the town where he could spend the night. It was barren land, so he slept beneath a steel tower whose base sheltered him from the wind. He built a fire against the chill night air, made tea and roasted a little meat, wishing he had bought some strong drink in the town. He did not plan to dream here, for it did not look like a place for dreaming. From the dreary hill he could see the flickering brightness of the town below, and when the wind blew, the steel tower hummed – Om, om.
Curled up under a woollen blanket, he gazed at the tower rising into the starry sky. With it, the people in the small town could listen to the radio and watch television. They could make phone calls at the post office, with its many small rooms in which they could sit with a handset, flailing their arms as if dancing, talking animatedly, though they could not see the person to whom they were speaking. As he listened to the incessant Om from the tower, the noise became like the congregation of voices, the words jumbled together into a hum that made him dizzy. He tried to recite the syllable, the first of all sounds, but it merged into the Om from the tower. He pulled the blanket over his head, blocking out the starlight and the sound.
To his astonishment, he found his dream again, but this time it was unfamiliar. He saw a mysterious, crystal-clear light at the tip of the tower. It grew stronger.
It was not the steel tower. It was a crystal tower in the celestial court.
He was still restless and anxious.
But this time he was anxious not to be startled awake.
The Story The Wish of the Deities’ Son
The Bodhisattva, who had been gone for what seemed like eternity, emerged from behind the crystal tower and arrived at the gate of Heaven. ‘Where has he gone?’
But the Bodhisattva was, after all, the Bodhisattva, and understood everything, with no exceptions. Her surprised and puzzled look changed to a smile that spread from her mouth outwards. ‘He was so impatient. Too impatient even to wait. He has missed an opportunity to meet the Supreme Deity. Well, perhaps it is not yet time.’
The Bodhisattva returned to the Supreme Deity, who simply smiled. ‘I once thought to let him become a leader in the human world. He would help to destroy the demons and bring peace to the world. Perhaps the humans would then have been able to build their own Heaven on Earth. But it seems now that that was wishful thinking.’
The Bodhisattva suggested that it should not be the Supreme Deity who was disappointed, but the demon-infested place called Gling. With the myriad sins committed during previous lives, the inhabitants of Gling had lost their chance to build a Heaven on Earth. And, besides, the world below was boundless, so there must be another place where the Supreme Deity could carry out a similar experiment.
Om! The sound of all praise and condemnation emerged from the Supreme Deity’s mouth and sent a profound shock through the Bodhisattva’s mind.
It was a summons. Instantly the gods in the celestial court gathered around the Supreme Deity. Ripples in the air confirmed the Supreme Deity’s existence, and the auspicious clouds beneath the deities’ feet floated away. Below them more clouds roiled, turning a cheerless grey and a sorrowful black. The Supreme Deity shifted again to reveal the world below: landmasses large and small, the Earth’s continents, appeared in all four directions. On one continent, tens of thousands of people in battle formation were killing each other; on another, people were being whipped as they dug a canal. On yet another, skilful artisans had gathered to build a colossal mausoleum for their still living emperor. Around the construction site, the graves of artisans who had died from hunger or illness took up great swathes of fertile land. In a deep forest on another continent, one group of humans was chasing another, and those who lagged behind were roasted and eaten. The leftover flesh was dried as food for those who continued the chase. And still others appeared to have attempted to escape from their continent, but their ships had capsized in storms. Fish even bigger than the ships leaped out of the water and gobbled up the humans as they struggled to stay afloat.
The Supreme Deity said, ‘One nation after another has been created. See how they war against each other and how they treat their own.’
‘Supreme Deity, will it be like this in the land of Gling?’
‘Perhaps that is what the people there are striving for, but they have no real nation yet. I may give them a chance to try to establish a different kind of nation.’ The Supreme Deity paused. ‘It seems to me that humans have but one kind of history and cannot follow a different path. When demons reign, humans need our protection and assistance, but once they are rid of the demons and have established their nation, they go to war again.’
The Supreme Deity shifted once more, to show them what was happening in Gling; the misery and chaos there elicited heavy sighs. Reproach appeared on the Supreme Deity’s face. ‘I do not believe that you need me to show you what is happening.’
In response to his mild reprimand, expressions of extraordinary compassion appeared on their faces. But one young deity seemed indignant. The Supreme Deity called him forward and, turning to the other gods, said, ‘Your compassion for the suffering masses below is not as genuine as his.’
The young deity’s parents and older sister ran to the jade steps to shield their son and brother. ‘This foolish youth lacks self-control and wears his feelings on his face.’
The Supreme Deity’s face darkened. ‘Move back!’ he said. And then his expression changed. ‘Come here, young man,’ he said.
The young deity stepped around his parents and approached the Supreme Deity.
‘I, Thosba Gawa, am the Supreme Deity’s servant.’
‘The suffering down below . . .’
‘Your humble servant’s heart goes out to the people.’
‘Your heart goes out to them. Well said. Now, if I were to send you down to rid the people of their demons and save them from suffering, would you go?’
Thosba Gawa did not reply, but the determination on his face spoke for him.
‘Good. But you must consider it carefully. If you go, you will no longer be a deity. You will be a mortal who suffers misery and hardship from the moment you are born. Are you afraid?’
‘No, I am not.’
‘You may lose your divine qualities and sink into evil ways, as mortals do. Then you will never be able to return to the celestial world.’
The young man’s mother and older sister wept.
‘And you will lose all memories of your life here.’
The young man dried the tears on his mother’s face and put his arms around his sister. He whispered to her, ‘Do not be afraid.’
His father embraced him. ‘My son, I have never been so proud, but you have plunged a knife of sorrow into my heart.’
‘Father, pray for the suffering mortals in the bitter sea of Gling.’
‘I shall pray for your future subjects. I shall employ all my powers to help you accomplish your task. And if you find trouble and wish to leave Gling, I shall help you return to the celestial court.’
The steward of the celestial court spoke: ‘After Thosba Gawa leaves for the human world, all the deities will, on his behalf, beseech the Supreme Deity to
