20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

710 Klaus Sagastercompared to Mount Meru 10 , is the axis of the spiritual world, and so is hisSpeech, which is accessible to the believers through the book. The teachingof the Buddha leads to bliss, that means to liberation from suffering. Therainbow is the bridge through which bliss becomes available to the livingbeings. The same is true for the garment of the Buddha and the “garment”of his Speech, the book. The book, representing the Word of the Buddha,is covered by the garment, and so is the Body of the Buddha. Both theBody and the Word of the Buddha are the cause (rgyu) of bliss (bde-ba)for all living beings. Therefore, all that is touched (reg) by the garment,which, of course, also applies to anyone who touches the garment, willexperience bliss. What immediately comes to mind in this context is thegeneral custom of touching the cloth of a saintly person or touching thenational flag. Both the saintly person and the flag are centres of power,centres of strength, from which strength can be gainThe Garment of the Buddha and his Word are also a symbol of one ofthe so-called Ten Perfections (pha-rol-tu phyin-pa bcu), the qualities thatare indispensable for reaching the spiritual goal. The quality symbolisedby the Garment is perseverance (bzod-pa). Without perseverance, it is notpossible to pursue the long and troublesome path to liberation from sufferingto bliss. If I myself wear the garment of the Buddha, it will provide me withthe strength that is necessary to practise perseverance.3. The Covers of the Book (Card no. 45)The drawing shows a book between two wooden covers, wrapped in a“garment”.The ritual text reads as follows:/ zung ´jug dam chos ´dzin pa kun bral yang /by Tsong-kha-pa Blo-bzang grags-pa (1357-1419), part A of the following collection ofrecitations of the rNam-rgyal grva-tshang: rNam-grva sngags-chog (=´Dir rNam- rgyalrgya-tshang-gi tshogs-´don rgyal-dbang bskal-bzang rgya-mtsho´i gsang-ba´i rnam-tharsogs nyer-mkho phyogs-gcig-tu bsdus-pa), foll. 12r6-13v5:/nyi-gzhon ´char-ka'i mdangs-ldan li-khri ltar//yid-´ong dmar-ser drva-bas khebs-pa yi//´dab-stong ge-sar rtse-na zla-gdan la//hrī-las byung-ba´i mgon-po tshe-dpag med//padmarāga´i lhun-po dbang-po´i gzhus//kun-nas klubs-pa ji-bzhin khyod-kyi sku//sna-tshogs gos-dang nor-bu´i rgyan-mang-gis//kun-nas mdzes-par-byas-la-phyag-'tshal-lo/ (12r6-7).10Ibidem.