Bad hair day - Tibetan perspectives

Atiśa presumably had better things to do while meditating, but this little manuscript says it was he who came up with the idea that hair should be cut/shaven on particular days only. Hence one can achieve great merit on the 11th and 19th, with the Moon in Snake, but one could get particularly licentious if shaven on the 1st and 10th when the Moon abides under the sign of the Monkey. Get your hair cut on properly computed days and you might get away even with slaughtering quadrupeds, birds, and the such.

A good bodhisattva never misses the chance to do away with the sins, etc. of sentient beings: these are envisioned to burn together with the cut hair and nails.

[Manuscript from Mongolia, currently in my collection. 1 fol. on Russian paper, 200x71mm.]



(1a1) skra bsrig (=bsreg) nyin zlode? ltar zhes[ b]y[a] ba bzh[u]ĝs so ||

oṃ swa sti | skra bsreg pa'i nyin ni |

stag zla'i 8/14 la bsreg na las thaṃ[s ca]d 'grub pa]r 'gyur[ r]o |
yos zla'i 2/8 la bsreg (2) ni (=na) gzhan gyi ltas na mi thub |
'brug zla'i 9/12 sdig pa thaṃ[s ca]d dag par 'gyur[ r]o |
sbrul zla'i 11/19 la bsreg na bsod naṃs chen po (3) 'phel par 'gyur[ r]o |
rta zla'i 12 la bsreg na bsod naṃs leĝs par 'gyur[ r]o |
lug zla'i 9/10 la bsreg na spyi la bzang | sdig pa thaṃ[s ca]d 'gyur[ r]o | (4)
spre'u zla'i 1/10 la bsreg na bud med la nyal po byed pa'i sdig pa dgar 'gyur[ r]o|
bya zla'i 19 la bsreg na sdig pa thaṃ[s ca]d[ d]gar 'gyur[ r]o | (5)
khyi zla'i 10 la bsreg na dud 'gro gsad pa'i sdig pa dag par 'gyur[ r]o |
phag zla'i 10/19 la bsreg na 'gro ba gsad pa'i sdig dag par[ 'gyur r]o | (6)
byi zla'i 12 la las ngan dang sdig pa dag par 'gyur[ r]o |
glang zla'i 11/30 la bya gsad pa'i sdig pa dgar 'gyur[ r]o |

dge pas (=ba'i) rtsa ba 'di yis (7) skye ba 'og rol tu skye ba gzhan gyi sar mchod[ d]al 'byor mi lus rin po che thob par gyur cig | brtson[ 'g]rus dpag[]tu med pa rtsoṃ nus[ pa]r gyur[ c]ig | (1b1) rin [p]o [ch]e dpag[]tu med pa byung la skyed gyur cig | seṃs can thaṃ[s ca]d kyi don du phyag rgya chen po mchog[ g]i dngos[ g]rub thob[ pa]r gyur cig ||

chos nyan pa las (2) byung ba yis | bdag[ g]i dge ba ci bsaĝs pa |
'di ni 'ji[g rt]en m[a l]us pa | bde gshegs shes rab thob[ pa]r shog ||

skra la bsreĝs pa'i rdzas ni shug pa (3) mkhan tsandan dkar a ka ru spros? dkar ma nu shu? dag dkar gsuṃ mngar gsuṃ phye mar soĝs bsres la 'di dag bdag[ g]is bsreg bsod naṃs (4) dpag[]tu med pa zhe[s g]sung so |

'di ni A ti shas tin[ ng]e[ 'd]zin la mnyaṃ par bzhuĝs pa de dus su m[d]zad pa'o ||

bsgreg pa'i dus su | *rang gi thugs ka nas (5) ye shes kyi me byung ste skra sen gang las byung ba'i dmigs yul 'di gtso byas pa'i seṃs can thaṃ[s ca]d kyi tshe rabs 'khor pa (=ba) thog (6) med pa nas bsaĝs pa'i sdig sgrib bag chaĝs dang bcas pa thaṃ[s ca]d skra sen dang lhan cig bsregs par gyur | na mo ratna tra yā ya | (7) oṃ kaṃ ka ni* zhes pa nas *swā hā |* dmiĝs yul 'di nyid gtso seṃs[ ca]n thaṃ[s ca]d kyi tshe rabs 'khor ba thog ma med pa nas [bsa]ĝs pa'i sdi[g] sgrib[ ba]g chaĝs dang[ bca]s pa (8) thaṃ[s ca]d shantiṃ (=shāntiṃ) ku ru ye swā hā |