The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

by Tsangnyon Heruka

  We both sing little melodies

  That come from the depths of our experience.

  With our bodies clad in cotton cloth

  The heat of blissful chandali blazes.

  Living on food that we have begged for,

  Our craving for desirable things is subdued.

  Doing whatever it is that we please,

  The sixfold collections are relaxed, at ease.

  We are gurus who guide fortunate ones;

  We’re asked for instruction by ones with faith.

  We’re an object for you male and female benefactors to circumambulate.

  We are a place where wise ones come to consult,

  Where meditators offer their realization and experience.

  We’re ones who have cut imputations from within.

  We’ve determined the base, the basic nature,

  And actualized the unborn reality.

  We’ve penetrated the innate mind in its own place.

  The signs of accomplishment on the path have arisen in our minds.

  We realize dharmakaya for the benefit of self

  And have compassion for the benefit of other.

  There is nothing more amazing than this!

  There is nothing that is more wondrous than this!

  You faithful students who have gathered here,

  You who have roamed everywhere,

  Your previous pilgrimages have tired you.

  If you want to do pilgrimage, go to Aryavarta.*10

  You have been to every place.

  Your previous journey has made your feet sore.

  If you go somewhere else, then go to Bodhgaya.

  You who have seen everything,

  All you’ve seen until now has been meaningless.

  If you want to look at something else,

  Then look at the magical sights in Lhasa.

  You who have heard everything,

  All you’ve heard until now has been useless chatter.

  If you want to listen to something else,

  Then listen to the whispered lineage key instructions.

  You who have stayed near many people,

  Until now they’ve all been your relatives.

  If you want to stay near someone, stay near a noble guru.

  You who have done everything,

  All you’ve done until now has just become karma.

  If you want to do something, practice the sublime dharma.

  This reply came from an old man’s mouth.

  If understood and reflected upon, it contains key instructions.

  If you don’t understand, then this little song

  Is just about us yogis doing as we please.

  You students, now go back to your homes.

  Thus he sang. From among them there, the young lady standing in the center gave rise to exceeding faith. With many tears flowing forth, she took the jewel that was tied to her belt, as well as the jewels ornamenting her head, and offered them into the Jetsun’s hand. They said, “We five sisters will enter the gate of dharma and wander in mountain retreats. Please, out of your compassion, give us the profound instructions.” Then they sang this song of supplication:

  The compassionate lineage of experience and realization,

  Passed from the dharmakaya, great Vajradhara,

  Like a flame that passes from lamp to lamp:

  Its lineages holders, were they not Tilopa and Naropa?

  He who traveled, undergoing many great hardships,

  To be in the presence of Tilopa and Naropa,

  Was that not the translator Marpa?

  The wondrous one who underwent hardship

  In the presence of the translator Marpa,

  Is that not the Great Repa of austerities?

  One with naked body and lustrous complexion,

  Whose myriad speech has the voice of Brahma,

  His mind of wisdom and love is unceasing luminosity,

  I bow to the body, speech, and mind of the father repa.

  We five sisters assembled here

  Previously have not accumulated much merit.

  Though we’ve human bodies, we’ve an inferior birth*11

  Without any freedom to practice the sublime dharma.

  Right now, by the blessings of the Jetsun,

  Faith was born deep within our minds.

  The precious jewel upon my belt

  And the jewels I wear upon my head

  I offer to you, Repa Lord.

  With kindness, please grant us the sacred dharma.

  We ask you, please speak into our ears

  A little of the life story of you great repa lords.

  In this way, they supplicated with the wish to enter the gate of dharma. The Jetsun said, “I have no need for the jewels of your belt or crown. If you all wish to practice dharma from your heart, there are other gurus who are more learned in dharma and who are better than I. You should seek the dharma somewhere else. I have no attachment to food or clothing, and I wander in empty lands with no humans. You cannot follow my way of living. It is doubtful that you can endure having such harsh conditions with such little food and clothing. Therefore, listen to this song.” And so he sang this song of realization:

  Through the blessings of the Lord Vajradhara,

  He underwent astounding hardship

  To come into the presence of Tilopa and Naropa.

