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
?
1
?
Khenchen-Thrangu-Rinpoche-The-Life-Spiritual-Songs-of-Milarepa
?
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.
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 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.
5
? The Life & Spiritual Songs oJMilarepa
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.
6
? An Introduction to the Text
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.
Due to the Mahamudra your realization manifested
itself.
Your great activity extended as far as space extends, I supplicate the great meditator Gampopa.
Milarepa had many disciples, but there were two main ones: Gampopa, who was said to be like the sun, and Rechungpa, who was said to be like the moon. Gampopa was an exceptional pupil who had been prophesied by Buddha Shakyamuni. 9 Gampopa was a physician who when he lost his family to a disease that he could not cure began seeking the dharma. He began by first studying under a Kadampa teacher and took ordination learning and practicing the Mahayana doctrine. Later when he heard some beggars discussing Milarepa he developed great faith in Milarepa, so he sought him out, became his student and received teachings from him.
Gampopa practiced the Mahamudra instructions he received from Milarepa and attained the ultimate result, the manifestation of the realization of Mahamudra, so that the special qualities of the Mahamudra experience and realization arose in his mind.
7
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
Gampopa accomplished the ultimate realization of Mahamudra and passed on the transmission of his teachings through four great pupils: Dusum Khyenpa (the first Karmapa), Tsultrim Nyingpo, Baram Dharma Wangchuk, and Pagmo Drupa, from whom the four primary and eight secondary Kagyu lineages subsequently formed. 10 These teachings on Mahamudra meditation and other Vajrayana practices have literally spread
around the world, so the instructions of Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa have thus continued uninterrupted due to the extensive activity of Gampopa.
8
? 2
Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru
{ T h e Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa are in three parts: J the teachings Milarepa gave to non-human beings, the teachings he gave to his principal disciples, and the general
teachings he gave to his ordinary pupils.
The first chapter of the book11 begins with the section on
teachings to non-human beings. It is entitled Six Songs ofLonging for the Guru. These spiritual songs dearly teach the wish to abandon samsara, devotion to the guru, and meditation on compassion for
non-human beings.
The story begins when Milarepa was practicing Mahamudra
meditation in the Kyung dzong (Garuda-castle) cave in Chong lung (Carnelian-valley). One day he thought he would eat something but discovered that he had run out of food, water, and even firewood. He decided that he had been a little too diligent in his meditation in that he had ignored his physical welfare and that he should now pay a little attention to the material world.
There are some people who believe that they need to undergo the same hardships as Milarepa by being very poor and eating very sparsely. But in fact, deprivation is not necessary on the spiritual path. Hardship alone does not bring Buddhahood; it is through the practice of the dharma, of meditation, that one
9
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
accomplishes Buddhahood. Milarepa had an overriding desire to meditate and thus underwent hardships because everything else meant little to him. Milarepa was so concentrated on meditation that he forgot all about food and clothing,, and so ended up without any.
So, Milarepa left his cave to collect some firewood. A sudden gale began to blow his firewood away and when Milarepa held on to his wood he began to lose the cotton robe he was wearing to the wind. This put Milarepa into a dilemma of either holding? onto his wood or to his robe, until he thought, "I've been meditating for so many years to overcome attachment to the self, hut I haven't even been able to abandon my attachment to fire wood and this piece ofcotton. Ifthe wind wants to take my wood,
then let it take it! If it wants my cotton robe then let it take it! " So he let the wind blow away both his firewood and his robe.
Milarepa was in such a state ofphysical exhaustion, due to his exertions and living on very little food, that he passed out. When he came to he saw his cotton robe was hanging from a tree. He took it down sat himself upon a stone and gazed into the east where he could see a white cloud far away. He thought, "Marpa is living in the land of Drowolung (Wheat-valley) just under that cloud. He also thought of his many dharma companions who would be there, receiving instructions and empowerments from
Marpa. He then thought about this until he had an unendurable longing for that place, his guru, his fellow pupils, and his guru's teachings. With sadness, faith and devotion, he sang a spontaneous song, in which he said:
In the east there is a white cloud. Beneath that white cloud is Drowolung. In the hermitage in Drowolung, Marpa Lotsawa is living. In the past I was able to see
10
? Six Songs oJLongingfor the Guru
him. If I could see him now,. I would be so happy. I ,don't have enough devotion, but I long for my exceptional guru so intensely I would be so happy to
be able to see him again.
