Prince Zhalha Ascends the Throne to Become the King of Ling and the Lion King Returns to Heaven Together with His Wives
Seven months after Gesar saved his mother from hell, his father Senglong caught a serious illness. When his father passed away, Gesar made arrangements for a funeral. He was all the while chanting sutras and making offerings to help his father gain access to the Pure Land.
Having subdued the demons in all directions to bring peace to Heaven, Earth and Hell, Gesar successfully completed his sacred mission on Earth. It was time for him, the son of deities, to go back to Heaven.
One day, Gesar ordered his messengers to call all the Ling people together in front of the Dragon Palace.
The gathering on the square before the Dragon Palace was relaxed and happy because they thought that King Gesar would be giving out some more favours or treasures. The world had become stable because all the demons had been defeated. The State of Ling had become a much stronger one which was rich in domestic animals and all other kinds of treasures. Although the ordinary people led a peaceful and happy life, they always hoped that the king would bestow more on them.
A big tent was put up on the square in front of the Dragon Palace. The Lion King, Gesar, sat on his golden throne looking majestic and kind. He had descended to the world 81 years ago. During this period, he went on numerous expeditions, defeating demons in all directions, punishing evil and promoting good, aiding the poor and benefiting the common people. Thanks to the Herculean efforts he made, all living things on Earth, Heaven and in hell saw peaceful days at last. It was time for the Lion King to return to Heaven. He still had affairs to sort out before leaving and at the same time, he wanted to see his subjects again.
Looking at all the common people who came at his summons, Gesar told them to enjoy themselves. The happy laughter and cheerful voices of the Ling people made Gesar very pleased. Upon thinking of his return to Heaven, the Lion King said to his subjects:
“The descendants of the Ling area should respect the old and cherish the young, wash the dirty at home and treasure the ordinary people, speak in a friendly way, do no evil deeds, and practice filial piety towards parents….”
Gesar added that the Ling people should do more good, listen to the wise and not believe in the evildoer’s words. When he finished his discourse, he asked Prince Zhalha to come closer to him, saying:
“As the son of Chatsa, you should learn from your father and pay the debt of gratitude for your parents’ love and care. I now entrust the State of Ling to you. As the new king, you will be responsible for all the people of Ling. You should continue practicing the laws that I, the Lion King, made and treat the people well. You can’t appropriate any public property. Remember these words.”
Gesar thought what he had said was enough because if he said too little it could be a nuisance and too much speech could be boring. If someone was willing to listen to you, one sentence was enough; if he was not, one hundred were for nothing.
Prince Zhalha presented a hada scarf to his uncle—the Lion King, saying:
“Who will contribute to the prosperity of the State of Ling if the Lion King leaves Ling? Whom would the common people of Ling rely upon? To whom would the women pour their hearts out? Who would lecture the men? Last but not least, who would lead the army to fight against the enemy? My Uncle Lion King, please don’t leave!”
“My dear Uncle Lion King, your nephew Zhalha would willingly take your place and die. One can do nothing when death comes. Lion King, you are the son of deities who is capable of controlling life and death. If you must return to the Pure Land, please stay here for another three years until the children of Ling have grown up and the old people have passed away.”
All the Ling people prostrated themselves begging the Lion King not to depart. After receiving the hada scarf, Gesar sang:
“The old roc should fly away because the wings of the young are strong enough;
the old lion on the snow mountain should leave because the mane of the young is long enough;
the sun in my world is sinking in the west because a full moon is rising in the east.”
“No one can escape from death. Remember what I told you,” Gesar said.
Seeing that the king refused to stay, Zhalha asked him to prophesy what the people worried about:
“Lion King, in the past our Ling people always felt happy and content no matter what we did because you were our leader. All of us are under a great obligation to you. Only under your protection can we have fine horses to ride and weapons to wear. Only under your protection can we have such a large number of domestic animals and our children enjoy a free and peaceful life. Who will protect us if you return to Heaven now?”
The Lion King was very moved by Zhalha’s words. However, the time to return to Heaven could not be changed. Gesar decided to give him an explanation:
“Zhalha, my good nephew, don’t worry. The black and white demons in the demon state will be reincarnated as black and white venomous snakes, respectively, which only eat mice. The three kings of Hor will also be subject to a richly deserved punishment. The Prince of the Yellow Tent will be reincarnated as the God of Thunder who is certain to do good. As for King Darong Zhaotoin, I have kept him under a white crystal stupa since defeating him in the crow city. The cause of internal strife in the State of Ling has been rooted out, so you need not worry any more. As all the demons which harmed the State of Ling have been wiped out, the responsibility of maintaining the peaceful life of the Ling people in the future falls on you.”
Realizing that it was unnecessary to say any more, Zhalha stood aside in silence. The heroes, warriors and the common people of Ling also kept silent, being reluctant to part with the Lion King.
When Gesar committed the state affairs of Ling to Prince Zhalha’s care, the Heavenly horse Gyaingar Pebo was playing games with his companions on Datan. All of a sudden, it uttered three long, high-pitched sounds and tears welled up in his eyes. The Heavenly horse knew that king Gesar would go back to Heaven and so would he.
