No More Learning

? May this supreme, peerless teaching, The precious treasure o fthe Victorious Ones Spread and extend throughout the world, Like the sun shining in the sky.
? GoLDEN RosARY EDITIONS
comprise oral teachings by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche on the great lineage masters ofthe Kagyu tradition.
They are reproduced through
the inspiration ofH. H. Karmapa,
the blessing ofKhenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, and the guidance ofVenerable Lama Karma Shedrup.
These editiom are dedicated to their long life and prosperity.
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust
Publicatiom
? The Life
&
Spiritual Songs
of
Milarepa
by
Khabje Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
? Copyright (C) 2003 Namo Buddha & Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Publications.
All rights reserved. No part ofthis book, either text or art, may be reproduced in any form, electronic or otherwise, without written permission form Thrangu Rinpochc or Namo Buddha Publications.
ISBN Number: 1-877294-26-8
This publication is a joint venture between:
Namo Buddha Publications
P. O. Box 1083, Crestone,
CO 81131, USA
Email: cjohnson@ix. netcom. com Thrangu Rinpoche's web site: www. rinpoche. com and
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust Publications PO Box 6259 Wellesley Street, Auckland, New Zealand
Email: inquiries@greatliberation. org www. greatliberation. org
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Gabriele Hollmann for the enormous work of transcribing and editing this manuscript. We would also like to thank Jean Johnson for going over the manuscript. And, ofcourse, we would like to thank Peter Roberts for carefully retranslating this manuscript and giving his advice on technical details. The songs on pages 53 - 55 are from The Rain ofWisdom, translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee under the direction of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. (C) 1980 by Chogyam Trungpa. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications Inc. , Boston, www. shambhala. com
Notes
Technical words are italicized the first time that they appear to alert the reader that their definition can be found in the Glossary ofTerms. The Tibetan words arc given as they are pronounced, not spelled in Tibetan. We use B. C. E. (Before
Current Era) for B. C. and C. E. (Current Era) for A. D.
? Table ofContents
Foreword
Biography ofThrangu Rinpoche Preface
Chap. ] d h -r. An lntro uction tot e 1ext
2 Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru 3 Songs ofthe Snow
4 The Rock Sinmo in the Lingpa Cave 5 Songs on Yolmo Snow-Mountain
6 The Story ofNyama Palderbum vii
zx Xt X t t t
1
9
17
27
37
45
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
Chap. 7 The Encounter with Naro Bonchung 57
8 Invitation from the King ofKathmandu 67
9 Entering the l'ak Horn 73 10 The Story ofGampopa 81 11 Victory Over the Four Maras 93
~m~
Glossary ofTerms 115 Glossary ofTibetan Terms 141 Bibliography 143 m~ 1~
viii
? Ven. Lama Karma Shedrup Cho Gyi Senge Kartung
Foreword
7 h e Golden Rosary Editions contain the spiritual biographies and teachings of the glorious Kagyupa lineage. The term "Golden Rosary'' refers to this lineage of realized masters who have transmitted unbroken the profound Mahamudra teachings ofthe Lord Buddha to the present day. What makes these teachings so profound is that they contain instructions and practices which
enable one to accomplish enlightenment in one lifetime.
One of the tremendous blessings of the Kagyu lineage is the diversity of lifestyles manifested by the lineage masters, showing that whatever our circumstances or lifestyle, we can practice these teachings and accomplish enlightenment. For example, Tilopa accomplished enlightenment while working as a menial labourer grounding sesame seeds. Others like Marpa were businessmen and had families. Marpa's student Milarepa was an ascetic who spent his life practicing in isolated caves, and one of his students, Gampopa, was a monk. Yet what they all had in common was that through practicing Mahamudra they all accomplished enlightenment. All this shows the great variety and power of the
ix
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
methods of Vajrayana for transforming one's mind through whatever circumstances. So similarly, ifwe practice Mahamudra with great diligence and effort we can achieve the fruition in one lifetime.
Therefore to read these spiritual biographies of the Kagyu lineage masters is a great inspiration to enter the path and they also provide encouragement and inspiration to continue when circumstances become difficult. In particular it is ofgreat blessing to receive these teachings from Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, a
master of great wisdom and compassion. Because he has directly realised Mahamudra and is a holder ofthis lineage he can transmit not only the words but the meaning.
So, I encourage all students to read these spiritual biographies and pray that it will inspire you to fulfil all the aspirations of the lineage masters. And may this merit cause the life and teachings of the great masters to flourish and remain for many eons benefiting limitless sentient beings.
