The "Bat" of the Secret Hiding Place (Part 1)
——Text: Qing Qing
From SARS to MERS, to the new coronavirus, civets, camels, bamboo rats, badgers, snakes, mink, pangolins... One by one, it is confirmed or suspected to be the intermediate host of the virus, and the storage or natural host of these new viruses points to the same target - bats.
Bats were once a popular auspicious symbol of the Chinese nation, and in ancient China, they enjoyed an unparalleled honor for other animals. In Tibetan culture, the presence of bats is also very strong, Bon calls it Pawang, meaning the protector bat, is the messenger between man and god, in folk tales, it is a symbol of cunning and scheming. Because of its diurnal and nocturnal life habits, it is also known as Zi Gesangi, which means mouse Buddha. In Tibetan medicine, it is poisonous.
▲ Bat Qingqing draws
01
animism
Tibetans believe that all things naturally exist as beings on an equal footing with people. As the necessary precondition environment for the survival and dependence of Tibetans, it breaks through its own meaning and establishes a dual identity that is opposed to and empathetic to human beings, so it is endowed with a sinister and powerful inner strength, a mysterious aura of sacredness that is always prayed for and feared by human beings.
The geographical closure preserves the original ecology of Tibetan culture for us, allowing us to see some of the initial forms of human civilization. The mode of thinking of primitive people is in the stage of primitive logical thinking, believing that the soul is immortal and mysterious, so they use themselves as matter, thinking that the natural force that governs them and everything in nature has the same personality, will, and soul as human beings, which gives rise to animism.
Before the introduction of Buddhism, the popular Bon religion in Tibet practiced animism. Bon is said to have originated in the Zhang-zhung region in the southern part of the Ali region, and then spread from west to east along the Brahmaputra River, eventually covering the entire Tibet region. It worshipped ghosts, nature, and protectors, revered wizards, and practiced witchcraft, which had a major impact on later Tibetan Buddhism. If Tibetan civilization is a towering tree, then Bon is its root.
▲ White bats descend with condors as mounts
Bon has conceived the order of the divine world and the pattern of the universe according to the hierarchy of the human world, and has produced a religious philosophy in theoretical form. The universe is divided into three parts, the gods of heaven, the god of praise, and the god of dragons. The highest realm is the god of heaven, based on the sky, and is supreme. It means domination. The second realm is the god of praise, which is above the earth, in the middle of the universe, and is the place where countless elves flutter and fly. The Zan depicted in the Bon scriptures is often a flame, which is also where humans live, so the Zamkai is most closely related to humans. The mountain gods, gods of war, and world formation in Tibetan mythology all belong to the gods of praise, and mountains, rivers, forests, birds and beasts, and strange stones may all be the embodiment of "Zan". Many of these gods are transformed into family totems. They are close to people, and people are born of fear and awe. The third realm of the universe is the Dragon Realm, the god of the underground. Below the surface is its field of activity, snakes, insects, frogs and other burrowing animals may be the embodiment of the dragon god, and the spring water flowing from the ground is the activity of the dragon god.
Tibetans believe that all things naturally exist as beings on an equal footing with people. As the necessary precondition environment for the survival and dependence of Tibetans, it breaks through its own meaning and establishes a dual identity that is opposed to and empathetic to human beings, so it is endowed with a sinister and powerful inner strength, a mysterious aura of sacredness that is always prayed for and feared by human beings. It looks down on Tibet as the natural protector god of mankind or the evil god of evil, and participates in various human activities through another form.
The simple concept of Bon plays an important role in protecting the environment in which we live. Animals are even worshipped as gods, not only as a symbol of good luck or bad luck, but also as a source of strength and wisdom, and animals have dexterous bodies and keen organs, a trait that is always associated with the various supernatural forces in mythological stories.
▲ Dongba Sect Leader scroll painting "DongBashiro", the right shoulder painting is a white bat, Lijiang Museum collection
02
Messengers between god and man
Bats are indeed the most intelligent animals in the world. It is the only mammal capable of conquering the sky and flying freely. Its ability to fly gives it access to resources that other mammals cannot reach.
In the Bon scriptures, bats are "messengers", clever and eloquent, able to straighten out the merits of right and wrong, and play a role in communication between gods and men.
According to the Bon Bat Sutra, the king of rdzi and queen ngam combined to give birth to a son named Kampopwang (bat), who had nine strange appearances in his body, nine kinds of knowledge in his belly, nine wishes in his heart, and the words he said were the truth. God and man, without it, no matter what they do, they will reverse right and wrong, and because of it, whatever they do will be fulfilled. One day, the bat is captured by a man named Gabagata and taken to the god Ofz before he becomes king, who is disgusted by its ugly appearance and pre-kills it. At this time, the brave bat warns the king of Gonzi that if he kills it, it will bring all kinds of disasters to mankind. It justified: "I have the wings of a bird because my father is a white falcon, and my body is like a mouse, because my mother is a gray rat, which is her mark." The head of a horse is the sign of the sons of four mothers." This bat has the elements of white falcon, gray mouse, and horse, although it is a composite "monster" in appearance, it also has the extraordinary characteristics of these elements. The bat said, "The claws on my wings can guide me out of the evil way back." I have a lot of wrinkles on my body, which is a sign of dispelling troubles and pain. My breath is loud, which is a symbol of my bondage between the world and the afterlife. My upper lip is divided into two parts, which are a symbol of power and wisdom. My upright ears are a sign of the conquest of the enemy in the real world; my ears are upright, which is a symbol of adherence to established truths; and the body of an animal is a sign of the nine brothers (humanity) for the benefit of the nine brothers. The king praised the wisdom of the bat, and the bat escaped the killing.
▲ The bat statue is in the collection of the Natural History Museum in New York, USA
This myth is full of morals. Bats, a species with a variety of animal collective characteristics, are endowed with religious imagery, which is the expression of our interpretation of the human mind into the animal world. If we put aside the image of the bat's body, from the point of view of the elements of self-positioning, such as saying that it has come out of the cycle of evil path, expelled from troubles and sufferings, cut off the world and the world, has the power and wisdom, and benefits the nine brothers (human beings), it seems to have all the characteristics of a Buddhist or Bon worldly protector god.
The theme of "messengers" also appears in the Naxi Dongba classic "White Bat Sutra". It is said that diseases on earth are rampant, and all means are to no avail, and only the scriptures that go to heaven to ask for sacrifices and the books of prayer can calm the disaster. And the Heavenly Scriptures, like Tang Xuanzang's Western Heavenly Scriptures, were full of difficulties. At the critical moment, the white bat stepped forward, took the big eagle as a mount, relied on his own bravery, used his ingenuity and cleverness to communicate with God, and finally retrieved the true scriptures and eliminated the sufferings of the world. Completed the mission as the "messenger" of mankind.
According to this story, the scholar Mr. Yang Fuquan summed it up: "The birds and bats in the Dongba myth are the embodiment of wisdom. It has the reputation of 'white golden bat', is the messenger of human beings and gods, human beings pray to god, and all bats thread needles for it. "It is not difficult to see that between Tibetan culture and Naxi culture, the symbol and metaphor of bats are similar.
03
A sinister villain
Tibetan folk tales about bats are very different. Legend has it that a long time ago, the birds gathered to discuss the selection of a bird king. It is stipulated that whoever sees the sun rise first will be proclaimed king. The next day the bat and the bird saw the sun rise at the same time, so there was a controversy over who was king. So the birds agreed to prescribe the ability to fly, and the bat hid in the feathers of the bird, and when the bird flew above the other birds and said loudly, "I am in the sky", the bat flew out and said, "I am above you." The birds, knowing the bat's ruse, were so angry that they landed on the rocks, agreeing that this featherless, horned, winged but flightless alien was not worthy of being king. It was a disgrace for the birds that the vile birds were associated with the noble birds, so they drove the bats out of the flock and made the birds king. In this legend the bat is described as a despicable man with intrigue and tricks, who was eventually expelled from the bird family.
The traditional Tibetan society's means of severely punishing a person who seeks to misbehave is to drive him out of the tribe and community. In the legend quoted above, the removal of bats that anger the flocks of birds is another manifestation of the collective consciousness of Tibetan society into the animal world.
