Trotung tro ma tung na, Gesar ge mi sar

This was true, for example, of Gesar, the great warrior king of Tibet, whose escapades form the greatest epic of Tibetan literature.

Gesar means “indomitable,” someone who can never be put down.

From the moment Gesar was born, his evil uncle Trotung tried all kinds of means to kill him.

But with each attempt Gesar only grew stronger and stronger.

It was thanks to Trotung’s efforts, in fact, that Gesar was to become so great.

This gave rise to a Tibetan proverb: Trotung tro ma tung na, Gesar ge mi sar, which means that if Trotung had not been so malicious and scheming, Gesar could never have risen so high.

For the Tibetans Gesar is not only a martial warrior but also a spiritual one.

To be a spiritual warrior means to develop a special kind of courage, one that is innately intelligent, gentle, and fearless.

Spiritual warriors can still be frightened, but even so they are courageous enough to taste suffering, to relate clearly to their fundamental fear, and to draw out without evasion the lessons from difficulties.

(from “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” -Sogyal Rinpoche)