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust 3/1 Franklin Rd, Ponsonby Auckland, NZ
X
? Biography of Thrangu Rinpoche (b. 1933)
7 he lineage of the Thrangu Rinpoche incarnations began in the fifteenth century when the Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyatso visited the region of Thrangu in Tibet. At this time His Holiness Karmapa established Thrangu Monastery and enthroned Sherap Gyaltsen as the first Thrangu Rinpoche, recognizing 'him as the re-established emanation ofShuwu Palgyi Senge, one ofthe
twenty-five great siddha disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is the ninth incarnation of this lineage and was born in Kham, Tibet in 1933. When he was four, H. H. the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa and Palpung Situ Rinpoche recognized him as the incarnation of Thrangu Tulku: by
prophesying the names of his parents and the place of his birth. He entered Thrangu monastery and from the ages ofseven to sixteen he studied reading, writing, grammar, poetry, and astrology, memorised ritual texts, and completed two preliminary retreats. At sixteen under the direction of Khenpo Lodro Rabsel he began the study ofthe three vehicles ofBuddhism while staying in retreat. At twenty-three he received full ordination from the Karmapa. When he was twenty-seven Rinpoche left Tibet for India at the
xi
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
time of the Communist invasion. He was called to Rumtek, Sikkim, where the Karmapa had his seat in exile. At thirty-five he took the geshe examination before 1500 monks at Buxador monastic refugee camp in Bengal India and was awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa. On his return to Rumtek he was named Abbot ofRumtek monastery and the Nalanda Institute for Higher
Buddhist studies at Rumtek. He has been the personal teacher of the four principal Karma Kagyu tulkus: Shamar Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche.
Thrangu Rinpoche has travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Far East and the USA. He is the abbot of Gampo Abbey, Nova Scotia, and ofThrangu House, Oxford, in the UK. In 1984 he spent several months in Tibet where he ordained over 100 monks and nuns and visited several monasteries. He has also founded Thrangu Tashi Choling monastery in Boudhnath, a retreat centre and college at Nama Buddha east of the Katmandu Valley, and has established a school in Boudhnath for the general education of lay children and young monks. He also built Tara Abbey in Katmandu. In October of 1999 he consecrated the college at Sarnath which will accept students from the different traditions
of Buddhism and will be open to Western students as well. Thrangu Rinpoche, a recognised master of Mahamudra meditation has given teachings in over 25 countries. He is especially known for taking complex teachings and making them accessible
to Western students.
More recently, because of his vast knowledge of the Dharma,
he was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the personal tutor for the Seventeenth Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje.
xii
? Preface
7 wo thousand five hundred years ago the Buddha gave a remarkable set of teachings in which he postulated that everyone experiences s? uffering. He further taught that to overcome this suffering, this feeling that the world is not going the way that we want it to go, could only be done by explaining the mind. The Buddha then spent the next forty years ofhis life giving teachings on how to overcome this suffering and how to attain complete freedom, that is complete liberation or awakening. The examination of mind involves first understanding why we suffer,
then contemplating the causes of this suffering, and finally examining our mind through meditation. The meditation, which is common to all Buddhist traditions, is known as sitting meditation or Shamatha meditation in Sanskrit.
These teachings spread first throughout India and then gradually to most Asian countries. In the eleventh century the Moslems invaded India and destroyed most of these teachings in the country of their origin. However, a few centuries before brave pilgrims from China and Tibet had come to India risking life and limb and had collected these precious Buddhist teachings and taken them back to their own country and translated them into their language.
xiii
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
One such person was Marpa who came from Tibet and brought back a large numbers oftexts ofnot onlywhat the Buddha taught, but of Buddhist teachings which were practiced by the accomplished masters or siddhas of the eleventh century. The Buddhist practices ofthese siddhas were a living tradition passed down from guru to disciple with the disciple not receiving the teachings until the master had completely accomplished the practice and the pupil had shown that he or she was ready to
receive them. In many ways one could say that these were the most important transmissions of the Buddhist teachings because they weren't simply words on a page.
Marpa received the complete Vajrayana practices of Hevajra, Chakramsamvara, and Vajrayogini. In addition, he received the six yogic practices ofNaropa and the transmission for Mahamudra practice. ? By completely mastering these practices Marpa was able to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime.
Marpa brought back these teachings and transmitted them to Milarepa who is one of the greatest Buddhist saints to have ever lived. His incredible story of achieving enlightenment is told in
The Life ofMilarepa and is one of the truly inspirational books in Buddhism. This biography tells mainly the story of Milarepa's life. Milarepa's teachings on his practice of the Six Yogas and the Mahamudra meditation is mostly told in a second book called The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa translated by Garma Chang.
