The Cult of Tara

56
MAGIC AND RITUAL IN TIBET
central Tibet is the Story of Nangsa bbum, 90
an account of the trials
and tribulations of one of Tara's best-known devotees. This type
of "opera" is known as ach'e lhamo, so named after the goddesses
who are almost invariably represented therein and who must often
act as deus ex machina when the plot becomes so complicated that
there is no other way to resolve it. The drama is performed in the
open air before enthusiastic and often vocal audiences, sung in a
strangely impressive warbling chant and enlivened by ad-lib buffoonery
and dance. The major part of the story is recited by a
narrator (at almost unintelligible speed), with each character coming
forward to sing his set speeches in a tableau, which breaks up and reforms
in a new pattern to the rhythmic clash of drums and cymbals.
The actual performance may take several days, depending upon
the elaborations of the troupe. Following is a translation of the
didactic prologue and the account of Tara's intercession in the
heroine's miraculous conception and birth.
[Narrator:]
Skilled in means, compassionate, born in the house of Sakya,
unconquerable conqueror of Mara,
his body shining like a pile of gold:
homage to the king of the Sakyas!
In the highest dwelling of Potala,
born from the green syllable TAM,
saving beings with the light of the syllable TAM
homage to mother Tara !
In the language of the gods, the serpents, and the spirits,
the languages of celestials and men,
the languages of all beings, however many there may be:
in the languages of all we will teach the Law!
Now our Teacher, skilled in means and full of compassion, had
pity for all, making no distinction of near or far; and he taught
84,000 kinds of the Law, agreeable to the minds of all the different
beings whom he took in hand. These are classified, briefly, under
the "three stages of the Wheel of the Law."
Now for people like you or me, who do not understand these expressions
of the Divine Law, he made both anecdotes and legends
agreeable to a Worldly Law: among these are the Anecdotes of Ja,
the Anecdotes of Re, the Anecdotes of the Monkey A16, the Royal
Anecdotes of Gesar Lord of Ling, and so on; and also the Legend of
King Rama, the Legend of Ravishing Goddess, the Legend of the
Righteous King Drime kiinden and so on.