Drigum Tsenpo was an
emperor of Tibet. According to
Tibetan mythology
Tibetan mythology refers to the traditional as well as the religious stories that have been passed down by the Tibetan people. Tibetan mythology consists mainly of national mythology stemming from the Tibetan culture as well as religious mytholog ...
, he was the first king of
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
to lose his
immortality
Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality.
Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
when he angered his stable master,
Lo-ngam. Legend states that rulers of Tibet descended from
heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
to
earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
on a
cord
Cord or CORD may refer to:
People
* Alex Cord (1933–2021), American actor and writer
* Chris Cord (born 1940), American racing driver
* Errett Lobban Cord (1894–1974) American industrialist
* Ronnie Cord (1943–1986), Brazilian singer
* Co ...
, and that they were pulled back up when their time came. Lo-gnam cut the cord, leading to Drigum Tsenpo's death; he thus became the first Tibetan ruler to be
buried on earth.
There is a detailed, if rather fabulous, account of his life in the ''
Old Tibetan Chronicle
The ''Old Tibetan Chronicle'' is a collection of narrative accounts and songs relating to Tibet's Yarlung dynasty and the Tibetan Empire. The three manuscripts that comprise the only extant copies of the Chronicle are among the Dunhuang Manuscr ...
''.
[Bacot, Thomas and Touissant (1940-1946), pp. 123-128. In French.]
Footnotes
References
* Bacot, Thomas and Toussaint. (1940-1946). ''Documents de Touen-houang relatifs a l'histoire de Tibet''. J. Bacot, F. W. Thomas, Ch. Touissant. Paris. Libraire orientaliste Paul Geunther.
Tibetan emperors
Tibetan people
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