Marpa received the teachings on a particular type ofmeditation called Mahamudra, which is a special meditation ofthe Vajrayana school of Buddhism. Mahamudra meditation does not involve the great accumulation ofmerit ofthe Hinayana, nor does it require the very scholarly analysis ofemptiness ofthe Mahayana; rather it
xiv
? Preface
is the practice oflooking directly into one's own mind and seeing its true nature.
For example, one day Tilopa asked Naropa to stretch a piece ofcotton doth across the ground and when he had done so, Tilopa lit the cloth and asked Naropa what he saw. Seeing the charred warp and woof of the doth Naropa replied that he understood that the guru's instructions was like a fire which burned away the disciple's disturbing emotions which was like the doth. This causes the beliefin subtle reality to be destroyed and so the student cannot enter into a worldly living.
Thrangu Rinpoche is one of the most respected scholars of the Kagyu lineage ofTibetan Buddhism. He is recognized for not only having a tremendous scholarly background, but also for having great meditative insight into the Buddhist teachings. Every year since 1986 he has shared his wisdom and teachings with Western students through his Namo Buddha Seminars given at his monastery in Nepal. At the Namo Buddha Seminar in 1988 he gave a series often teachings on Milarepa's 100,000 Songs. These Songs contain very detailed explanations ofBuddhist dharma illustrating the yogi's spontaneous realizations. These songs ofMilarepa can still be heard in the monasteries of Nepal and, one hopes, have not been forgotten by the people ofTibet.
Since these spiritual songs are often a distillation of a practitioner's lifetime of meditation, they sometimes need a commentary to explain all the nuances ofwhat they mean. Due to the large number of Songs and the limited time of the Namo Buddha Seminar, Thrangu Rinpoche selected ten ofthe important Songs to illustrate important Buddhist teachings and gave extensive commentaries on them.
In The 100,000 Songs ofMilarepa translated by Garma Chang the reader will find that the translation does not always correspond
XV
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
to the way in which the song is translated here. This is why we have included a translation ofthe parts ofthe Songr that are relevant rather than simply referring the reader to Chang's book.
Finally, the reader may feel that these stories of ghosts and demons and supernatural powers are simply folk legends from twelfth century Tibet. This certainly would be the orthodox Western historian's view. However, even today in the Far East there are great Tibetan practitioners who perform miracles similar to those described in The 100,000 Songs. Many of the lamas and lay persons, including Western practitioners, have seen these "miracles" and so the Western reader is cautioned from simply dismissing the accounts of Milarepa as folk lore. The most important aspect of these stories is, of course, the dharma that shows us how to conduct our lives so that we may reach enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
ClarkJohnson, Ph. D.
xvi
? The Life
&
Spiritual Songs
of
Milarepa
? Marpa the Translator, Milarepa's root guru 1012- 1097 C. E.
? 1
An Introduction to the Text The Nature ofthe Buddhist Biography
( 7 he text entitled The Life ofMilarepa1 could be termed a J biography, but-biographies in Buddhism are not quite the same as those by modern historians. A modern biographer looks for factual information, such as the exact date somebody w a s b o r n a n d t h e h i s t o r i c a l d a t e s o f t h e v a r i o u s t h i n g s t h e y did~ I n Buddhism a spiritual biography or a hagiography is not concerned with the details of a person's life: whether Milarepa was born in this or that year makes no difference. What does it matter if he was born on the sixth instead of the seventh day of the month? Rather, Buddhist biographies are based on the essential elements of the individual's life: What motivation did they have? What practices did he do? How much diligence did they have? What
results did they achieve? Finally, how were they able to help other beings? This kind of biography inspires faith, devotion, and diligence for spiritual practice and that is why spiritual practice is so very important.
Some recent Tibetan scholars have denounced the Tibetan tradition of biographies as uncritical, arguing that they contain only the good qualities of their subject and omit all the bad
1
? The Life & Spiritual Songs oJMilarepa
qualities. It is true that there are few details in these biographies; we are not told what kind of food Milarepa ate, or what kind of bed he slepton. These are not just historical accounts ofsomeone's life. A spiritual biography is called namtar in Tibetan, which literally means "complete liberation. " These biographies describe individuals who have rejected samsara, and through faith, devotion, diligence, and wisdom have attained complete liberation from the sufferings of samsara. These biographies therefore describe the process ofliberation beginningwith why the individual first choose to practice the dharma, how they met their teacher, what instructions were received, how that individual practiced them, and what results were achieved. These biographies have the purpose of inspiring the readers to become drawn to the dharma and be
diligent in their practice.