The second verse describes Marpa's wife, Dagmema. She was very loving, particularly to Milarepa, so the verse says:
Dagmema showed more love to me than my own mother. Ifshe were here and I could see her, I would be so happy. She is so far away and the journey to her would be difficult, but I long to see her.
Then he sang:
Now Marpa is in Drowolung and will be giving the four kinds of empowerments - the vase empowerment, the secret empowerment, the wisdom- knowledge empowerment and the word empowerment. If I could receive such profound empowerments now, that would make me so very happy. Though I am po0r and have no offering for the empowerment, nevertheless, it is so fortunate to request and receive the four empowerments. I long for them and I long for my guru.
When one meets Marpa Lotsawa in the hermitage of Lho Drowolung, he gives the instructions which allows one to reach Buddhahood in one lifetime, within the one body: these are the instructions ofthe profound Six Yogas ofNaropa. It is fortunate to dwell in Drowolung, to see Marpa Lotsawa and to receive
11
? TheLife& SpiritualSongsofMilarepa
the instructions ofthe profound SixYogas ofNaropa. If I could have that good fortune now, I would be happy. Although I don't have enough diligence to meditate on these instructions, they are profound, so that ifl could receive them and meditate upon them, I would be happy.
There are many fortunate Dharma companions who are scholars and practitioners from U and Tsang who are staying at the hermitage ofDrowolung. They receive etnpowerments and instructions together; when they practice the dharma together they compare their various experiences and realizations, examining them to see how good they are. When they receive instructions from the guru, the pupils compare their . understanding of them, to see whether they have
clearly understood their meaning or not. Due to this their experiences and realizations increase. If I could have that good fortune I would be happy.
I have faith and devotion in my guru, who is never apart from me, but my intense longing for him is unendurable; I am intensely miserable. So I am praying to you to dispel my sadness.
When Milarepa had finished singing this song the cloud in the east extended towards him. Upon its foremost tip was Marpa Lotsawa, more majestic than ever, mounted upon a white lion. Marpa said, "What is the meaning of this? Why are you calling me so loudly? Are you distressed that you can't receive the blessingF ofthe threejewels? Can't you meditate because you think too much? Are you pining for pleasures and worldly activities? What is it? Whatever is the matter, we are inseparable; I am always with you.
12
? Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru
Therefore, practice the dharma well, preserve the teachings, and benefit other beings in the future. " Milarepa was overjoyed to see Marpa, and sang a song, which says:
I hadsadness in my mind and so thinking ofmy guru's life: how he lives at Drowolung with his pupils and followers, teaching the dharma and bestowing empowerments. I felt great longing and devotion, and thus received the guru's compassion and blessing, terminating my nondharmic thoughts. I have disturbed my guru with my loud cries, but please forgive me and continue to look upon me with compassion.
I am practicing with great diligence enduring the hardships of hunger, thirst, and cold. I offer this practice to my guru, in order to please him. I dwell alone in the mountains as a pleasing service to the dakas and dakinis. Though I disregard physical hardships, applying myself to the practice of the dharma as an act of service to the teachings of the Buddha. I will practice for as long as my life lasts, as a gift of dharma to the beings who are without a refuge, without a protector.
IfI'm going to die, I'll die; ifl'm going to be sick, I'll be sick; but it will not make any difference to me. I shall practice considering it to be more important than anything else. This is my purification ofnegative karma and obscurations. Undergoing hardships is the necessary condition for developing experiences and realizations. Therefore, you, Marpa Lotsawa, have shown me great kindness in giving me the complete
13
? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
empowerments and instructions that will enable me to accomplish Buddhahood through diligence. To repay that kindness I am practicing the dharma, so look upon me with compassion.
