Madhagoki of Lingzhi

The story that I will be narrating this time takes place in the highlands of Thimphu. In Thimphu, there are four highlands: Naro, Soe, Lingzhi, and Dagala. The narrative is well known among the highland herders; it is the story of an ancestor named Madhagoki, who was one of the richest yak herders in the highlands. He was so wealthy that he owned grassland throughout the four hills, where he placed his yaks, sheep, and horses. I heard this story from several herders in several highlands, and while the facts varied slightly, the lesson of the narrative remained consistent. This story is known to be based on actual occurrences; nevertheless, the story was passed down by oral tradition from generation to generation, hence there are few variants of the story out there.

(Photo credit: Author, View from the chorten in Lingzhi, 2022)

Madhagoki was long renowned among the herders as one of the wealthiest men in the Thimphu highlands. He possessed tens of thousands of yaks, sheep, and horses. The favor and protection of the local deity Jo-Gyem was the key to his success. Madhagoki sacrificed his finest yak to the local deity Jo-Gyem every year in exchange for good fortune, making him the richest herder in the highlands. Until one day he chose to sacrifice a horse instead of a yak. Horses were scarce and expensive in the highlands at the time. Some claim he became greedy and desired more, so he sacrificed horses to appease the deity. Some believe he sacrificed the horse because he had enough yaks and wanted the deity to bless him with more horses. Overall, he had confidence in the deity and wanted to remain on good terms with her. Jo-Gyem's voice resonated from the mountains as he sacrificed his finest horse, imploring him, "Bjob Madhagoki, should I let it go?". "Let it go!" exclaimed Madhagaki, hoping that the deity was delighted and would shower him with additional fortune. The moment he said that the weather suddenly changed, the sky darkened and the earth he was standing on began to boil. The lake then erupted, destroying all of his possessions and killing him. Few herders claim that Jo-Gyem doomed his ancestors to lifelong poverty for insulting and offending her.

(Photo credit: Author, Debris of the flood that washed away Madhagoki cattle in Soe Gewog, 2022)

As the expression goes, "too much of anything is bad." Madhagoki was becoming overly greedy; all he wanted was to become wealthy. He was dissatisfied with what he had and the blessing he had received. It also demonstrates how worldly prosperity can blind individuals. Greed, shown as passionate and selfish desire, can lead to one's demise. Madhagoki was unfortunate in that he was unaware of the spiritual characteristics or qualities of a yak and a horse. This also demonstrates that deities may be both beneficent and malevolent.

I've visited the highlands and seen the regions where Madhagoki kept his cattle. The place appeared distinct from its surroundings. The ground appeared desolate, and the lake that erupted still had debris. If there is an earthquake, the rocks will come crashing down. Herders still use his narrative to warn people not to get too greedy, or they will end up like Bjob Madhagoki.

(Photo credit: Author, Image of the present Lingzhi Dzong, 2022)

Another narrative about Bjob Madhagoki involves the evil demons being dissatisfied with his fortune. The occurrence is factual, and it occurred during the period when enlightened beings lived among humans. Madhagoki's female yak once gave birth to an unusual-looking creature. The creature's upper body was that of a donkey, while its bottom half was that of a snake. Another version has the creature having a donkey's head and a yak's body. The creature, however, was born in Lingzhi, namely in the center of Gangyul and Zamlingthang villages. Lama Phajo Drugom Zhipo had arrived from Tibet at the time and was residing at Jagoe Dzong in Gangyul. Madhagoki was so taken aback and terrified after sighting the creature that he rushed to visit Lama Phajo Drugom. The lama personally went to the location where the creature was born and learned that it was an omen that the number of his yaks would decline and the number of donkeys would grow, resulting in his downfall. A creature like this could not have been conceived from a yak. The creature was the reincarnation of an evil demon that was born to harm him, and the lama subdued the creature there. It is said that the chorten was built overnight by the lama within one night. In the area where the chorten was constructed, there is no water it is a very dry area so when the lama constructed the chorten using his urine as water and mixed the mud. 

(Photo credit: Author, Image of the chorten in Lingzhi where the creature was subdued, 2022)

The creature is called Tay-nay bong ju meaning demonic donkey by the herders. According to legend, Madhagoki had received so much prosperity and blessing from the local deity that the bad demons wished to attack him since he was favored by Jo-Gyem. I had visited the place, and when I arrived at the chorten, it appeared to be abandoned. Few people visit the location since the creature was subdued there. The soil smells like drizang, which means incense, and people eat it to alleviate coughs and colds. Would you consume the soil that has been combined with urine?