The Characteristics ofa Spiritual Biography
A spiritual biography can be said to have nine characteristics. These characteristics can be grouped into three sets, each containing two faults to be avoided and one good quality to be acquired.
The first set of three characteristics is comprised of being meaninglessness, being in error, and being meaningful. For example, it would be pointless to describe how tall Milarepa was; the information that he was five feet or four feet tall would be meaningless. The second characteristic of being in error would be something contrary to the facts, for example, to say that Milarepa was a very aggressive or lustful person. Obviously those two faults should be avoided in a namtar and rather the text should be meaningful. For example, the text should describe how Milarepa's experiences ofsuffering and impermanence caused him to turn to
2
? An Introduction to the Text
the dharma, meet his guru, and practice his guru's instructions correctly so that those reading the biography will understand how they themselves should also follow the dharma, practice the instructions, and accomplish the end result of enlightenment.
The next group ofthree characteristics is dedication to learning, debate, and practice. The first, dedication to learning, means that one feels one has to know and explain everything in detail, which is not that important. The second is dedication to debate. Dedication to debate means being engaged in the refutation of certain statements, answering objections to one's own views, and so on which is not of any importance. What is important for a text is the third characteristic ofdedication to practice. One does not just hear and contemplate the teachings, or just debate it, but one actually gains control ofone's own mind, eliminating faults, increasing positive qualities, and accomplishing benefit for oneself and for others.
The last group of three characteristics is deceit, propagation of violence, and eliminating suffering. The first, deceit, means the treatise is written in order to mislead people. The second is a propagation ofviolence. The advocating ofviolence occurs when texts engender an increase ofcrueltyand violence towards others, instead of compassion and altruism. Texts with those two characteristics should be avoided. The kind of text that should be studied is one that has the characteristic of providing a method to eliminate suffering.
Therefore a namtar should not have any of the characteristics of: (1) being meaningless, (2) being in error, (3) dedicated to study, (4) dedicated to debate, (5) one of deception, or (6) advocating the propagation ofviolence. Texts containing these characteristics should not be written; one that has been written should not be taught, and its teachings should not be practiced.
3
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
The kind of text that should be written, taught, and put into practice is one that has the three characteristics of being: (1) meaningful, (2) dedicated to practice, and (3) is a means to eliminate suffering.
The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa
The biography ofMilarepa (Tib. mila namtar) is dearly written and easily understood, as is its translation into English, so it does not require much additional explanation. However, there is also the collection of the spiritual songs of Milarepa entitled The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa (Tib. Mila Grubum) and in this book I shall explain a selection ofsongs from ten ofits chapters.
The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa were compiled by Tsang Nyon Heruka2 an emanation ofMilarepa, who also wrote The Life ofMilarepa. Tsang Nyon was a siddha who had gained
the appellation "Nyonpa" which means "crazy. " ? He was one of three famous contemporary "crazy siddhas": Druk Nyon who was "the crazy man from Bhutan," U Nyon who was "the crazy man fromU3" andTsangNyonwhowas"thecrazymanfromTsang. 4''
The life-story and songs ofMilarepa inspire people to practice his lineage of instructions. This lineage consists of the path of means using the Six Yogas ofNaropa and the path of liberation,5 which is Mahamudra meditation.
In the Karma Kagyu transmission of his lineage, the ninth Karmapa taught the realization ofMahamudra in three texts. He explained Mahamudra in the long The Ocean ofDefinitiveMeaning, the middle length in The Mahamudra which Eliminates the Darkness ofIgnorance, and the short Pointing Out the Dharmakaya. These three texts provide us with a progressive path of meditation
beginningwiththefourwaysofchangingthemintf' andprogressing 4
? An Introduction to the Text
to the stages of tranquillity or Shamatha meditation and insight orVipashyanameditation7 byexplainingthemethodsofpractice that lead to the ultimate experience.
A Prayer to Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa
First, I shall give a brief description of Milarepa, so that we may have faith in him. Milarepa was an exceptional master, because he had an exceptional guru, Marpa, and an exceptional pupil, Gampopa. Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo8 concisely described these three masters in a short prayer that is regularly recited in the Karma Kagyu school. In this prayer one verse is dedicated to each of these masters with each verse describing three special qualities that the master possessed.
The songs on pages 53 - 55 are from The Rain ofWisdom, translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee under the direction of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. (C) 1980 by Chogyam Trungpa. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambhala Publications Inc. , Boston, www. shambhala. com
Notes
Technical words are italicized the first time that they appear to alert the reader that their definition can be found in the Glossary ofTerms. The Tibetan words arc given as they are pronounced, not spelled in Tibetan. We use B. C. E. (Before
Current Era) for B. C. and C. E. (Current Era) for A. D.
