The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
Page 9
*6 T: ’phrang “Treacherous path,” throughout the translation, refers to a narrow passageway along the side of a cliff, a common occurrence in Tibet.
*7 There are two types of food mentioned here that are particular to Tibetan cuisine, pronounced: “zen” and “tsöma” (T: zan dang tshod ma). “Zen” is a ball of packed tsampa (roasted barley flour) and hot butter tea, and “tsöma” refers to the cooked food that accompanies “zen.”
*8 Higher perceptions can refer to clairvoyance or other supernormal powers gained through accomplishment in meditation.
*9 A feast offering performed by Vajrayana practitioners.
*10 T: rta’i zla ba, literally, “the horse month.”
*11 T: dkyar. The exact meaning of this term seems to vary among Tibetan speakers. According to DSD, this word is simply a name for “shoes” in a local dialect. Jäschke says it is a Ladakhi term for snowshoes. James Valby says that it is an appliance for crossing snow on glaciers (JV).
*12 Wagyal (T: wa rgyal) literally means “fox king.” The Kalachakra calendar has a month named gyal (S: pauṣa) which falls in mid-winter and corresponds to the tenth Tibetan month, so some variant of that may be entailed here.
*13 In this context, another name for Tibetans.
*14 The four gatherings of illness refers to “the sicknesses that are caused by the unbalancing strength and activity of the four elements—earth, water, fire, and air—in the yogi’s body” (Chang 1999: 36).
*15 Foxes are noted to be cowardly.
*16 Siddhi, or accomplishment, is what is accomplished or attained through practice. There are both common siddhis (the higher perceptions) and the supreme siddhi (full awakening).
*17 Amrita (T: bdud rtsi) is often used metaphorically in poetic language to mean “nectar”; amrita is also a sacred substance used in some Vajrayana rituals.
*18 T: stor nas thal. “Completely gone” here means that there is nothing substantially established, that things are empty in their essence.
*19 Dharmakaya (literally, “dharma body”) is the mind of the buddha itself.
*20 The three kindnesses are bestowing abhishekas, bestowing guiding explanations, and bestowing reading transmissions.
*21 Shendormo and his wife, Leksé Bum.
*22 The term for “yoga” in Tibetan is “nal jor” (rnal ’byor), which literally means to join (“jor”) with the genuine, true state (“nal”).
*23 Also called “jealous gods,” this is one of the six classes of beings of the desire realm. Jealousy is said to be their most dominant affliction.
*24 T: thig le. Subtle essences that are a key element of subtle body practice in anuttarayoga tantra.
*25 Literally, “The prana from the lalana [the primary nadi on the left] and the rasana [the primary nadi on the right] entering into the avadhuti [the central nadi] is blissful.” It is taught that when the prana enters into the avadhuti, it is purified, thus bringing about a powerful experience of the nature of mind.
*26 This, as with the “fleeting flower” example below, refers to the Buddhist teaching of impermanence; spouses, like guests at a gathering, will soon part ways through death.
4
The Rakshasa Demoness of Lingpa Rock
NAMO GURU
No matter how many times the people of Nyanang, from Tsarma and so forth, supplicated him to stay, the Jetsun Milarepa would not listen. In order to accomplish his guru’s command, he went to meditate at Riwo Palbar*1 in Kyidrong and came to Lingpa Rock Cave.*2 One evening when it was almost dark, as he was sustaining his practice in the cave, there repeatedly came a whistling sound from a crack in the rock to the left of where the Jetsun was sitting. “Vreew, vreew!” it sounded; at that, Milarepa got up. But when he looked, there was nothing there. He thought, “It was just this meditator’s deluded perception,” and went back to his sleeping place.
Then, again, a great light shone forth from the crack. At the front end of the light rays was a red-colored man riding on the back of a black musk deer, with a beautiful woman leading them in front. The man jabbed the Jetsun once with his elbow, and with a gust of wind he vanished. The woman transformed into a red female dog that then grabbed Milarepa’s left toe and wouldn’t let go. Realizing this was the magical appearance of a rakshasa rock-demoness, he sang this song of realization:
I bow at the feet Marpa who has been so kind.
You have tried to inflict harm on me,
And you display an unpleasant emanated form.
You’re the rakshasa rock-demoness of Lingpa Rock.
Are you not a ghost with negative karma?
I don’t know how to sing songs with beautiful melodies,
But listen, here, to these words of truth.
Up in the center of the blue sky
Is the enriching presence of the sun and moon—
A wondrous palace of the deities.
Their light rays shine as the glory of beings.
In their activity of circling the four great continents,
Rahu,*3 do not rise up to rival them!
