hands.Kip took it and rubbed it vigorously to wipe the bone foam and meat off his hands.Seeing Jib finished washing his hands, she brought him hot buttered tea.Jibb took a look at her and finished his drink in silence. Kip turned and waved his arms, whining to drive the birds away.Vultures and crows flew away one after another with a profound sound.When the crowd gradually dispersed, Kassan stared helplessly at the empty celestial burial platform. She will never see her grandfather's eyes like an ever-bright lamp again, and she will never see her grandfather wearing a red and black cassock, standing under the sky to welcome the divine bird. Only the sky was as white as snow.She can once again experience the silent gift of the plain and silent world.