? Table ofContents
Foreword
Biography ofThrangu Rinpoche Preface
Chap. ] d h -r. An lntro uction tot e 1ext
2 Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru 3 Songs ofthe Snow
4 The Rock Sinmo in the Lingpa Cave 5 Songs on Yolmo Snow-Mountain
6 The Story ofNyama Palderbum vii
zx Xt X t t t
1
9
17
27
37
45
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
Chap. 7 The Encounter with Naro Bonchung 57
8 Invitation from the King ofKathmandu 67
9 Entering the l'ak Horn 73 10 The Story ofGampopa 81 11 Victory Over the Four Maras 93
~m~
Glossary ofTerms 115 Glossary ofTibetan Terms 141 Bibliography 143 m~ 1~
viii
? Ven. Lama Karma Shedrup Cho Gyi Senge Kartung
Foreword
7 h e Golden Rosary Editions contain the spiritual biographies and teachings of the glorious Kagyupa lineage. The term "Golden Rosary'' refers to this lineage of realized masters who have transmitted unbroken the profound Mahamudra teachings ofthe Lord Buddha to the present day. What makes these teachings so profound is that they contain instructions and practices which
enable one to accomplish enlightenment in one lifetime.
One of the tremendous blessings of the Kagyu lineage is the diversity of lifestyles manifested by the lineage masters, showing that whatever our circumstances or lifestyle, we can practice these teachings and accomplish enlightenment. For example, Tilopa accomplished enlightenment while working as a menial labourer grounding sesame seeds. Others like Marpa were businessmen and had families. Marpa's student Milarepa was an ascetic who spent his life practicing in isolated caves, and one of his students, Gampopa, was a monk. Yet what they all had in common was that through practicing Mahamudra they all accomplished enlightenment. All this shows the great variety and power of the
ix
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
methods of Vajrayana for transforming one's mind through whatever circumstances. So similarly, ifwe practice Mahamudra with great diligence and effort we can achieve the fruition in one lifetime.
Therefore to read these spiritual biographies of the Kagyu lineage masters is a great inspiration to enter the path and they also provide encouragement and inspiration to continue when circumstances become difficult. In particular it is ofgreat blessing to receive these teachings from Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, a
master of great wisdom and compassion. Because he has directly realised Mahamudra and is a holder ofthis lineage he can transmit not only the words but the meaning.
So, I encourage all students to read these spiritual biographies and pray that it will inspire you to fulfil all the aspirations of the lineage masters. And may this merit cause the life and teachings of the great masters to flourish and remain for many eons benefiting limitless sentient beings.
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust 3/1 Franklin Rd, Ponsonby Auckland, NZ
X
? Biography of Thrangu Rinpoche (b. 1933)
7 he lineage of the Thrangu Rinpoche incarnations began in the fifteenth century when the Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyatso visited the region of Thrangu in Tibet. At this time His Holiness Karmapa established Thrangu Monastery and enthroned Sherap Gyaltsen as the first Thrangu Rinpoche, recognizing 'him as the re-established emanation ofShuwu Palgyi Senge, one ofthe
twenty-five great siddha disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is the ninth incarnation of this lineage and was born in Kham, Tibet in 1933. When he was four, H. H. the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa and Palpung Situ Rinpoche recognized him as the incarnation of Thrangu Tulku: by
prophesying the names of his parents and the place of his birth. He entered Thrangu monastery and from the ages ofseven to sixteen he studied reading, writing, grammar, poetry, and astrology, memorised ritual texts, and completed two preliminary retreats. At sixteen under the direction of Khenpo Lodro Rabsel he began the study ofthe three vehicles ofBuddhism while staying in retreat. At twenty-three he received full ordination from the Karmapa. When he was twenty-seven Rinpoche left Tibet for India at the
xi
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
time of the Communist invasion. He was called to Rumtek, Sikkim, where the Karmapa had his seat in exile. At thirty-five he took the geshe examination before 1500 monks at Buxador monastic refugee camp in Bengal India and was awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa. On his return to Rumtek he was named Abbot ofRumtek monastery and the Nalanda Institute for Higher
Buddhist studies at Rumtek. He has been the personal teacher of the four principal Karma Kagyu tulkus: Shamar Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche.
