The Lion King told them: “After I leave, the three Ling masters must pray day and night, without any break. I will return to Ling within 15 days.”
After he finished speaking he turned into a ray of sunshine and disappeared.
Master Padmasambhava lived in the center of Raksasa State. When Gesar went there, he paid formal visits to the varied appearances of Master Padmasambhava first, before he went to the Palace of the Infinite Lotus Light where the Master’s real body lived. A few Sky-Goers holding a clean bottle, a precious mirror and a wisdom censer in their hands cleaned the dust from Gesar and gave him all kinds of silk cloths. Finally, they brought him to the magnificent unlimited palace. Surrounded by the Sky-Goers and the Raksasa, the Master was in high spirits and sat on a throne in the centre of the hall. When Gesar entered the hall, he shot white, red and blue lights at him which made him glow. With the lights, Gesar transformed himself into many appearances and saluted the Master. Then he sat on the throne with layers of silk, and said to Master Padmasambhava:
“Respected Master, thank you for sending the Sky-Goers to pick me up and bring me to the magic and auspicious Pure Land from the dark land. I have come here to learn such things as: How can the people living in the Southern Continent enjoy peace? How long more will I live in Ling? How can I help the people get rid of their tribulations?”
Gesar made obeisance to Master Padmasambhava, who was surrounded by colourful rays of light. Five Buddhas all arrived. Master Padmasambhava assumed his dignity and said to Gesar:
“Well, Gesar, you should explain the Buddhist doctrines with all of your wisdom and then everyone can come out of hell, with its world of woes, and find salvation. Everyone will be able to go back to the Pure Land again.”
Then the great master disappeared like a rainbow. Gesar knew that it was time to go back to Ling, so he prayed:
“Please have pity on me, Buddhas. I hope the Southern Continent will be affluent for ever.”
Gesar travelled the Land of the Five Buddhas with four Sky-Goers before he went back to Ling. Everyone in the State of Ling was very happy to see him back.
After staying in the Dragon Palace for seven months for mediation, Gesar decided to go to the Seven Crossing by the Fragrant River in India in order to practice austerities for a prolonged period of time. Everyone tried to dissuade him but Gesar said it was his deity aunt’s suggestion and he could not refuse it. So, people said nothing. Just then, Gesar’s mother, Gormo, offered him a white hada scarf and said:
“My son, according to the predictions for this year, I have the indication of my death. If I cannot see you when I am on my last breath, I will suffer from torture in the hell.”
What his mother said put Gesar in a dilemma. He appreciated his mother for giving birth to him and he knew that his mother suffered from distress because of his birth. Couldn’t he stay with her on her deathbed? However, if he did not go to the Holy Land in India, he would disobey his deity aunt’s purpose. He failed to sort things out although he turned the matter over and over in his mind.
Knowing her son to be troubled with his decision Gormo felt disturbed. She did not ask Gesar to stay with her any more and told him that he should go to India as soon as possible and just remember her in his prayers.
During that time, Gesar found his mother to be very reasonable. Then he advised her stay in the palace to practice the Longevity Holy Mother Teachings when he was away. When he came back, he said he would help her to make an abhiseca to lengthen her life. With this, Gesar left for the Holy Land of India.
Some 100 days after Gesar left Ling, Gormo became ill and failed to respond to any medical treatment. She died shortly after. Cholmo and the heroes of the State of Ling chanted sutras to save Gormo’s soul, but the deities still sent Gormo to hell according to her karma in order to have Gesar save everyone in hell. Cholmo then sent a servant called Bagyi to India to ask Gesar to come back to Ling quickly.
Gesar had practiced Buddhism for 100 days. He met his servant called Bagyi at the Seven Crossing by the Fragrant River. When he learned his mother had died and had been sent to the hell, Gesar was angry and chanted incantations immediately. The Heavenly horse flew like lightning at once, jumping over the Yama River that ordinary people could not cross and skipping the vast sands of the Hades. Gesar met Yama but he did not find his mother. Holding his treasured bow and fitting an arrow into it, Gesar felt upset and shouted:
“Yama, you have no conscience. Last time, you put Ngada Namo into hell. Now, you have captured my mother. I am so angry about what you have done. Yama, send my mother back at once.”
Gesar fired an arrow but failed to hurt Yama. Then he lifted his rattan whip and heckled:
“Yama, your hell only accepts people who did wrong. My mother followed a virtuous path all her life. Why did you send her to hell?”
Yama said slowly: “Your mother followed a virtuous path all her life indeed. How about you? Although you conquered many demons, you killed some innocent people. As for the souls of those people, some fell into the hell and some wandered around. You did not save them. So for that reason your mother was sent to hell.”
Gesar pulled his treasured sword and thrust towards Yama and the five judges in hell. In fact the five judges were the incarnations of the five Buddhas. Gesar did not know this. No matter how hard he cut and thrust, he could not kill them. Instead of hurting Yama and the five judges, Gesar himself was beheaded.
Gesar recovered after a little while and was taught a lesson by the judge with a lion head:
“Gesar, you are a king in the ordinary world but here in hell you are nothing.”
Gesar became even more angry, thinking: “Haven’t I followed the Will of Buddha? Haven’t I brought benefits to all of mankind? Since Yama and the judges are impervious to reason, I’ll give them a piece of my mind just to show them I’m not afraid.”
Then, he said: