The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
Page 26
Though Tisé, snowy white, is well renowned,
It’s just a mountain covered in snow.
Lake Manasarovar, here, is also renowned,
But it’s just water moving through water.52
Milarepa, too, is renowned,
But he’s just an old man who sleeps in the nude,
Who sings out little songs from his mouth,
And holds a walking stick in his hand.
There’s nothing impressive at all about that.
For us Bönpos there’s the unchanging svastikakaya,*3
The assembly of deities of the crown of Yeshen,*4
And the wrathful victor Traktung Kha-gyingwa
With nine heads and eighteen arms.
His own emanation is Gekhö
Who with nine heads has many miraculous manifestations.
His sister is Sigyalma.
I, Bönchung, who’s been accepted by these,
When I perform miracles, I do it this way!
After Naro Bönchung had sung this, the Jetsun completely covered the lake without his body becoming larger, and without Lake Manasarovar becoming smaller. Sitting there, he sang this song of realization:
Kye kye! Listen here you devas and humans:
On the mountain of Vulture Peak
Upon the throne of the eight fearlessnesses*5
The Victor Shakyamuni sits.
He, inseparable from the nondual wisdom kaya
As the sixth buddha, the great Vajradhara,
Along with the great lady, Nairatmya Devi,*6
Are within the dharma palace of Akanishta.*7
There’s the nirmanakaya called Tilopa,
Who plays within the state of coemergence;
There’s the great pandit Naropa, Guardian of the Gate;*8
And there’s the Buddha, Marpa the Translator.
All of their blessings have entered me,
Milarepa, who is renowned far and wide.
To accomplish the command of Marpa from Lhodrak
I’ve come to meditate at Tisé Snow Mountain.
While accomplishing the benefit of self and other,
For you, Bönpo, with your incorrect views,
I reply to what you say with a song.
Renowned Mount Tisé, snowy white,
Its covering of snow upon the peak,
Is the bright, pure teaching of the Buddha.
The renowned turquoise Lake Manasarovar,
With its water moving through water,
Is the place where phenomena are carried to exhaustion.
I, the renowned Milarepa,
This old man who sleeps nakedly,
Have emerged from the husk of perceiver and perceived.
The little songs that I sing
Are appearances dawning as my texts.
The bamboo walking stick I hold in my hand
Is the crossing of the ocean of samsara.
I’ve gained mastery over mind and appearances,
So for me, displaying different kinds of miracles
Doesn’t depend on any worldly devas.
Tisé, king of all mountains in the world,
In general, belongs to all the holders of Buddha’s teaching;
In particular, it belongs to Milarepa’s lineage.
You Bönpos with your incorrect views,
If you practice genuine dharma, there’ll be benefit for all.
My uncontrived miracles are greater than yours.53
Now you should go on to another place.
Look again at these miracles here!
Thus he sang. Then he lifted Lake Manasarovar upon the tip of his finger without harming any of the creatures that lived within it. Naro Bönchung said, “This time your miracle was, indeed, a bit more impressive. But since I came here first, I see us as equal. Now, we will have a competition of miracles and see who is better.”
The Jetsun said, “I will not compete with magicians who, polluted by substances,*9 perform miracles by conjuring tricks that deceive others. If you don’t practice according to my dharma, then you must go elsewhere.”
Naro Bönchung said, “I will not renounce my Svastika-Bön, but if you win in our competition of miracles, I will give up and leave. Furthermore, since you’re a Buddhist practitioner, if you kill or harm me, then it will be in violation of your vows; such action is not suitable for a Buddhist. Let us compete with miracles since I will not go otherwise.”
Then he did a circumambulation according to the Bön tradition around Tisé.*10 The master Jetsun and his disciples did a circumambulation according to the Buddhist tradition and met Naro Bönchung in the valley of the Northeastern Fortress of Tisé near a giant boulder.
Naro Bönchung said, “It is excellent that you do circumambulations. Now, you should do it following my tradition,” and he took the Jetsun’s hand and dragged him in that direction.
Then the Jetsun said, “I will not enter your mistaken path and do circumambulations in an incorrect way. You shouldn’t practice incorrect dharma; therefore, you should follow after me practicing dharma and doing circumambulations this way.” Then he took the Bönpo’s hand and, between their pulling each other back and forth, both of their footprints appeared in the rock. Then, by the force of the Jetsun’s experience and realization, he overpowered the Bönpo and took him along, doing a Buddhist circumambulation.
When they got to the back side of Tisé in the north, Naro Bönchung said, “Later, we should also do a Bön circumambulation.”
The Jetsun replied, “That will depend on how powerful you are.”
“This time, it seems you were the more powerful one. But we should still have another competition in strength.” Naro Bönchung moved a large boulder that was the size of a yak’s body in front of the boulder upon which they were standing.
Then the Jetsun moved a boulder that was twice the size of the heavy rock54 the Bönpo had moved beside that one. The Bönpo said, “Again, you have won this time. But winning just once or twice doesn’t truly qualify as winning. We should continue with our competition.”