On the crystal snow mountain, the exalted eastern peak,
Is the enriching presence of the white snow lion,
Who reigns as king of the animals.
As a sign of his greatness, he won’t eat carrion.
When he descends down the blue rocky slope,
Blizzards, do not rise up to rival him!
Under the canopy of the southern forest
Is the enriching presence of the tigress,
A champion among all of the beasts.
As sign of her valor, she won’t fear for her life.
When she passes through treacherous passages,
Traps in the ground, do not rise up to rival her!
In the brimming Lake Manasarovar in the west
Lies the enriching presence of the white-bellied fish,
A dancer within the element of water.
She has wondrous golden spots.
When she goes after enjoyable food to eat,
Hooks, do not rise up to rival her!
In the north, at Samye Red Rock,
Is the enriching presence of the vulture, the king of birds.
They are sages among all those that fly.
How wondrous that they don’t take the lives of others.
When they search for food on the three-peaked mountain,
Traps and nets, do not rise up to rival them!
At Lingpa Rock, where the vulture nests lie,
Is the enriching presence of the yogi, Milarepa,
An accomplisher of benefit for self and other.
I’ve abandoned this life, as a sign I am true.
Giving rise to supreme bodhichitta—the cause—
In this very body and very life,
I’ll one-pointedly practice toward buddhahood.
Rock-demoness, do not rise up to rival me!
This is a song of five wondrous examples
Along with their meaning, making six;
An interlocking golden chain of poetic words.
Do you understand what I’ve said, rock-demoness?
This karma you’re accumulating is a grave negativity.
Do not persist in acting this way!
Tame your malevolence and viciousness.
If you don’t know that everything is mind,
The ghost of concepts will never be exhausted.
If you don’t realize that mind itself is empty,
Will those ghosts ever be turned away?
Malevolent ghost, don’t harm! Don’t harm!
Don’t harm this man, and go back whence you came!
When Milarepa had sung this, the demoness just remained there, still clamping onto his foot. Then, in an instant, she vanished but without letting go. Then she replied to his song in this way:
E MA! Fortunate son of noble family!
Brave one who wanders all alone,
Yogi who roams in mountain retreats,
One of wonder in endurin
g hardship,
The song you sang is like the command of a king.
That king’s command is more weighty than gold.
Gold mixed with brass is imbued with a flaw.
If you don’t know how to reverse that flaw,
All you’ve said until now is completely false.15
I will explain something using the examples
Just sung by the lord king in his song of law.
Please listen a moment, without distraction.
As you just said:
“Up there in the center of the sky
Is the enriching presence of the luminous sun and moon,
A wondrous palace of the devas;
They clear away the darkness of the four continents.”
When, in action, they circle the four great continents,
If, with their gleam, they don’t give up their watch,
And their orbs of light do not deceive,
How could Rahu rise up to rival them?
As you just said:
“On the eastern snow mountain with the crystal topknot
Is the enriching presence of the white snow lion,
Who reigns as king for every creature.
He subjugates the animals, his subjects, with law.”
When he descends the blue rocky slope
If he’s without great anger or pride
And he doesn’t oppress with his turquoise mane,
How could a blizzard rise up to rival him?
As you just said:
“Under the canopy of the dense southern forest
Is the enriching presence of the tigress,
A champion among all of the beasts.
She overcomes others with her fangs and claws.”
When she passes through treacherous tight places,
If she doesn’t become arrogant with her dexterous skill,
Or deceive anyone with her stripes,
How could a trap ever rise up to rival her?
As you just said:
“In the brimming Lake Manasarovar
Is the enriching presence of the white-bellied fish,
A dancer in the element of water,
A divine sage, magnificent to behold.”
When she goes after desirable food,
If she doesn’t go after any humans
And doesn’t deceive with her illusory body,
How could a hook ever rise up to rival her?
As you just said:
“In the north, at Samye Red Rock,
Is the enriching presence of the vulture, the king of birds.
They are sages among the birds;
They outshine all the other fowl.”
When he searches for food on the peaks of the three mountains,
If he doesn’t go for live blood and meat to eat,
And doesn’t deceive by flapping his wings,
How could nets and traps rise up to rival him?
As you said:
“At Lingpa Rock, where the vulture nests lie
Is the enriching presence of you, the yogi Milarepa,
An accomplisher of benefit for self and other.
Giving rise to supreme bodhichitta, the cause,
In this very body and very life,
When you are practicing one-pointedly
To accomplish buddhahood in a single life,
You’ll lead the six beings down appropriate paths.”
If concepts, with strong latent tendencies as a cause,
Do not rise up to rival you,
Through the perpetuating cause of your own mind’s confusion,
How will I, a rock-demoness, rise up to rival you?
