Ranka (爛柯)
Alternative Names (異名):
爛柯, Ranka
Ranka or Lankeshan ji, or Rotten Battle Axe in English, is a Chinese legend similar to that of Rip Van Winkle. Ranka predates that by at least a 1000 years. The exact date of origin of the legend is unknown.
The Legend
The legend features a woodcutter, Wang Chih, and his encounter with the two immortals in the mountains.
Wang Chih was a hardy young fellow who used to venture deep into the mountains to find suitable wood for his axe. One day he went farther than usual and became lost. He wandered about for a while and eventually came upon two strange old men who were playing Go, their board resting on a rock between them. Wang Chih was fascinated. He put down his axe and began to watch. One of the players gave him something like a date to chew on, so that he felt neither hunger nor thirst. As he continued to watch he fell into a trance for what seemed like an hour or two. When he awoke, however, the two old men were no longer there. He found that his axe handle had rotted to dust and he had grown a long beard. When he returned to his native village he discovered that his family had disappeared and that no one even remembered his name.
See also
Go
History of Go
Chinese mythology
Links
Kiseido Publishing Company (Japan), The Immortals, http://www.kiseido.com/printss/immort.html
China stubs | Chinese history stubs | History of China | Chinese mythology
Randeng Daoren (燃灯道人)
Randeng Daoren (燃灯道人)
Alternative Names (異名):
燃灯道人, Randeng Daoren
Randeng Daoren (Chinese: 燃灯道人; Pinyin: Rándēng Dàorén; literally meaning Burning Lamp Taoist) is a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi. He would be renowned as the Superiorman of Mount Condor, Intuition Cave. His role originated from Dipankara, a Buddha in Buddhism.
Following the incident with Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Taiyi Zhenren, Nezha would once again see an opportunity to strike down his father, Li Jing and end his great hatred. Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would see Li Jing and immediately tell him to hide behind him less he be killed. Once Nezha appeared directly before Randeng Daoren, Randeng Daoren would say the words, "I thought this problem had been resolved in the Cloud Top Cave. It is not good for you to rekindle your revenge again."
Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would thrust Li Jing forward to fight. Due to the fact that Randeng Daoren had already spat on Li Jing's back - which gave him magical powers - Li Jing was a match for Nezha at last. Nezha, who easily saw the trickery, stabbed his spear at Randeng Daoren; Randeng Daoren easily negated his spear by forming a large white lotus from his own mouth. Once Nezha attempted to attack Randeng Daoren once again, Randeng Daoren had no choice but to unleash a purple cloud from his sleeve -- a purple cloud that would trap Nezha within a large burning golden tower. Following this, Randeng Daoren could effectively control Nezha. However, he decided it best to give the teach the technique to Li Jing less Nezha rebels again. Thus, Randeng Daoren takes his leave after ensuring the Zhou Dynasty into the trust of Li Jing, who is now Li, the Pagoda Bearer.
Superiormen of Fengshen Yanyi | Fengshen Yanyi characters | Taoism | Chinese gods | Chinese mythology
Alternative Names (異名):
燃灯道人, Randeng Daoren
Randeng Daoren (Chinese: 燃灯道人; Pinyin: Rándēng Dàorén; literally meaning Burning Lamp Taoist) is a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi. He would be renowned as the Superiorman of Mount Condor, Intuition Cave. His role originated from Dipankara, a Buddha in Buddhism.
Following the incident with Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Taiyi Zhenren, Nezha would once again see an opportunity to strike down his father, Li Jing and end his great hatred. Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would see Li Jing and immediately tell him to hide behind him less he be killed. Once Nezha appeared directly before Randeng Daoren, Randeng Daoren would say the words, "I thought this problem had been resolved in the Cloud Top Cave. It is not good for you to rekindle your revenge again."
Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would thrust Li Jing forward to fight. Due to the fact that Randeng Daoren had already spat on Li Jing's back - which gave him magical powers - Li Jing was a match for Nezha at last. Nezha, who easily saw the trickery, stabbed his spear at Randeng Daoren; Randeng Daoren easily negated his spear by forming a large white lotus from his own mouth. Once Nezha attempted to attack Randeng Daoren once again, Randeng Daoren had no choice but to unleash a purple cloud from his sleeve -- a purple cloud that would trap Nezha within a large burning golden tower. Following this, Randeng Daoren could effectively control Nezha. However, he decided it best to give the teach the technique to Li Jing less Nezha rebels again. Thus, Randeng Daoren takes his leave after ensuring the Zhou Dynasty into the trust of Li Jing, who is now Li, the Pagoda Bearer.
Superiormen of Fengshen Yanyi | Fengshen Yanyi characters | Taoism | Chinese gods | Chinese mythology
Rainbow body (虹光身, 光蘊身)
Rainbow body (虹光身, 光蘊身)
Alternative Names (異名):
虹光身, Hong Gworng Sun, 光蘊身, Gworng Whun Sun, Rainbow body
A rainbow body (Chinese: 虹光身 / 光蘊身; Cantonese: Hong Gworng Sun / Gworng Whun Sun; Tibetan language: Jalü or Jalus (Wylie 'ja' lus ) is a body not made of flesh, but consists of pure light.
Besides secret and unrevealed scriptures, the rainbow body is also mentioned in some Mahayana Sutras, for example, Mahayana Secret Sublime Sutra (大乘密嚴經, Taisho Tripitaka 0681, 0682) says:
They had therefore achieved the Wisdom Concentration, and acquired Mind-Created Bodies, which are adorned with mighty supernatural powers. Such bodies are free of any interspaces, bones, or substances, they are like the sun and the moon, like rainbows, electricity, finest gold, luminous pearls, Sphatikas, Pravadas, Hridaras, Campakas, Pavonine Flowers and Moons, and the images from mirrors.
In Dzogchen
The rainbow body is the physical mastery state of Dzogchen of the Nyingmapa Mantrayana and the Bönpo where the trikaya is in accord and the nirmanakaya is congruent with bodymind and the integrity of the mindstream (the heartmind) is realised as Dharmakaya. The corporeal body of the realised Dzogchenpa which is now hallowed, returns to the pure primordial energetic essence-quality of the Five Pure Lights of the five elemental processes of which it is constituted through phowa and the Bardo of Mahasamadhi or Parinirvana. This is then projected as the mindstream through the process of phowa. The realiser of Jalus resides in the 'once upon a time' time out of time, timeless eternal state that is considered a mystery.
According to Dzogchen lore, the attainment of the Rainbow Body is the sign of complete realisation of the Dzogchen view. As Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002: p.141) states: “The realised Dzogchen practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death”.
More specifically, the rainbow body is constituted by the Five Pure Lights. When the view of Dzogchen and the integrity of the mindstream which links the Trikaya is realised prior to the death-Bardo (Skt. antarabhava), the bodymind of the Nirmanakaya (Tib. sprul sku) Dzogchenpa enters samadhi (Tib. ting nge ‘dzin) and commences Phowa or the ‘transferral of consciousness’ into the constituent Five Pure Lights of the Sambhogakaya (Tib. longs sku) to the Dharmakaya, sometimes leaving the non-living faecal elements of the bodymind such as hair and nails.
There have been a number of documented sightings of the Jalus process through the Bardo of death which may take a number of days to complete. The bodymind of the Nirmanakaya in samadhi, all the time decreasing its dimentionality as the constituent Five Pure Lights of the mindstream are transmuted into the 'glorious body' of Sambhogakaya.
From the case studies of those who have realised the rainbow body the practices of tregchöd and thödgal are key.
Those who have realised the rainbow body according to tradition
Togden Ugyen Tendzin
Khenpo A-chos
In 1953 Ayu Khandro realised the rainbow body.
Cross-cultural correlates
Though the Jalus is particular to Dzogchen, there are interesting cross-cultural correlates:
In the Judeo-Christian tradition refer "resurrection body" and "glorified body".
In Taoism, a high level Xian (仙) can transmute his flesh body into light (photons), can transform himself to anything, and can have many dividing bodies, so that he can appear as various forms synchronously at many places, or be invisible to human eyes. When his body disperses, he is the diffuse uncreated(pre-cosmic) energy; when the energy converge, he can appear as a living being. Such an Immortal is also called Real Person (真人) by Taoist Scriptures.