The Jetsun said, “Although the stars can compete with the light of the sun and moon, it is the sun and moon that clear away the darkness of the four continents; and although you and I can compete, you cannot compare with me. Therefore, Tisé Mountain belongs to me. I went along with this competition just to humor you, and through this display of magic, now everyone can see that my practice lineage of the buddhadharma is superior. Therefore, it is fine to have displayed miracles here.”*11
When the Jetsun sat within the Lotus Cave of the Fortress of Tisé’s western valley, and the Bönpo was to the east, the Jetsun extended his foot from the western side of the mountain all the way to a rock where Naro Bönchung’s practice hut was, and placed his footprint on its face. Then the Jetsun said, “Now, you do the same.”
Naro Bönchung also extended his foot to the west, but when it didn’t even get as far as the shore of the lake, all of the spirits in the sky above burst into laughter.
The Bönpo was a little bit embarrassed, but still he said, “We should continue the competition of miracles,” and did another circumambulation in accord with the Bön tradition. The Jetsun continued only doing Buddhist circumambulations, and when they met on the southern side of Tisé, rain began to fall.
The Jetsun said, “We need a shelter from the rain. Do you want to lay the foundation from the ground up, or put the roof on top?”
The Bönpo said, “You build the walls and I will put on the roof.”
Milarepa pointed to a great rock as big as three people standing and said, “Very well, you break up that rock.”
“Okay, I will,” he replied and went over to the rock.
The Jetsun began raising the walls and saw that the Bönpo had already split a rock to be the height of an eight-year-old child, just as it should be. Then with his gaze and a threatening gesture, Milarepa broke the rock down its center and said, “Now, bring it here.”
“But you have bro
ken mine,” the Bönpo replied.
“It’s true, one’s not supposed to do that in a competition of miracles. I will not break another with my gaze. Break off another one and bring it here.” Then the Bönpo broke off another rock like the one before and went to lift it, but the Jetsun employed his gaze to prevent him from lifting it.
The Bönpo said, “I have prepared the rock, now you have to carry it over.”
The Jetsun replied, “I have built the walls, and your job is to put on the roof. Now, you see if you can lift it up and bring it over here.”
Naro Bönchung again went to lift the rock, but glancing nervously about, he found he could not.
The Jetsun said, “Your mere attainment of performing common miracles is no match for my yogi’s miracles and power that come from attaining both the common and supreme siddhis. If I used my gaze to overpower you, then you would not even be able to break the rock. But you broke the rock even though I didn’t use my gaze; so compared to others, you’re pretty good.55 Now, if you do it, you should do it like this,” and with only one hand, he lifted one of the two rocks upon his shoulder, and put his handprint in it.
“Now it’s too high.” The Jetsun then trampled the rock with his feet from above, leaving his footprint in it.
“Now it’s too low.” He lifted the rock again from below and left his head and handprints in it. This site is known as the Cave of Miracles.
At this point, the Bönpo finally admitted that the Jetsun had won. The Jetsun and Naro Bönchung had many other competitions of miracles, and the Jetsun’s actions always proved more wondrous.
After that, Naro Bönchung said, “You called me a magician. Compared to me, you are the magician. But I am not convinced by your miracles. Therefore, a second time [we will compete], and on the fifteenth of this month we will see who can get to the peak of Tisé Snow Mountain the fastest. Whoever wins will take control of Tisé, and we will see who truly has attained supreme siddhi.”
“If you say so, that’s fine. However, it’s a pity that you think of your insubstantial bit of experience as being the supreme siddhi. In order to attain the supreme siddhi, you must see the natural face of mind. To be able to see that, you must meditate having entered into the teachings of my practice lineage.”
The Bönpo asked, “What’s the difference between your mind and mine? Is one good and the other bad? What is the difference between Bön and Buddhism? The practices are equal, even though [it’s true that] in terms of doing tricks or the miracles you displayed before, you are a bit superior. So, our race to the peak of Tisé will settle it once and for all.”
The Jetsun accepted accordingly, then it was decided. At that point, it is said that Naro Bönchung unrelentingly invoked and supplicated his deity. Meanwhile, the Jetsun didn’t stray at all from his usual conduct.
In the early morning of the fifteenth of that month, Naro Bönchung was wearing a blue tunic, playing a ritual bell, and riding a drum into the sky. The Jetsun’s disciple-sons saw this. But when the Jetsun saw it and just remained seated where he was, Rechungpa said with fervor, “Jetsun, Naro Bönchung is already flying on his drum and is halfway up Tisé Mountain! Will the Jetsun get to where the Bönpo is by just sitting here?” All of the disciple-sons offered similar supplications.
The Jetsun employed a gaze and said, “Now, watch!”
As Milarepa stared upon him with his gaze, the Bönpo wasn’t able to go any higher up the mountain, only able to circle it. When the sun was beginning to rise, the great Jetsun snapped his fingers once and, using his cotton cloth garment as long wings, flew. In an instant he reached the peak of Tisé just at the moment that the sun shone upon it. There, the Jetsun directly encountered, vividly clear, the lineage gurus, the deity Chakrasamvara, and his retinue, all with cheerful demeanor. Though its essence was equality, he was very happy and cheerful at this.