Having prayed in that way Milarepa's mind was filled with joy. He put his cotton robe back on, gathered up the firewood and returned to his cave.
When he entered his cave he saw that there were five strange Indian yogins, called atasaras,13 in there. They had tiny black bodies and huge eyes. One ofthem was sitting on Milarepa's seat, teaching the dharma, another two were listening to him, another one was making food, and another was reading through Milarepa's texts. Then they all stopped what they were doing and stared at Milarepa who. felt a little frightened. Then Milarepa thought, "I've been
meditating in this place for so many years, but I've never offered any thanks by giving any torma offerings to the deity who is master oftheselands,ortoanyofthelocaldeitiesorspirits. 14 Therefore they have created this illusion. I must express my thanks for being in this place. " So Milarepa sang this song:
This is a place ofsolitude, an excellent place for the accomplishment ofBuddhahood. It is sa. ld that many siddhas have dwelt here in the past. This is an excellent place where I can live alone and practice that which is good. This is a pure place, with pure water, where the birds live free from fear without any care. The birds and monkeys are relaxed, free from worries and kind to each other. Such a place as this is very good for me and it is conducive to practice.
14
? Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru
I dwell here meditating on the bodhichitta of aspiration and the bodhichitta of application. 15 It is perfect for me. Now that you have come, I will meditate on love and compassion towards you. Be happy and depart.
Milarepa finished his song, but the five yogins were very angry. They increased in number from five to seven and faced him as an angry group. Milarepa tried wrathful mantras against them, but they had no effect. Meditation on compassion and giving them teachings was no help either. Then Milarepa thought, "I am Marpa Lotsawa's pupil. He gave me the realization that all phenomena are nothing other than the mind. Therefore these beings are nothing but the creations of my own mind and I shouldn't be afraid of them. " Milarepa then sang a song about his confidence
expressed through analogies. 16
15
? The nine-story stone tower built by Milarepa as instructed by his teacher Marpa (see page 6).
? 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
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? 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.
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 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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? The Life & Spiritual Songs oJMilarepa
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.
6
? An Introduction to the Text
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.
Due to the Mahamudra your realization manifested
itself.
Your great activity extended as far as space extends, I supplicate the great meditator Gampopa.
Milarepa had many disciples, but there were two main ones: Gampopa, who was said to be like the sun, and Rechungpa, who was said to be like the moon. Gampopa was an exceptional pupil who had been prophesied by Buddha Shakyamuni. 9 Gampopa was a physician who when he lost his family to a disease that he could not cure began seeking the dharma. He began by first studying under a Kadampa teacher and took ordination learning and practicing the Mahayana doctrine. Later when he heard some beggars discussing Milarepa he developed great faith in Milarepa, so he sought him out, became his student and received teachings from him.
Gampopa practiced the Mahamudra instructions he received from Milarepa and attained the ultimate result, the manifestation of the realization of Mahamudra, so that the special qualities of the Mahamudra experience and realization arose in his mind.
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? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
Gampopa accomplished the ultimate realization of Mahamudra and passed on the transmission of his teachings through four great pupils: Dusum Khyenpa (the first Karmapa), Tsultrim Nyingpo, Baram Dharma Wangchuk, and Pagmo Drupa, from whom the four primary and eight secondary Kagyu lineages subsequently formed. 10 These teachings on Mahamudra meditation and other Vajrayana practices have literally spread
around the world, so the instructions of Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa have thus continued uninterrupted due to the extensive activity of Gampopa.
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? 2
Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru
{ T h e Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa are in three parts: J the teachings Milarepa gave to non-human beings, the teachings he gave to his principal disciples, and the general
teachings he gave to his ordinary pupils.
The first chapter of the book11 begins with the section on
teachings to non-human beings. It is entitled Six Songs ofLonging for the Guru. These spiritual songs dearly teach the wish to abandon samsara, devotion to the guru, and meditation on compassion for
non-human beings.
