Sino-Tibetan Astrological System,

Dr.Jagman Gurung

The astrology which developed in China is known as sino-astrological system. This system of astrology spread from China to the several Asian countries: Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, Myanmar, Thiland, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and India. About 75% population of Asia uses this astrological system. This astrological system entered Nepal via Tibet; hence, this system is known as Sino-Tibetan astrology. The life cycle sacraments and ceremonies of all the higher Himalayan communities of Nepal: Limyal, Mugal, Dolpo, Loba, Nesyangba, Sherpa, Topkegola, Lomi etc. along with some lower Himalayan peoples: Thakali, Gurung, Tamang and Lepcha, is based on this astrological system. The Buddhist Newars of Nepal also had the tradition of consulting Sino-Tibetan astrology until the period of Pratap Malla. The symbols of the twelve animals of Sino-Tibetan astrology carved in stone slabs and attached to the pedestal of the huge gilt bronze Vajra at Svayambhu Chaitya are the evidences of this astrological system related to the Newar cultural tradition. This huge Vajra with Dharmadhatu Mandala was offered and placed here by Pratap Malla in the eastern entrance of Svayambhu Chaitya on Nepal Era 788 (1667 A.D.). Similarly, the Hindu astrologers living in northern hills of Nepal usually use Indian astrolgical system for their Hindu clints, and also use this Sino-Tibetan astrological system for their Buddhist clients. This fact shows the popularity of Sino-Tibetan astrological system in Nepal.
The Sino-Tibetan astrology is regarded as the Buddhist astrological system which has mutual relation to Buddhism (Terbish 1990: 46). So this system of astrology is the unseparative part of Buddhism as the Vedanga Jyotish of Hinduism. Although the Sino-Tibetan school of astrology studies the effect of the stars and the planets on the earth. The main basis of this astrological system is Kan and Tschi. The Kan is considered as the heavenly steam, which has five major divisions: Mu-wood, Huo-Fire, Fu-earth, Kin-metal and Schin-water; and the Tschi is the earthly branch with the symbolic forms of the different twelve animals and birds (James 1953 : 83). The Sino-Tibetan astrological system is one of the early systems of astrology. Hence, this astrological system is very natural, simple and practical in common human use. Twelve Lo, nine Meva and eight Parkha are the basic aspects of the Sino-Tibetan astrology.
Lo
The literally meaning of Lo is a year as well as the age of a person and the zodiac sign based on Sino-Tibetan astrological system. The twelve Los are the twelve symbols which are named after the different twelve animals and birds like the twelve zodiac signs of the Indian and Greek astrological system. The Gurung names of Lo and their meaning are slightly different from the original Tibetan Lo names.
This cycle of twelve Lo is just like the twelve Rashi, the zodiacal signs of Indian astrology. The Gurungs call Varga the Lo in the Nepali language. There are eight different Vargas in Indian astrology also like. 1. Garuda (the divine eagle), 2. Marjara (cat), 3. Simha (lion), 4. Shwan (dog), 5. Sarpa (Serpent), 6. Musaka (mouse), 7. Mriga (deer), 8. Mesa (sheep). So the Gurung Lo names seem to have been influenced by the Varga concept of Indian astrology, and consider Garuda the dragon, cat the hare and deer the hog.
The Lo cycle is circulated every year and that year is named by the name of present Lo. Similarly, while the cycle of twelve Lo turns five times it completes a cycle of sixty years. This greater cycle of sixty years is equivalent to the sixty Samvatsara cycle of the Indian astrology. There are three kinds of Lo-gSar, the new year days in Tibet which are celebrated in different days. gTol- Lo-gSar, the new year day which is celebrated in Pausa (December-January), has been reconized as the oldest one. bSod-Nams-Lo-gSar has been celebrated in Magha (January-February), whereas rGyal-Po-Lo-gSar has been celebrated in Phalguna (February-March). The Gurung tradition of new year's day differs from Tibetan traditions. The Gurungs acknowledge the 15th solar day of Pausa (December-January) as their new year day, which is related to gTol-Lo-gSar, the oldest new year's day of Tibet. It is believed that the process of increasing the duration of night and diminishing the duration of day ends on 15th solar day of Pausa (December-January), and the duration of day becomes longer from that day.
The Western geographers consider 22th December as a day which has longer night and shorter day within the year. According to the Vedang astrological calculation of eastern astrologers, such a date is in the beginning of the first week of Pausa (December-January). In this way there is a difference of only one week between 15th Pausa and the day from which date the process of diminishing the duration of day is already closed, and a new day is going to begin. This might be exact when the idea of Gurung new year day was developed in the remote past. Thus the Gurung concept of new year day, which has no relation with any religious and political incidents, seems very primitive, and is based on the nature as well as on the motion of the planets.
Mewa
The nine Mewas are the numerological geomancy or astrological marks, which are nine numbers and Mewa is used together with Lo to find out the characteristic quality of a person. Each person has its own particular Lo and Mewa. The combination of Lo and Mewa play vital role in the life the concerned person. Therefore to know and forecast the character of a particular person his/her Lo and Mewa have to be analyzed well. The nine Mewas also are represented in different nine elements.

S.N Tibetan Name Gurung Name Colour Elements
1.gChig-dKar Chigar White Iron
2. GNis-Nag Ngino Black Water
3. gSum-Thing Sumthe Blue Water
4. bShi-lJang-Khu Siljyon Green Wood
5 lNg-Ser Ngsar Yellow Earth
6 Drug-dKar Thugar White Iron
7 bDun-dMar Thimar Red Fire
8 brGyad-dKar Ghyegar White Iron
9. dGu-dMar Kumar Red Fire

Parkha
The next major aspect of Sino-Tibetan astrology is Parkha, the eight mystical signs. Parkha is an astrological diagram similar to the Kundali in the Indian astrology. Parkha has eight parts, which belong to the eight cosmic elements: water, wood, fire, earth, iron, hill, wind and sky. The omens for an individual are studied within Parkha on the basis of the age of an individual. The eight trigrams of Parkha were invented by Fu-Hsi (2953-2838 B.C.), the first of the five emperors of the legendary period of China, and it was rearranged by king Wan, the founder of Kau dynasty, on 1143 B.C. (Chai 1980: 5-6). These eight Parkhas also are concerned with the eight quarters of the universe.

S.N. Chinese Name Gurung Name Elements Direction
1. Li Lhi Fire South
2. Khon Khoen Earth South-West
3. Dva Ta Iron West
4. Khen Khen Sky West-North
5. Kham Khan Water North
6. Gin Ghin Hill North-East
7. Zin Sin Wood East
8. Zan Swen Wind East-South
Among these eight elements of Parkha, fire, earth, iron, water and wood are combined with the above mentioned twelve Lo, then the year is named, like the water year and- ape year, etc. The omens for an individual are studied within Parkha on the basis of the age of an individual.