Story Summary
Discover The Corpse Stories, a classic Tibetan Buddhist cycle where a disciple must maintain silence while transporting a magical, storytelling golden corpse.
The great master Nagarjuna once tasked his devoted disciple with a daunting quest: to fetch the Golden Corpse from the chilling Chilly Grove cemetery. 'Whatever happens,' Nagarjuna warned, 'you must not utter a single word. If you speak, the corpse will escape back to its tree.' The disciple reached the cemetery, captured the shimmering gold-and-turquoise-skinned corpse, and bundled it into a sack to carry it back. To pass the time, the corpse offered to tell a story, ending the tale with a riddle or a provocative question. Time and again, the disciple, moved by the cleverness or the perceived injustice in the tales, forgot his vow and spoke to answer. Instantly, the corpse laughed and flew back to its perch. Only through immense discipline and after many failed attempts did the disciple finally maintain absolute silence, successfully delivering the magical body to Nagarjuna to complete a ritual for the benefit of all sentient beings.
The Moral
True spiritual mastery and the fulfillment of great goals require unwavering discipline and the absolute control of one's speech and reactions.
“If you speak, I go; if you remain silent, you win.”
Fun Fact
This collection is one of the few popular secular-style story cycles in Tibetan literature, though it uses a Buddhist framework to teach its lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the moral of The Corpse Stories?
The moral is that silence and self-discipline are essential for achieving spiritual enlightenment. It emphasizes that even well-intentioned speech can lead to failure if it breaks a sacred commitment or a focused vow.
Who is Nagarjuna in Tibetan folklore?
Nagarjuna is a historical Indian philosopher revered in Tibet as a 'Second Buddha.' In these folk tales, he often appears as a powerful tantric master who guides disciples through supernatural and psychological challenges.
What is a Ro-lang in Tibetan culture?
A Ro-lang is the Tibetan version of a 'zombie' or 'vetala'—an entity that inhabits a corpse. In this specific cycle, the corpse is 'golden,' possessing great wisdom and magical properties used for spiritual rituals.
Why must the disciple remain silent during the journey?
Silence represents the focused mind and the restraint of the ego. By speaking, the disciple allows external distractions—the corpse's stories—to break his meditation, causing his spiritual progress to reset.
How many stories are in the full collection?
The cycle traditionally consists of 21 or 25 nested stories. Each journey represents a new attempt by the disciple to bring the corpse back, with each story serving as a unique moral or philosophical test.
Where did these stories originate?
While rooted in the Indian Sanskrit 'Vetala Panchavimshati,' these stories were adapted into Tibetan culture centuries ago. They became a staple of Himalayan folklore, blending Buddhist philosophy with local mystical traditions.