Tibet Demon-Subduing Map 西藏镇魔图

When traveling to Tibet, a single image can capture the viewer’s attention, such as the following “Tibet Demon-Subduing Map.”

去藏区旅游，一张图是很吸引人眼球的，就是下面的这张《西藏镇魔图》。

This artwork primarily depicts a sleeping demoness, yet it contains a wealth of symbolic and geographical information.

这张图主要画的是一只睡着的魔女，而整张图内含的信息量非常大。

Here, we use this painting as a springboard for exploring imagination and cultural context.

本文就借着这张图拓展一下我们的想象力吧。

The Tibet Demon-Subduing Map consists of two thangkas discovered in the 1990s at Lhasa’s Norbulingka. Both were executed with natural pigments, remarkably well-preserved, and vividly colored. Their discovery caused a sensation, as historical records frequently mention demon-subduing monasteries in Tibet, and these thangkas provide tangible evidence confirming such accounts.

《西藏镇魔图》是上世纪90年代在拉萨罗布林卡发现的两张唐卡，均是天然颜料绘制成的，保存完好，颜色艳丽。当时轰动一时，因为在西藏的史籍中有很多关于镇魔寺院的记载，这两张唐卡的发现充分证实了这些记载的真实性。

The thangkas portray a reclining rakshasi (demoness), symbolizing the land of Tibet itself, with numerous monasteries mapped on her body.

唐卡画的是一只仰卧着的罗刹女，代表着藏区大地，身上标注着众多的寺院位置。

The figure of the rakshasi traces back to ancient Tibetan origin myths.

说到罗刹女可以追溯到藏民族起源的古老传说。

The question “Where do we come from?” has long perplexed humanity, and each culture has woven countless legends to explain its origins. Among these, the Tibetan origin myth aligns surprisingly closely with modern evolutionary theory: humans evolved from monkeys.

"从哪里来？"是困扰人类三问之一，每一个民族对于自身的起源都充满了想象，叙述了无数古老的传说。在这些古老的传说中，最接近于我们今天的科学认知，最符合达尔文进化理论的，就是藏民族关于自身起源的传说，我们是从猴子变来的。

While this text does not delve deeply into Darwinian evolution, it is notable that Darwin’s theory leaves unresolved questions, particularly regarding the origin of human consciousness and the rapid emergence of our spiritual awareness—an advancement not observed in other primates sharing our environment.

在这里我们不深入探讨达尔文进化理论，但我们的确知道达尔文进化理论也有很多不完善的地方，其中最主要的一个环节就是我们人类的心智到底从何而来，我们何以在短时间内变得如此有灵性（虽说这个短时间往往指的是数万甚至数十万年)。而和我们在同一片树林里的同类，似乎一点进步都没有，这完全不符合达尔文的进化理论。

Tibetan ancestral myths appear to address this enigma. According to legend, human spiritual essence derives from Avalokiteshvara’s blessing: a monkey touched by Avalokiteshvara unites with a rakshasi, giving rise to the sentient beings of the Tibetan Plateau.

藏民族关于祖先起源的传说似乎在解决这个问题，那就是我们的灵性来源于观世音的点化，一只被观世音点化了的猕猴和罗刹女结合，成就了雪域高原的芸芸众生。

A closer analysis of this legend reveals that it likely does not represent the very oldest Tibetan origin myth, since Avalokiteshvara only appeared after the introduction of Buddhism, whereas the ancient Tibetan people existed long before his arrival.

仔细分析一下这个传说，会发现这大概不是藏民族起源最古老的传说，因为观世音也是佛教有了之后才来到世间的，而古老的藏民族存在的时间要比观世音来到世上久远了许多。

Nevertheless, the two elements—the monkey and the rakshasi—remain indispensable in Tibetan ancestral stories. While the monkey is familiar, the nature of the rakshasi raises questions: which divine realm does she belong to, and does she truly exist? Regardless of whether the rakshasi is real or symbolic, she plays a crucial role in the origin narrative of the Tibetan people. At a minimum, she embodies a mysterious power—perhaps a force of nature—that transforms the ancestors of Tibetans from monkeys into humans.