Thrangu Rinpoche has travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Far East and the USA. He is the abbot of Gampo Abbey, Nova Scotia, and ofThrangu House, Oxford, in the UK. In 1984 he spent several months in Tibet where he ordained over 100 monks and nuns and visited several monasteries. He has also founded Thrangu Tashi Choling monastery in Boudhnath, a retreat centre and college at Nama Buddha east of the Katmandu Valley, and has established a school in Boudhnath for the general education of lay children and young monks. He also built Tara Abbey in Katmandu. In October of 1999 he consecrated the college at Sarnath which will accept students from the different traditions
of Buddhism and will be open to Western students as well. Thrangu Rinpoche, a recognised master of Mahamudra meditation has given teachings in over 25 countries. He is especially known for taking complex teachings and making them accessible
to Western students.
More recently, because of his vast knowledge of the Dharma,
he was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the personal tutor for the Seventeenth Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje.
xii
? Preface
7 wo thousand five hundred years ago the Buddha gave a remarkable set of teachings in which he postulated that everyone experiences s? uffering. He further taught that to overcome this suffering, this feeling that the world is not going the way that we want it to go, could only be done by explaining the mind. The Buddha then spent the next forty years ofhis life giving teachings on how to overcome this suffering and how to attain complete freedom, that is complete liberation or awakening. The examination of mind involves first understanding why we suffer,
then contemplating the causes of this suffering, and finally examining our mind through meditation. The meditation, which is common to all Buddhist traditions, is known as sitting meditation or Shamatha meditation in Sanskrit.
These teachings spread first throughout India and then gradually to most Asian countries. In the eleventh century the Moslems invaded India and destroyed most of these teachings in the country of their origin. However, a few centuries before brave pilgrims from China and Tibet had come to India risking life and limb and had collected these precious Buddhist teachings and taken them back to their own country and translated them into their language.
xiii
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
One such person was Marpa who came from Tibet and brought back a large numbers oftexts ofnot onlywhat the Buddha taught, but of Buddhist teachings which were practiced by the accomplished masters or siddhas of the eleventh century. The Buddhist practices ofthese siddhas were a living tradition passed down from guru to disciple with the disciple not receiving the teachings until the master had completely accomplished the practice and the pupil had shown that he or she was ready to
receive them. In many ways one could say that these were the most important transmissions of the Buddhist teachings because they weren't simply words on a page.
Marpa received the complete Vajrayana practices of Hevajra, Chakramsamvara, and Vajrayogini. In addition, he received the six yogic practices ofNaropa and the transmission for Mahamudra practice. ? By completely mastering these practices Marpa was able to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime.
Marpa brought back these teachings and transmitted them to Milarepa who is one of the greatest Buddhist saints to have ever lived. His incredible story of achieving enlightenment is told in
The Life ofMilarepa and is one of the truly inspirational books in Buddhism. This biography tells mainly the story of Milarepa's life. Milarepa's teachings on his practice of the Six Yogas and the Mahamudra meditation is mostly told in a second book called The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa translated by Garma Chang.
Marpa received the teachings on a particular type ofmeditation called Mahamudra, which is a special meditation ofthe Vajrayana school of Buddhism. Mahamudra meditation does not involve the great accumulation ofmerit ofthe Hinayana, nor does it require the very scholarly analysis ofemptiness ofthe Mahayana; rather it
xiv
? Preface
is the practice oflooking directly into one's own mind and seeing its true nature.
For example, one day Tilopa asked Naropa to stretch a piece ofcotton doth across the ground and when he had done so, Tilopa lit the cloth and asked Naropa what he saw. Seeing the charred warp and woof of the doth Naropa replied that he understood that the guru's instructions was like a fire which burned away the disciple's disturbing emotions which was like the doth. This causes the beliefin subtle reality to be destroyed and so the student cannot enter into a worldly living.
Thrangu Rinpoche is one of the most respected scholars of the Kagyu lineage ofTibetan Buddhism. He is recognized for not only having a tremendous scholarly background, but also for having great meditative insight into the Buddhist teachings. Every year since 1986 he has shared his wisdom and teachings with Western students through his Namo Buddha Seminars given at his monastery in Nepal. At the Namo Buddha Seminar in 1988 he gave a series often teachings on Milarepa's 100,000 Songs. These Songs contain very detailed explanations ofBuddhist dharma illustrating the yogi's spontaneous realizations. These songs ofMilarepa can still be heard in the monasteries of Nepal and, one hopes, have not been forgotten by the people ofTibet.
Since these spiritual songs are often a distillation of a practitioner's lifetime of meditation, they sometimes need a commentary to explain all the nuances ofwhat they mean. Due to the large number of Songs and the limited time of the Namo Buddha Seminar, Thrangu Rinpoche selected ten ofthe important Songs to illustrate important Buddhist teachings and gave extensive commentaries on them.