The story begins when Milarepa was practicing Mahamudra
meditation in the Kyung dzong (Garuda-castle) cave in Chong lung (Carnelian-valley). One day he thought he would eat something but discovered that he had run out of food, water, and even firewood. He decided that he had been a little too diligent in his meditation in that he had ignored his physical welfare and that he should now pay a little attention to the material world.
There are some people who believe that they need to undergo the same hardships as Milarepa by being very poor and eating very sparsely. But in fact, deprivation is not necessary on the spiritual path. Hardship alone does not bring Buddhahood; it is through the practice of the dharma, of meditation, that one
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? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
accomplishes Buddhahood. Milarepa had an overriding desire to meditate and thus underwent hardships because everything else meant little to him. Milarepa was so concentrated on meditation that he forgot all about food and clothing,, and so ended up without any.
So, Milarepa left his cave to collect some firewood. A sudden gale began to blow his firewood away and when Milarepa held on to his wood he began to lose the cotton robe he was wearing to the wind. This put Milarepa into a dilemma of either holding? onto his wood or to his robe, until he thought, "I've been meditating for so many years to overcome attachment to the self, hut I haven't even been able to abandon my attachment to fire wood and this piece ofcotton. Ifthe wind wants to take my wood,
then let it take it! If it wants my cotton robe then let it take it! " So he let the wind blow away both his firewood and his robe.
Milarepa was in such a state ofphysical exhaustion, due to his exertions and living on very little food, that he passed out. When he came to he saw his cotton robe was hanging from a tree. He took it down sat himself upon a stone and gazed into the east where he could see a white cloud far away. He thought, "Marpa is living in the land of Drowolung (Wheat-valley) just under that cloud. He also thought of his many dharma companions who would be there, receiving instructions and empowerments from
Marpa. He then thought about this until he had an unendurable longing for that place, his guru, his fellow pupils, and his guru's teachings. With sadness, faith and devotion, he sang a spontaneous song, in which he said:
In the east there is a white cloud. Beneath that white cloud is Drowolung. In the hermitage in Drowolung, Marpa Lotsawa is living. In the past I was able to see
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? Six Songs oJLongingfor the Guru
him. If I could see him now,. I would be so happy. I ,don't have enough devotion, but I long for my exceptional guru so intensely I would be so happy to
be able to see him again.
The second verse describes Marpa's wife, Dagmema. She was very loving, particularly to Milarepa, so the verse says:
Dagmema showed more love to me than my own mother. Ifshe were here and I could see her, I would be so happy. She is so far away and the journey to her would be difficult, but I long to see her.
Then he sang:
Now Marpa is in Drowolung and will be giving the four kinds of empowerments - the vase empowerment, the secret empowerment, the wisdom- knowledge empowerment and the word empowerment. If I could receive such profound empowerments now, that would make me so very happy. Though I am po0r and have no offering for the empowerment, nevertheless, it is so fortunate to request and receive the four empowerments. I long for them and I long for my guru.
When one meets Marpa Lotsawa in the hermitage of Lho Drowolung, he gives the instructions which allows one to reach Buddhahood in one lifetime, within the one body: these are the instructions ofthe profound Six Yogas ofNaropa. It is fortunate to dwell in Drowolung, to see Marpa Lotsawa and to receive
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? TheLife& SpiritualSongsofMilarepa
the instructions ofthe profound SixYogas ofNaropa. If I could have that good fortune now, I would be happy. Although I don't have enough diligence to meditate on these instructions, they are profound, so that ifl could receive them and meditate upon them, I would be happy.
There are many fortunate Dharma companions who are scholars and practitioners from U and Tsang who are staying at the hermitage ofDrowolung. They receive etnpowerments and instructions together; when they practice the dharma together they compare their various experiences and realizations, examining them to see how good they are. When they receive instructions from the guru, the pupils compare their . understanding of them, to see whether they have
clearly understood their meaning or not. Due to this their experiences and realizations increase. If I could have that good fortune I would be happy.