▲ Bat card pad
04
Poisonous things
The worship of celestial beings since Bon buddhism has been demonstrated by the Tibetans' reverence for nature and species, and their worship of their life forms. Bats have a unique body structure that combines the characteristics of a variety of organisms, and Tibetan medicine has found that bat flesh is toxic.
Tibetan medicine originated in the experience of Tibetan ancestors in their struggle against nature and various diseases. Looking at the origin and development process of Tibetan medicine, the Ancestors of the Tibetan People first used animal flesh, blood, bone, wild fruits and herbs and other drugs as food to unconsciously taste the "test", after hundreds of deaths, repeated attempts, continuous exploration, over time gradually understood the principle of mutual resistance between herbs, and gradually realized the pharmacology of animals, plants, and minerals, and came up with the most primitive Theory of Tibetan Medicine that "if it is poisonous, there is medicine, and if there is medicine, it is poisonous, and it is necessary to coexist with poison and change each other". This period is the enlightenment period of Tibetan medicine, which lasts about a thousand years.
Bats, as an ancient and mysterious species, were also one of the earliest mammals. Modern scientific research has revealed that a bat can carry up to hundreds of viruses at the same time, but because bats have special genes, they carry so many viruses while not getting sick on their own.
As early as more than a thousand years ago, during the Tubo Chisong Detsen period, the Tibetan medicine classic "Medical Wonders" has the following record: "Bats have teeth and wings, half birds and half mice, dare not come out during the day, and their flesh is poisonous and inedible." It is also recorded in the ancient Tibetan medical document "The Vase of Harsh Kindness" that bat meat is toxic, and unlike other animals, it has many diseases, so humans cannot eat its meat.
05
Man and nature coexist in harmony
▲ Bats in Tibetan decoration
On the one hand, Tibet's worship and reverence for nature protection gods is motivated by the need for the balance and salvation of one's inner life, and on the other hand, it also expresses the important characteristics of the Tibetan people's mythological way of thinking when examining the various forms of life - the distinctive characteristics of the integration of life. The values of all life forms are the same, both formally and substantively, the same value, and they can even be interchangeable...
Therefore, in the face of nature, we must write smaller and smaller characters. In another broad sense, nature is indeed full of gods, and now that the prophecies of myth have reappeared, we are unscrupulous, overexploitation and destruction of nature, and have begun to be retaliated against.
How to protect the endangered species of bats so that they can coexist with us for a long time is a problem that our generation must seriously consider. We may be able to learn from the cultural code left by our ancestors.
Bats on Tibetan utensils
The "Bat" of the Secret Hiding Place (Part 2)
Text: Dunzhu Danzeng
06
Symbolism in Bat Tibetan Culture
Records of bats carrying viruses have long been recorded in Tibetan medical texts: Bird Weng (བ་ཝང), also known as Pawang, with wings and teeth, shaped like rats, gray-black, diurnal and nocturnal, poisonous flesh. The "Fist Treasure Bottle" records: "The bird body is non-toxic, and it is easy to grow tumors and get sick." "Most of the birds feed on poison, and except for the peacock vultures, the galls are poisonous." "Manna White Pearl" cloud: "Poultry intestines are poisonous, they should be discarded, and de-poisoning is like handling snake meat." "Sequel" Yun: "Poultry meat can stop vomiting." ”
In addition to the records of bats in traditional Chinese medicine, bats in folk cultures around the world have also been given various symbolic meanings. For example, in the Han areas of China, bats have a positive meaning, because "bat" and "fu" homophony, bats are auspicious symbols, painted or engraved bat gifts are often used to bless good luck. In Western culture, however, bats are considered marginal creatures because they are mammals and can fly, often associated with darkness, death, witchcraft, and all sorts of malice, with negative connotations.
▲ Decorative image of bats in Tibetan culture
There are many stories and legends about bats in Tibetan folklore, and there are also bats in Tibetan literary classics, for example, Sakya Panzhida wrote in the "Sakya Maxims":
Despite the knowledge of the belly,
Untidy grooming is despised;
Bats are greater in their abilities,
Abandoned by birds because of their hairlessness.