In The 100,000 Songs ofMilarepa translated by Garma Chang the reader will find that the translation does not always correspond
XV
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
to the way in which the song is translated here. This is why we have included a translation ofthe parts ofthe Songr that are relevant rather than simply referring the reader to Chang's book.
Finally, the reader may feel that these stories of ghosts and demons and supernatural powers are simply folk legends from twelfth century Tibet. This certainly would be the orthodox Western historian's view. However, even today in the Far East there are great Tibetan practitioners who perform miracles similar to those described in The 100,000 Songs. Many of the lamas and lay persons, including Western practitioners, have seen these "miracles" and so the Western reader is cautioned from simply dismissing the accounts of Milarepa as folk lore. The most important aspect of these stories is, of course, the dharma that shows us how to conduct our lives so that we may reach enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
ClarkJohnson, Ph. D.
xvi
? The Life
&
Spiritual Songs
of
Milarepa
? Marpa the Translator, Milarepa's root guru 1012- 1097 C. E.
? 1
An Introduction to the Text The Nature ofthe Buddhist Biography
( 7 he text entitled The Life ofMilarepa1 could be termed a J biography, but-biographies in Buddhism are not quite the same as those by modern historians. A modern biographer looks for factual information, such as the exact date somebody w a s b o r n a n d t h e h i s t o r i c a l d a t e s o f t h e v a r i o u s t h i n g s t h e y did~ I n Buddhism a spiritual biography or a hagiography is not concerned with the details of a person's life: whether Milarepa was born in this or that year makes no difference. What does it matter if he was born on the sixth instead of the seventh day of the month? Rather, Buddhist biographies are based on the essential elements of the individual's life: What motivation did they have? What practices did he do? How much diligence did they have? What
results did they achieve? Finally, how were they able to help other beings? This kind of biography inspires faith, devotion, and diligence for spiritual practice and that is why spiritual practice is so very important.
Some recent Tibetan scholars have denounced the Tibetan tradition of biographies as uncritical, arguing that they contain only the good qualities of their subject and omit all the bad
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qualities. It is true that there are few details in these biographies; we are not told what kind of food Milarepa ate, or what kind of bed he slepton. These are not just historical accounts ofsomeone's life. A spiritual biography is called namtar in Tibetan, which literally means "complete liberation. " These biographies describe individuals who have rejected samsara, and through faith, devotion, diligence, and wisdom have attained complete liberation from the sufferings of samsara. These biographies therefore describe the process ofliberation beginningwith why the individual first choose to practice the dharma, how they met their teacher, what instructions were received, how that individual practiced them, and what results were achieved. These biographies have the purpose of inspiring the readers to become drawn to the dharma and be
diligent in their practice.
The Characteristics ofa Spiritual Biography
A spiritual biography can be said to have nine characteristics. These characteristics can be grouped into three sets, each containing two faults to be avoided and one good quality to be acquired.
The first set of three characteristics is comprised of being meaninglessness, being in error, and being meaningful. For example, it would be pointless to describe how tall Milarepa was; the information that he was five feet or four feet tall would be meaningless. The second characteristic of being in error would be something contrary to the facts, for example, to say that Milarepa was a very aggressive or lustful person. Obviously those two faults should be avoided in a namtar and rather the text should be meaningful. For example, the text should describe how Milarepa's experiences ofsuffering and impermanence caused him to turn to
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the dharma, meet his guru, and practice his guru's instructions correctly so that those reading the biography will understand how they themselves should also follow the dharma, practice the instructions, and accomplish the end result of enlightenment.
The next group ofthree characteristics is dedication to learning, debate, and practice. The first, dedication to learning, means that one feels one has to know and explain everything in detail, which is not that important. The second is dedication to debate. Dedication to debate means being engaged in the refutation of certain statements, answering objections to one's own views, and so on which is not of any importance. What is important for a text is the third characteristic ofdedication to practice. One does not just hear and contemplate the teachings, or just debate it, but one actually gains control ofone's own mind, eliminating faults, increasing positive qualities, and accomplishing benefit for oneself and for others.
The last group of three characteristics is deceit, propagation of violence, and eliminating suffering. The first, deceit, means the treatise is written in order to mislead people. The second is a propagation ofviolence. The advocating ofviolence occurs when texts engender an increase ofcrueltyand violence towards others, instead of compassion and altruism. Texts with those two characteristics should be avoided. The kind of text that should be studied is one that has the characteristic of providing a method to eliminate suffering.