In Tantrism and some schools of yoga, a comparable state is called "vajra body," or the "adamantine body".
In Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, refer the "radiant body."
Buddhist terms | Chinese mythology | Dzogchen | Taoism
Alternative Names (異名):
虹光身, Hong Gworng Sun, 光蘊身, Gworng Whun Sun, Rainbow body
A rainbow body (Chinese: 虹光身 / 光蘊身; Cantonese: Hong Gworng Sun / Gworng Whun Sun; Tibetan language: Jalü or Jalus (Wylie 'ja' lus ) is a body not made of flesh, but consists of pure light.
Besides secret and unrevealed scriptures, the rainbow body is also mentioned in some Mahayana Sutras, for example, Mahayana Secret Sublime Sutra (大乘密嚴經, Taisho Tripitaka 0681, 0682) says:
They had therefore achieved the Wisdom Concentration, and acquired Mind-Created Bodies, which are adorned with mighty supernatural powers. Such bodies are free of any interspaces, bones, or substances, they are like the sun and the moon, like rainbows, electricity, finest gold, luminous pearls, Sphatikas, Pravadas, Hridaras, Campakas, Pavonine Flowers and Moons, and the images from mirrors.
In Dzogchen
The rainbow body is the physical mastery state of Dzogchen of the Nyingmapa Mantrayana and the Bönpo where the trikaya is in accord and the nirmanakaya is congruent with bodymind and the integrity of the mindstream (the heartmind) is realised as Dharmakaya. The corporeal body of the realised Dzogchenpa which is now hallowed, returns to the pure primordial energetic essence-quality of the Five Pure Lights of the five elemental processes of which it is constituted through phowa and the Bardo of Mahasamadhi or Parinirvana. This is then projected as the mindstream through the process of phowa. The realiser of Jalus resides in the 'once upon a time' time out of time, timeless eternal state that is considered a mystery.
According to Dzogchen lore, the attainment of the Rainbow Body is the sign of complete realisation of the Dzogchen view. As Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002: p.141) states: “The realised Dzogchen practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death”.
More specifically, the rainbow body is constituted by the Five Pure Lights. When the view of Dzogchen and the integrity of the mindstream which links the Trikaya is realised prior to the death-Bardo (Skt. antarabhava), the bodymind of the Nirmanakaya (Tib. sprul sku) Dzogchenpa enters samadhi (Tib. ting nge ‘dzin) and commences Phowa or the ‘transferral of consciousness’ into the constituent Five Pure Lights of the Sambhogakaya (Tib. longs sku) to the Dharmakaya, sometimes leaving the non-living faecal elements of the bodymind such as hair and nails.
There have been a number of documented sightings of the Jalus process through the Bardo of death which may take a number of days to complete. The bodymind of the Nirmanakaya in samadhi, all the time decreasing its dimentionality as the constituent Five Pure Lights of the mindstream are transmuted into the 'glorious body' of Sambhogakaya.
From the case studies of those who have realised the rainbow body the practices of tregchöd and thödgal are key.
Those who have realised the rainbow body according to tradition
Togden Ugyen Tendzin
Khenpo A-chos
In 1953 Ayu Khandro realised the rainbow body.
Cross-cultural correlates
Though the Jalus is particular to Dzogchen, there are interesting cross-cultural correlates:
In the Judeo-Christian tradition refer "resurrection body" and "glorified body".
In Taoism, a high level Xian (仙) can transmute his flesh body into light (photons), can transform himself to anything, and can have many dividing bodies, so that he can appear as various forms synchronously at many places, or be invisible to human eyes. When his body disperses, he is the diffuse uncreated(pre-cosmic) energy; when the energy converge, he can appear as a living being. Such an Immortal is also called Real Person (真人) by Taoist Scriptures.
In Tantrism and some schools of yoga, a comparable state is called "vajra body," or the "adamantine body".
In Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, refer the "radiant body."
Buddhist terms | Chinese mythology | Dzogchen | Taoism
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