I have faith and devotion in my guru, who is never apart from me, but my intense longing for him is unendurable; I am intensely miserable. So I am praying to you to dispel my sadness.
When Milarepa had finished singing this song the cloud in the east extended towards him. Upon its foremost tip was Marpa Lotsawa, more majestic than ever, mounted upon a white lion. Marpa said, "What is the meaning of this? Why are you calling me so loudly? Are you distressed that you can't receive the blessingF ofthe threejewels? Can't you meditate because you think too much? Are you pining for pleasures and worldly activities? What is it? Whatever is the matter, we are inseparable; I am always with you.
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? Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru
Therefore, practice the dharma well, preserve the teachings, and benefit other beings in the future. " Milarepa was overjoyed to see Marpa, and sang a song, which says:
I hadsadness in my mind and so thinking ofmy guru's life: how he lives at Drowolung with his pupils and followers, teaching the dharma and bestowing empowerments. I felt great longing and devotion, and thus received the guru's compassion and blessing, terminating my nondharmic thoughts. I have disturbed my guru with my loud cries, but please forgive me and continue to look upon me with compassion.
I am practicing with great diligence enduring the hardships of hunger, thirst, and cold. I offer this practice to my guru, in order to please him. I dwell alone in the mountains as a pleasing service to the dakas and dakinis. Though I disregard physical hardships, applying myself to the practice of the dharma as an act of service to the teachings of the Buddha. I will practice for as long as my life lasts, as a gift of dharma to the beings who are without a refuge, without a protector.
IfI'm going to die, I'll die; ifl'm going to be sick, I'll be sick; but it will not make any difference to me. I shall practice considering it to be more important than anything else. This is my purification ofnegative karma and obscurations. Undergoing hardships is the necessary condition for developing experiences and realizations. Therefore, you, Marpa Lotsawa, have shown me great kindness in giving me the complete
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? The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
empowerments and instructions that will enable me to accomplish Buddhahood through diligence. To repay that kindness I am practicing the dharma, so look upon me with compassion.
Having prayed in that way Milarepa's mind was filled with joy. He put his cotton robe back on, gathered up the firewood and returned to his cave.
When he entered his cave he saw that there were five strange Indian yogins, called atasaras,13 in there. They had tiny black bodies and huge eyes. One ofthem was sitting on Milarepa's seat, teaching the dharma, another two were listening to him, another one was making food, and another was reading through Milarepa's texts. Then they all stopped what they were doing and stared at Milarepa who. felt a little frightened. Then Milarepa thought, "I've been
meditating in this place for so many years, but I've never offered any thanks by giving any torma offerings to the deity who is master oftheselands,ortoanyofthelocaldeitiesorspirits. 14 Therefore they have created this illusion. I must express my thanks for being in this place. " So Milarepa sang this song:
This is a place ofsolitude, an excellent place for the accomplishment ofBuddhahood. It is sa. ld that many siddhas have dwelt here in the past. This is an excellent place where I can live alone and practice that which is good. This is a pure place, with pure water, where the birds live free from fear without any care. The birds and monkeys are relaxed, free from worries and kind to each other. Such a place as this is very good for me and it is conducive to practice.
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? Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru
I dwell here meditating on the bodhichitta of aspiration and the bodhichitta of application. 15 It is perfect for me. Now that you have come, I will meditate on love and compassion towards you. Be happy and depart.
Milarepa finished his song, but the five yogins were very angry. They increased in number from five to seven and faced him as an angry group. Milarepa tried wrathful mantras against them, but they had no effect. Meditation on compassion and giving them teachings was no help either. Then Milarepa thought, "I am Marpa Lotsawa's pupil. He gave me the realization that all phenomena are nothing other than the mind. Therefore these beings are nothing but the creations of my own mind and I shouldn't be afraid of them. " Milarepa then sang a song about his confidence
expressed through analogies. 16
15
? The nine-story stone tower built by Milarepa as instructed by his teacher Marpa (see page 6).