Therefore a namtar should not have any of the characteristics of: (1) being meaningless, (2) being in error, (3) dedicated to study, (4) dedicated to debate, (5) one of deception, or (6) advocating the propagation ofviolence. Texts containing these characteristics should not be written; one that has been written should not be taught, and its teachings should not be practiced.
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The kind of text that should be written, taught, and put into practice is one that has the three characteristics of being: (1) meaningful, (2) dedicated to practice, and (3) is a means to eliminate suffering.
The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa
The biography ofMilarepa (Tib. mila namtar) is dearly written and easily understood, as is its translation into English, so it does not require much additional explanation. However, there is also the collection of the spiritual songs of Milarepa entitled The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa (Tib. Mila Grubum) and in this book I shall explain a selection ofsongs from ten ofits chapters.
The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa were compiled by Tsang Nyon Heruka2 an emanation ofMilarepa, who also wrote The Life ofMilarepa. Tsang Nyon was a siddha who had gained
the appellation "Nyonpa" which means "crazy. " ? He was one of three famous contemporary "crazy siddhas": Druk Nyon who was "the crazy man from Bhutan," U Nyon who was "the crazy man fromU3" andTsangNyonwhowas"thecrazymanfromTsang. 4''
The life-story and songs ofMilarepa inspire people to practice his lineage of instructions. This lineage consists of the path of means using the Six Yogas ofNaropa and the path of liberation,5 which is Mahamudra meditation.
In the Karma Kagyu transmission of his lineage, the ninth Karmapa taught the realization ofMahamudra in three texts. He explained Mahamudra in the long The Ocean ofDefinitiveMeaning, the middle length in The Mahamudra which Eliminates the Darkness ofIgnorance, and the short Pointing Out the Dharmakaya. These three texts provide us with a progressive path of meditation
beginningwiththefourwaysofchangingthemintf' andprogressing 4
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to the stages of tranquillity or Shamatha meditation and insight orVipashyanameditation7 byexplainingthemethodsofpractice that lead to the ultimate experience.
A Prayer to Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa
First, I shall give a brief description of Milarepa, so that we may have faith in him. Milarepa was an exceptional master, because he had an exceptional guru, Marpa, and an exceptional pupil, Gampopa. Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo8 concisely described these three masters in a short prayer that is regularly recited in the Karma Kagyu school. In this prayer one verse is dedicated to each of these masters with each verse describing three special qualities that the master possessed. The first four lines is a prayer to Marpa:
Great courage took you to India many times. With great wisdom, you saw the true nature ofall
phenomena.
With great accomplishment, you performed miracles. I supplicate the great translator Marpa.
Marpa underwent considerable hardships to go to India three times. He did not do this for his own benefit, but he did this so that he could meet great gurus such as Naropa and Maitripa and receive the teachings from them and put them into practice. Not only did Marpa have the great confidence that he could receive these teachings, but he also had the confidence that he could introduce these teachings into Tibet and teach many pupils who would practice and embody them correctly and completely, and then transmit them on to their own pupils. He did this so that their lineages would grow and prosper throughout the future.
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When Marpa went to India, met his gurus, and received their instructions, he didn't just learn these instructions but he also practiced the instructions and attained full realization. Through the power of his wisdom Marpa saw the true nature of all phenomena and attained the supreme accomplishment
(enlightenment) within that very lifetime.
Marpa not only saw the true nature ofphenomena, but as a
sign of his attainment of the dharmakaya he was able to display a variety ofmiraculous powers to his pupils who were worthy, so as to engender faith, and have them follow the dharma.
The second verse is a prayer to Milarepa:
With great power, you destroyed your enemies. With great hardship, you pleased your guru.
With great diligence, you raised the victory banner
of practice.
I supplicate the great yogi Milarepa.
Milarepa began by studying under a master of black magic and using his powers he destroyed and killed his uncles who had treated him, his mother and sister poorly. This, ofcourse, created great negative karma that Milarepa would have carried into future lifetimes had he not regretted these actions and searched out a true lama, Marpa.
Marpa commanded Milarepa to build a succession of stone houses only to tell him to pull them down again. Despite the hardship involved, Milarepa's faith in Marpa never wavered, and he fulfilled Marpa's commands. This purified him ofhis negative karma, which pleased Marpa, his guru.
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Milarepa, having received the instructions from Marpa, knew that the practice of these instructions was more important than any worldly activities. So Milarepa lived in various caves even if it meant that he had to go without food or clothes and practiced with diligence until he accomplished enlightenment. He then passed on his dharma teachings to many pupils thus raising the victory banner of practice.
The next verse is a prayer to Gampopa:
The Great Vehicle awakened your heritage.