Unlike this aphorism, which exemplifies bats as bad examples of not abiding by principles, making wall-to-head grass, and loving to take advantage, folk often exude praise for the wisdom and wisdom of bats, believing that bats are the masters of the collection of animals and beasts, and the Tibetan areas in Qinghai call bats "Zige Sangjie", which means "Rat Buddha".
Bats, pronounced "Pawang" in Tibetan, are often seen in various traditional Tibetan arts and folk culture works. They are commonly found in murals and on card mats, where two bats come to life on the small card pad used under the saddle.
Bat images often appear in the Nasi Dongba culture, which is directly related to the original Tibetan religion of Bon, for example, in the scroll painting "Dong Bashro" below, a bat appears on the right side of the main Bon ancestor Xin Rao Miwo, and the Xinrao Miwo in the painting is not a small difference from the Tibetan Bon mural and the Xinrao Miwo depicted in the Thangka, and some scholars believe that this is The Image of the Medicine King God is depicted by Xinrao Miwo.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > in addition to various paintings, bats also appear in Tibetan culture in other forms, and statue art is one, such as the bat-shaped tantric protector Ga-phong Dongma bronze vessel, holding a long whip. </h1>
Bats not only appear in the form of motifs or sculptures in Tibetan folklore and religious culture, but also have contact with Tibetans in their lives. For example, in 1936-1938, the British Hugh Li Jisheng filmed a video in Lhasa, Tibet, where a Tibetan man holds a bat in both hands.
The body structure of the bat combines the characteristics of a variety of organisms, it is the only mammal that can really fly, the unique shape and living habits, such as wings wrapped around the body, upside down and other characteristics, so that it naturally has a characteristic that can be given a variety of symbolic meanings.
▲ Bats recorded in ancient Tibetan texts
After the American scholar Anthony Jackson's study of Nasi Dongba culture, he believes that in Nasi Dongba culture, bats are regarded as messengers of information between humans and gods. In the Tibetan Bon culture, the status of bats is also very high, according to Bon, the world's fair stone (Seto), the golden-headed white monkey and the bat, are considered to be the "witnesses" of the world, can straighten out the right and wrong.
The Tibetan Bon text Bat has a variety of hand-copied versions, and there are some differences between the different versions. The British scholar Charles Ramble reprinted the Tibetan-Latin transcription and English translation in his English essay "The Real and Imaginary Tibetan Wonder Beasts and Their Special Powers". According to the author Charles, the article was obtained from the Tibetan scholars Ngawang Gyatso and Kame Sandan.
The author has translated "Bat" into Chinese and shares it here. The text takes the form of a dialogue between a bat called the "extraordinary bat" and the often mentioned King of Gongzi in The Changing King of The Gongzi in The Zhang-Zhung culture and Bon, and it can be seen that the Gongzi God-Turned-King, although disgusted by the image of the bat, praised its wisdom and ability.
Bats directly express the price that humans need to pay if they do not treat themselves well, or even kill themselves, as well as the various benefits of worshiping and offering bats in return. From this passage, we can see a general understanding and attitude of the ancient Tibetan ancestors, especially the Bon believers, towards bats and even animals. To this day, there is still a lot of reference and thinking value.