Then, Naro Bönchung arrived up to the neck of Tisé Mountain and, unable to bear the Jetsun’s brilliant compassion, fell from the sky. The drum under him tumbled down the southern side of Tisé Mountain and his pride and arrogance faded. Humbling himself, he said, “Your power and miracles are truly greater. You have won Tisé Mountain. Now I must find another place to stay where I can still see this sacred site.”
The Jetsun said, “Although the ordinary devas of this world have accepted you and you can perform a few common miracles, I have actualized self-arisen wisdom. Though you can compete with people who have supreme siddhi, you will never to be able to outdo them, as I showed you before. Since above, the vajra fence of Tisé peak is a site where the wisdom deity, glorious Chakrasamvara, resides, you have no place to go. Here, I asked the Victorious Ones of the past for permission to show that my Buddhist dharma is greater and was granted the opportunity. You have fallen from the sky, and your drum has tumbled down. I did this in order to cut through your great pride. Now, if you want to come to the base of this site, you must come in reliance on my power. It is for these reasons that I have these powers. Listen here,” then he sang this song of realization:
I bow at the feet of Marpa who is so kind.
By the kindness of Marpa the Translator
And the compassion of all the previous Victorious Ones,
As before, in the great city of Shravasti,
The Bhagavan Shakyamuni Buddha
Defeated the six tirthika*12 teachers
With the wheel of dharma;
And so the Buddhist teachings were spread.
Likewise, at Tisé, king of all the world’s mountains,
The repa yogi of Tibet
Defeated the Bönpo through dharma, as well.
Thus, the Sage’s teachings and practice lineage shone like the sun.
This happened through miraculous power and strength.
The power of the yogi Milarepa
Has come through many conditions and causes.
Because I have the lineage blessing,
The power of this lineage arose.
The power of Vajradhara arose.
The power of the root guru,
With his key instructions, love, and wisdom, arose.
The power of Marpa the Translator arose.
The power of this view, which is
Beyond the mind and free from extremes, arose.
The power of primordial purity arose.
Being free from distraction and without reference point,
The power of this meditation arose.
The power of great luminosity arose.
Sustaining it loosely with whatever arises,
The power of this conduct arose.
The power that is spontaneous and relaxed arose.
With the dharmata being pointed out,
The power of this fruition arose.
The power of the myriad appearances, self-liberated, arose.
Practicing in accord with the guru’s command,
The power of this samaya arose.
The power of not falling into faults arose.
Mixing adverse conditions with meditation,
The power of this practice arose.
The power of appearances dawning as friends arose.
By taking it to completion with perseverance and hardship,
The power of this yogi arose.
The power of Milarepa arose.
That power having defeated mistaken dharma,
Because I have dominion over snowy white Tisé,
The teachings of genuine dharma will spread at this site.
That is the kindness of the previous Victorious Ones.
I supplicate and make offerings to the wisdom deities.
When Milarepa had sung this, the Bönpo said, “I believe in your power and miracles. They are truly wondrous. Now you can tell me a place I can stay where I can still see this site.”
The Jetsun said, “Very well, you should stay over there,” and he took up a handful of snow and hurled it over to Takla Peak in the east. When he did that, a bit of snow appeared on the mountain peak. In r
eliance on the Jetsun’s power, when they both reached the foot of Tisé Mountain, the Bönpo said, “I will sometimes come and do circumambulation at Tisé; you can tell me where I should stay during those times.”
The Jetsun said, “Very well, come and do circumambulation, and at that time you can stay here.” By his command, a stupa was placed in a crevice of one of the foothills at the front of Tisé, where Bönpos would stay when they came to circumambulate.
The lineage of students of the Jetsun continued to maintain control of the snow, mountain, and lake there.
This is the cycle of taming Naro Bönchung at Tisé Snow Mountain.
*1 A local protector deity similar to an earth-lord spirit.
*2 Shakyamuni Buddha.
*3 T: g.yung drung. The Sanskrit term “svastika” here translates the Tibetan word “yung-drung,” which means unchanging or indestructible. In Asian iconography, the swastika is a positive symbol for good fortune, auspiciousness, and indestructibility, as used here. This has no connection with the much later use of the symbol by the Nazi Party in Germany.
*4 “The supreme divine principle of Bön is referred to as Yeshen. This supreme deity has the same quality of cosmic totality that is found in most theistic religions. Ye means ‘primordial’ or ‘original’; shen means ‘divine’, ‘heavenly’, or ‘spiritual’ but also has an anthropomorphic implication” (Trungpa 1991: 221).
*5 This is a lion throne, on which Buddha Shakyamuni is often depicted. Lions are a symbol of fearlessness.
*6 Nairatmya Devi is a deity of the Hevajra mandala.
*7 Akanishta is the name of a buddha realm.
*8 The great Indian master and scholar Naropa was known as a faultless debater at Nalanda University and held the title “Guardian of the Northern Gate.”
*9 “Substances” here seems to be referring to intoxicating substances. (DPR)
*10 Bönpos circumambulate counterclockwise, while Buddhists traditionally circumambulate clockwise.