Aspects of Turtle Divination

p. 46 the 5 Rus-sbal (turtles for divination)

turtle of the __

Gnas-pa (‘natural state’)

Chags-pa (‘material world’)

Srid-pa (‘sentient existence’)

Sprul-pa (‘symbolic emanation’)

Bs`ad-pa (‘exegesis’)

p. 46 turtle of the natural state

expanse

denizens of the expanse

Dharma-dhatu (Chos-dbyins)

"all … sentient beings are fully present, free from the limitations of time and space, but nonetheless properly differentiated."

{These denizens are identical with the Platonic "ideas" ("forms"), derived from the fravas^i of Zaratustrianism – and thus must be of Bon (Tajik) provenience.}

p. 46 origin of the [inner] elements from the turtle of the material world

from the turtle’s __

originated __

exhaled breath

Rlun (‘air’)

saliva

Chu (‘water’)

flesh

Sa (‘earth’), including mountains & continents

p. 46 origin of cosmic features from the turtle of sentient existence

from the turtle’s __

originated __

eyen

sun & moon

clicking sound of palate

thunder

flicking of tongue

lightning-flashes

exhaled breath

air

viscera

5 the "outer" elements

bodily motion

earthquakes

yellow abdomen

‘mother’-trigram (engendering the Naga-s ‘subterranean dragons’)

p. 46 turtles as offspring

one parent

other parent

offspring of those parents

     

turtle of the natural state

turtle of the material world

turtle of sentient existence

     

supine golden turtle of subjective consciousness

prone silver turtle of objective awareness

the trigrams :

   

turtles’

trigram

relation

   

lustre

Khen

father

   

excrement

Khon

mother

   

union

Gin

eldest son

   

union

Zon

eldest daughter

   

harshness

Li

2nd daughter

     

Dva

2nd son

         

Gin

Zon

rain

Kham

incestuous offspring

trees

Zin

youngest daughter

{Is the "silver turtle" a relative of the "silver dragon" who engendered Naga-arjuna at the arjuna-tree in the Naga-world?}

p. 46 the 8 blazing trigrams, assembled on the golden turtle of sentient existence

Trigram-relation

"was entwined with" the __ of the turtle

father

left leg

mother

left arm

younger daughter

head

2nd son

heart

1st incestuous offspring

tail

2nd

right armpit

eldest daughter

right arm

eldest son

right leg

p. 48 the 12 calendrical animals as offspring of the golden turtle of sentient existence

parent

male offspring

female offspring

Zin

tiger

hare

Zon

dragon

 

Li

horse

snake

Khon

 

sheep

Dva

bird

monkey

Khen

hound

 

Kham

mouse

pig

Gin

 

ox

p. 48 the 5 peaks, each having a temple to Man~ju-ghos.a

direction

substance

shape

height

circum-ference

features

centre

gold

yawning lion

40 li

6 li

yellow flowers

east

quartz

yawning elephant

32 li

3 li

footprint in beryl

south

yellow a-khro (amber? – p. 403)

reclining horse

37 li

2 li

rainbow-marked thread-grass

west

rubies

dancing peacock

35 li

2 li

throne

north

sapphire

sprawling civan~-cicavaka (bird-legged winged human – p. 403)

38 li

3 li

 

p. 49 emanations of Man~ju-ghos.a on the 5 peaks

peak

emanation

centre

Man~ju-S`ri-natha

east

Man~ju-ghos.a-tiks.n.a

south

Jn~ana-sattva

west

Vad.i-simha

north

Vimala

p. 49 symbolic emanational turtle family

turtle __

its markings

male

of a stupa

female

of a waterlily

offspring

mottled

p. 49 turtle of exegesis

from his __

emanated the Buddha-__ Tantra

entitled __

crown of head

Body

Clarifying Lamp

mouth

Speech

Great Broadside

heart

Mind

Confluence of All That is Higher

navel

Attributes

Indestructible Seat

hands

Activities

Black Turtle

p. 49 results of incisions, by the sword of contemplation, into the body of the Rin-bsrel-gyi Rus-sbal (‘reliquary turtle’)

__ bs`as-tshul (‘__ incision’)

direction, in south-facing

part of turtle’s body

element produced

       

phyi (outer)

8 directions

excretions

 
 

west

 

iron (= tip of sword)

 

east

 

wood (= hilt of sword)

 

south

breath

fire

 

north

urine

water

 

[intermediate directions]

the 4 limbs

earth

       

nan (internal)

8 directions

   
 

east

nerves

wood

 

south

"breath" [i.e., windpipe?]

fire

 

west

bones

iron

 

north

blood, serum

water

 

intermediate directions

flesh

earth

       

gsan (secret)

8 directions

   
 

east

liver

 
 

south

heart

 
 

west

lungs

 
 

north

kidneys

 
 

intermediate directions

spleen

 

[Since while facing south its left side was in the west, and its right side was in the east, it must have been upside-down, supine.]

pp. 49 & 53 didactic charts displayed on the body of the turtle

#

direction

trigram

planet

divinations concerning __

1st (p. 49)

south

Li

Sun

one’s self & one’s children

2nd (pp. 49 & 53)

north

Kham

Moon & Mercury

in-laws & ancestresses

3rd (p. 53)

east

Zin

Jupiter

male ancestors

4th

west

Dva

Venus

maternal relatives

5th

intermediate

Khon, Khen, Gin, Zon

Saturn

land & houses

p. 53 emergence of the 9 numeric squares [in magic square] from the turtle’s 9 orifices

orifice

numeric square

right eye

White # 1

left eye

Black # 2

mouth

Blue # 3

genitalia

Green # 4 {agreeing with green of genitalia in He-vajra Tantra}

right nostril

Yellow # 5

right ear

White # 6

left nostril

Red # 7

left ear

White # 8

buttocks

Red # 9

p. 53 emergence of living beings’ elements from turtle’s consciousnesses

consciousness

element

substratum

srog (vitality)

defiled

lus (‘body’)

mental

dban-than (‘destiny’)

sensory

klun (‘luck’)

p. 53 goddess Vijaya "pierced the emanational turtle’s outer, inner and secret forms"

with her 9-pointed golden sword

in the Trayastrims`a [‘of the 33’] paradise,

"where the turtle is seated on" a great amolinka (fossilized stone).

p. 54 reception of divinatory sciences by divine recipients from Man~ju-S`ri-natha

divinations concerning __

recipient

astrology

Brahma

marriage

Vijaya

natal horoscopes

Taks.aka the naga-raja

miscellaneous

Kapila the r.s.i

p. 54 the 4 >phrul-gyi (‘emanational persons’) lineage-holders

Kon-tse = Confucius

Ji-kon = king You of Z^ou

Ji-non

Van-the = king Wan of Z^ou

"Collectively they acquired and mastered the 356 tantras"

p. 55 the 4 "gateways to divinatory investigation"

dpyad-sgo (gateway)

rtsis (divination)

eastern

Keg (obstacle)

southern

Gn~an (marriage)

western

Khan (geomancy)

northern

Ro-lam-gyi (death)

pp. 54-59 the names of the 99 successive transmitters of this elemental divination tradition {cf. the 99 "beautiful names" of >al-Lahh}

Gyurme Dorje (commentator & translator from the Tibetan): Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings. John Eskenazi Ltd. & Sam Fogg Ltd., London, 2001. pp. 44-59