This demon of latent tendencies arises from mind.
If you don’t understand the nature of mind
And you say, “Away with you!” I will not go.
If you don’t realize your own mind is empty,
There’ll be countless ghosts besides me to haunt you.
If you do recognize your own mind,
All adverse conditions will arise as friends,
And I, this rock-demoness, will become your subject.
But as for your mind, I have some doubts.
You still must have resolve toward your own mind;
You still need resolve regarding confusion.
What the rock demon goddess said made perfect sense to the Jetsun. In response, he sang this song of realization, on the eight examples of remembering:*4
What you say is so true! So true, evil ghost.
There are no other words as true as these.
I’ve roamed these lands both far and wide,
But never heard such a pleasing song.
Even in a deliberation of a hundred scholars
It’s impossible there would be a meaning higher than this.
Ghost, what came from your mouth was eloquently said.
This golden spoon of excellent speech
Has gone straight to my heart and mind.
It’s removed my sickness*5 of inner fixation on things
And cleared the darkness of confusion and ignorance.
It has opened the white lotus of my mind.
It lit the luminous lamp of self-awareness.
It suddenly awakened mindfulness-wisdom.
Mindfulness has awakened powerfully!
Looking up in the center of the blue sky,
I suddenly remember dharmata-emptiness.
I have no fear of existent phenomena.
When I look out at the sun and moon,
I suddenly remember the luminosity of mind itself.
I have no fear of agitation and dullness.
When I look out at the mountain’s peak,
I suddenly remember unmoving samadhi.
I have no fear of thoughts that move and change.
When I look down to the center of the river,
I suddenly remember unbroken flow.
I have no fear of fleeting conditions.
When I see a rainbow drawn in the sky,
I suddenly remember the union of appearance and emptiness.
I have no fear of eternalism and nihilism.
When I see a reflection of the moon in water,
I suddenly remember self-clarity free of fixation.
I have no fear of the concepts of perceived and perceiver.
Looking inward at the self-aware mind,
I suddenly remember the lamp in a vase.*6
I have no fear of dullness and ignorance.
Ghost, having heard what came from your mouth,
I suddenly remember discriminating self-awareness.
I have no fear of hindrances and obstructions.
I’ve understood well all of your eloquent speech,
And I’ve understood the suchness of mind.
You’ve been born as a demon with an ugly body.
You perform negative actions, inflicting harm and detriment.
This is so because you’ve paid no heed to cause and effect.
Now, contemplate the faults of samsara.
Completely abandon the ten nonvirtuous deeds.
I am a yogi who is like a lion,
I have no fear or apprehension.
Here, I have poked you and teased you a bit;
Malevolent ghost, please don’t take it too seriously.
Ghost, because you inflicted harm this evening,
Just like the story, when long ago
There were five yaksha and rakshasa siblings
And the power of the king’s loving-kindness,*7
Like that, by meeting me through the connection of aspiration,
May you come to have bodhichitta.
May I tame you at some future time.
Then the rock-demoness developed great faith and let go of Milarepa’s foot. Again without any physical form, in the space before him, she offered this pleasing song in return:
Alas! Fortunate yogi!
Because you’ve gathered merit, you enjoy the dharma.
; Wondrous one who remains alone in the mountains,
With your eyes of compassion you look upon beings far and wide.
I hold the lineage of Pema Tötreng Tsal;*8
I’ve listened to the genuine dharma’s garland of words.
Though I’ve heard the words, my attachment is strong.
I’ve gone to all the gathering halls of yogis.
Those with karmic connection, I establish in virtue;
Those fortunate ones, I connect with true meaning.
Though I’m altruistic and do virtuous things,
This poor body can’t be restored, and I go terribly hungry.
Due to bad karma, I wander this world.
For food, I like to have meat and blood
And sometimes I possess the minds of feeble ones.
Beautiful women are stricken with heart-prana sickness*9
And vain arrogant men I mark with blood!
With my eyes, I watch everyone for entertainment;
With my mind, I suppress the moods in all the land;
With my body, I incite agitation and distraction.
For my abode, I stay at Lingpa Rock.
These are my activities.
These are the things I have to tell you
And I offer this song in answer to yours.
I am so pleased and happy we have met.
Here, I had this wondrous thing to say;
Yogi it was in service to you.
These are the clear words of my own faith.
May you be pleased by the offering of this forthright song.
Then the Jetsun thought, “I need to bind this spirit by oath by continuing to question her.” He responded to her with this song of realization:
Now listen here you pitiful one,
You have a great master but have been a poor student.
You’ve heard and contemplated the sublime dharma
But you grasp at strings of words you don’t understand.
You speak them very well but have not applied them.