但毋庸置疑，在藏民族古老的传说中，猴子和罗刹女两个要素是少不了的。猴子我们很熟悉了，但罗刹女到底是哪方神圣？她是真实的存在吗？不论罗刹女是真实的还是虚幻的，但她在藏民族起源这事上起到了关键的作用。她起码代表了一种神秘的力量（或者说是大自然的力量），让藏民族的祖先从猴变成了人。

Viewed in this light, the demoness in the painting seems less terrifying and even exudes a sense of generative or life-giving energy. When compared to humanity’s oldest known sculptures, such as the 30,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf, a striking resemblance emerges in the portrayal of fertility and life.

这时候你再看看这张图，似乎魔女不是那么的恐怖了，而且好像还有了一种生育的力量。和人类最古老的雕塑，三万年前的《威伦道夫的维纳斯》对比一下，似乎还有点像。

Beyond their curiosity about human origins, humans have never ceased exploring the natural world. The mysterious forces of nature have long inspired both reverence and fear, giving rise to ancient religious beliefs.

人类除了对自身的起源充满好奇之外，对于自然界的探索一刻也没有停止，对大自然神秘的力量，既崇拜又恐惧，这就产生了古老的宗教信仰。

In the ancient spiritual traditions of the Tibetan people, the rakshasi undoubtedly occupies a central position, symbolically becoming the Mother Earth. Thus, the entirety of Tibet is imagined as a reclining rakshasi.

在藏民族古老的宗教信仰中，罗刹女肯定占有非常重要的位置，那就让她成为大地之母吧，所以整个西藏就成了一个仰卧的罗刹女。

Next, let us turn to Princess Wencheng and her legendary “Demon Subduing” journey into Tibet. Among the many tales of her arrival, one stands out: her subjugation of the rakshasi. When Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, she brought with her advanced techniques from the Central Plains, including the practices of yin-yang, the Eight Trigrams, and the Five Elements for divination. Through her astrological observations, she uncovered a startling truth: the entire Tibetan region was a reclining rakshasi, and the disasters afflicting the land were her doing. To bring peace to Tibet, the rakshasi had to be subdued.

接下来就聊聊我们的文成公主吧，文成公主进藏镇魔记。文成公主进藏的传说故事很多，我们只说一件，镇服罗刹女。当年文成公主进藏，带去了很多中原的先进技术，当然也少不了阴阳八卦五行占卜之术。进藏之后，观天占星的文成公主终于看出了一个惊天的大秘密，原来整个藏区就是仰卧着的罗刹女，众多的灾难都是罗刹女作怪，要想让藏区得安宁，就必须要镇住这只罗刹女。

With the support of her husband, Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng undertook a grand project to pacify the demoness. The heart of the reclining rakshasi lay beneath Lhasa, where the construction of the Potala Palace was intended to subdue her core. She also assisted in filling the lake and building the Jokhang Temple, pacifying her chest, thereby ensuring stability and protection for the land.

在丈夫松赞干布的支持下，文成公主开始了庞大的镇魔工程。仰卧的魔女心脏刚好在拉萨，修建布达拉宫镇住了罗刹女的心骨，协助尺尊公主填湖修建大昭寺，镇住了罗刹女的心胸。

After subduing the heart of the rakshasi, twelve temples were constructed at her key joints and critical points. These temples are known collectively as the “Twelve Immoveable Nails,” comprising the Four Great Border-Subduing Temples, the Four Great Joint-Subduing Temples, and the Four Great Wing-Subduing Temples. These twelve temples were considered permanent and could never be removed.

镇住了罗刹女的心脏之后，接着就在罗刹女各个关节等重要部位修建了12座神庙，这就是镇边四大寺、镇节四大寺、镇翼四大寺，通称十二不移之钉。就是说这12座寺院是永远不能撤掉的。

At the time, this was undoubtedly a monumental undertaking. The Tibetan Demon-Subduing Map clearly marks the locations of these twelve temples, all of which historically existed. Below is a brief introduction to each of these twelve temples.