▲ Records of Tibetan medicine in Tibetan murals
07
The Bon Classics The Bat
Originally, King Zi had a son with Queen E, named Kampopawang (meaning extraordinary bat, Kampot means powerful and brave in Tibetan). If God and man do not have bats, whatever they do will eventually be misunderstood or misunderstood; if God and man have bats, everything can be accomplished as desired. Information about this bat spread everywhere. Once, the bat Kampopawan was captured and brought to the front of the God of Gonzi before becoming king. Although this is an extraordinary bat, its appearance is ugly, and the god has become disgusted after seeing the king, but he still praises: "Its body is distinctive, and there are five kinds of wisdom in the abdomen, all of which can be talked about!" ”
The bat said, "Don't kill me, don't exterminate me!" If you kill me, I will only become a gray corpse. If you don't kill me, there are five rewards. My body possesses five qualities, and if you worship me, all kinds of blessings will appear on time. If the worship is delayed, the heavens and the earth will be reversed, the black-haired people will get sick, the cattle and animals will die, the rain will not fall, the plants will not sprout, and the six grains will not grow. Flocks do not reproduce and strong children are no longer born. Rivers will not flow, and horses, cattle, and sheep will not increase. The Guardian will not accompany you, and you will not be able to conquer enemies, bison, and demons. Castles on the hills will not be built, and the dead will not meet the gods. So feed strong cows, sheep, and delicious nectar as soon as possible! ”
King Gongzi replied, "You, the creature, have all kinds of evil signs: you have the shape of a man and the head of a rat, which is the first sign that you should not be born." You have bird wings and mouse claws, and this second sign indicates that you should not be born. You have the body of a bird and the ears of a mouse, which is the third omen. Your wings carry claws, which is the fourth omen. Your upper lip is split in half, which is the fifth omen and so on. Your ears are upright, which is the sixth omen. Seventh, you are small but have a big breath, which is the seventh omen; you are knowledgeable and have long ears, which is the eighth omen. You have animal form, you speak human language, and you have a small body, but you are covered in wrinkles. Little creatures, all of these are ominous omens! You dwell on two places and are messengers between God and man."
▲ Bat 2 recorded in ancient Tibetan books
The bat said, "My extraordinary body has nine great qualities, and the wise king Gonz listens to me!" I have a pair of bird wings because my father was a white-tailed hawk. I was rat-like because my mother was a mole. The claws on the wings represent that I can guide me out of the path of evil. There are many wrinkles on the small body, which is a sign of getting rid of pain. My eloquence is a sign of hospitality. My upper lip split in half, meaning a combination of wisdom and convenience. My upright ears are a sign of conquering enemies in the real world. My ears stand up straight, a symbol of holding fast to the established truth. I have the body of an animal, a sign for the benefit of mankind! ”
"As the son of the heavily armed Masan Spirit, with my ability, I can conquer the Ten Realms, and with my destructive power, I can destroy the Diamond Rock, and I can easily steal the undead nectar." Worship me with gold and turquoise, and offer me rice as white as a conch. The benefactor who protects us, grasps the rope of the world, and casts all kinds of curses on the enemy! ”
The upper lip of the bat is like a tough sharp tooth, which covers the curse. Worship with gold and turquoise, bats have abilities such as sunny days, back to cover thunder and hail! The eyes of the bat are like the sun, and the red lightning is covered back! The ears of the bat are like victory flags, covering the evil back! The teeth of bats are like wooden stakes, covering the demons of death. The bat's claws are like a golden spoon, covering the weapon. The wings of the bat are like eagle wings, covering the fierce god! The claws of the bat are like iron hooks, covering all the demons of the butcher.
Bat wings like the wings of a vulture, echoing the curse of the Buddhist Bons. Worship the bat and cover up any diseases that may appear! Worship bats and cover the epidemic! Worship the bats and cover the cow disease! Worship the bats and cover the disease of the horses! Worship bats and drive away diseases from livestock! Worship bats and get rid of goat diseases! Worship bats and drive away the disease of sheep! Worship bats and protect our lives! Worship bats and cover up all kinds of enemies! Worship bats and cover up all kinds of controversy! Worship bats and guard the land! Worship bats and take care of our guests! Worship bats and keep our qualities and cultivation! Worship bats, protect travelers and women left behind in the village, and raise cattle and sheep. Escort those who have fled and welcome those who come here!
"Make offerings of gold, turquoise, barley, rice and nectar!" Hey bat, face east, back to the curse of the Buddha Bon, back to cover all kinds of enemies and conflicts. Facing west, echo the curse on the Buddha Bon. Facing north, the curse on the Buddha Bons is covered. Thanks to the worship of bats, bats look upwards back to cover the thunder and hail above; looking down, bats return to cover the harm of the Dragon King.
"The sacred and righteous Stone of Worldly Fairness (Seto), the Golden-headed White Monkey and the Extraordinary Bat, these three are the witnesses of the world. Since you are a witness, be a decent witness! We offer everything for you, please don't stop your merit! If people feel unwell, heal; care for your children and grandchildren, take care of the frail! Take care of the lives of horses, yaks and sheep. Bless me! ”
(End)
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