这在当时不能不说是一个庞大的工程。《西藏镇魔图》清楚地标注了12个寺院的位置，这12所寺院在历史上也都是真实存在的，下面把这12座寺院简单介绍一下。

Four Border-Subduing Temples:

1. Changzhu Monastery: Located in Zedang Town, Shannan.

2. Gaze Monastery (Gaze Monastery): Situated at the confluence of the Xirong River and Maqu River in present-day Mozhugongka County, Lhasa, on the east bank of the Maqu River.

3. Zhongba Jiang Monastery: Currently in Lazi County.

4. Zhangzhang Monastery: Also called Zangzhang Monastery, believed to be in Tubujia Township, Namling County; specific details are unavailable.

镇边四寺：

1. 昌珠寺：位于山南泽当镇。

2. 嘎则寺（噶泽寺）：位于今拉萨市墨竹工卡县秀绒河与马曲河汇合处，处在马曲河东岸。

3. 仲巴江寺：今位于拉孜县。

4. 仗章寺：也叫藏章寺，应位于南木林县土布加乡，未查到具体信息。

   
   

Four Joint-Subduing Temples:

1. Lozha Koting Monastery: Likely in Lakang Town, Lhozhag County; possibly known as Kuting Lakang.

2. Buqu Monastery: Buqu Lakang in Linzhi City’s Bujiu District, also called Derji Lakang.

3. Zadong Zhe Monastery: Now called Zadong Lakang, located in Tangxi Village, Lharang Township, Zhongba County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet.

4. Zhangejie Monastery: Also translated as Ziyun Hongsan Monastery; currently known as Qiangzhun Monastery, located in southern Gyirong County, Shigatse Prefecture, near the China-Nepal border.

镇节四寺：

1. 洛扎科廷寺：应该在洛扎县拉康镇，可能是叫枯廷拉康。

2. 布曲寺：林芝市布久区的布久拉康，又称德尔吉拉康。

3. 扎东哲寺：现叫扎东拉康，位于西藏自治区日喀则地区仲巴县拉让乡唐西村。

4. 真格杰寺：又译“兹云宏善寺”，今名强准寺，位于日喀则地区吉隆县南部，靠近中国与尼泊尔边界。

   
   

Four Wing-Subduing Temples:

1. Longtang Zhuoma Monastery: Believed to be in Dêgê County, Garzê Prefecture, Sichuan; exact location unclear.

2. Mingtang Jiqu Monastery: Likely in Bhutan; specific details unknown.

3. Caizhi Xirao Zhuoma Monastery: Presumed to be in the Indian-administered Ladakh region of Kashmir; exact location unclear.

4. Changba Nonglun Monastery: Located on the northern Tibetan plateau; specific details unavailable.

镇翼四寺

1. 隆塘卓玛寺：应位于现在的四川甘孜州德格县，具体不详。

2. 明塘吉曲寺：应在不丹境内，具体不详。

3. 蔡日喜饶卓玛寺：应位于印控克什米尔拉达克地区，具体不详。

4. 昌巴弄伦寺：位于藏北草原，具体不详。

   
   

It has been over 1,300 years since Princess Wencheng built the Twelve Subduing Temples to restrain the demoness, the “Twelve Immovable Nails.” While a few of these symbolic nails may have loosened over time, the demoness has not stirred to cause chaos.

文成公主修建镇魔十二寺已经过去1300多年了，十二只不移之钉，似乎也有几只松动了，但罗刹女并没有起来兴风作乱。

Of course, she could no longer rise, for in the centuries following Princess Wencheng, countless more “nails” were fixed upon her.

当然她不可能起来兴风作乱了，因为文成公主之后的数百年间，在罗刹女的身上定下的钉子岂止千只。

Today, there are more than 3,000 monasteries throughout Tibet, and the demoness remains firmly at rest, peacefully lying in place.

据统计整个藏区的寺院今天约有3000多座，罗刹女当然也只能踏踏实实的躺在那里了。