  Lotsawa, speaker of two languages,

  Is that not the translator Marpa?

  I, Milarepa, who was sustained by his compassion,

  My father was Mila Sherap Gyaltsen,

  My mother was Nyangtsa Kargyen,

  And I was called Töpa-ga.*12

  Previous causes have effects that are undeceiving,

  And because of our family’s little merit

  My father Mila passed away.

  All of our illusory food and wealth

  Was taken by force by my aunt and uncle;

  My family then became their servants.

  For food, we had what a dog would eat;

  For clothing, we just wore patches and rags

  That would fight against the wind.

  We were continually burdened by my uncle’s beatings,

  And my aunt looked on us with moody temper.

  I took the seat of a lowly servant,

  And sufferings fell upon us, one after another.

  Our suffering and despair were completely unbearable.

  With the gurus Yungtön and Rangtön Lhaga

  I perfected training in sorcery, curses, and hail.

  I sent ruin down upon the people of the land

  With my aunt and uncle at the fore.

  Then thinking of that, I gave rise to remorse.

  “The one blessed by the lords Naropa and Maitripa

  Resides at Lhodrak Chükhyer Phu,” it was said.

  I’d heard of that father lotsawa from afar,

  And after a difficult journey, I arrived in his presence.

  At the feet of the kind father, I, Milarepa, stayed

  For six whole years and eight months more.

  I built for the sake of purification

  A nine-story tower replete with a courtyard.

  Then the kind father accepted me.

  With the ultimate view of Mahamudra

  I was pointed out the profound abiding nature;

  He gave me the Six Dharmas of Naropa, the path of means;

  And the river-flow of the four abhishekas, the path of ripening.

  For the practices of the glorious Naropa,

  He gave advice for developing confidence in them.

  Then, free of any laziness,

  I renounced this life and meditated.

  Through that, I entered the gate of perpetual happiness.

  This is the way I became a yogi.

  If that pleases you five sisters, then you may go.

  Thus he sang. They all gave rise to supreme, unwavering faith in the Jetsun’s story and begged to attend and to be taken
with him. The Jetsun said, “You all are spoiled, treasured children of rich people and you would never be able to endure the hardship of following after me. If you do practice dharma, you would have to undergo hardships like this. Can you do it? Think carefully.” Then he sang this song of realization inquiring into their level of enthusiasm:

  I bow at the feet of Marpa the Translator.

  You five sisters assembled here,

  If, from your heart, you wish to practice sublime dharma

  And think you must follow after me,

  Consider this song’s meaning, and you’ll get your answer:

  Through perseverance with resolve,

  And taking on many hardships,

  Can you practice the command of the guru?

  Though you have henceforth abandoned

  Your homeland, that prison of demons,

  Can you roam in the ruggedness of mountain retreats?

  The demon that tethers you—relatives and kin—

  Though you know their harm and abandon them,

  Can you also rely upon a qualified guru?

  Food and wealth—the demon of deception—

  Though you know they’re poison and abandon them,

  Can you take on the hardship of scarce provisions?

  Though you abandon fine and soft cloth from Ü,

  Can you kindle the bliss and heat of chandali?

  Though you abandon intimate ones in your homes,

  Can you roam in empty lands with no people?

  Though you abandon the eight worldly concerns,

  Can you take a humble position with your three gates?

  Though you abandon taking this life to be permanent,

  Can you meditate on death’s uncertain time?

  If you can do all of these, then come follow me.

  According to the rule of the Kagyu gurus,

  I’ll give you instructions of the Secret Mantra’s path of means;

  I’ll give you the gateway abhishekas and blessings.

  Thus he sang, and the young women rejoiced with glee. The leader of them said, “Since our bodies of the four elements have been born as women, we have an inferior birth. However, the all-base mind has no distinction between male and female. We have contemplated the faults of samsara. Having done so, we are powerless to do anything but practice the guru’s command. Thus, let us attend you as you take us with you. Please do not worry whether we are able to practice or not.” Then they sang this song expressing their desire to follow him as attendants and their confidence in being able to practice the guru’s commands:

  Precious father, noble guru

  Whose naked body has lustrous complexion,

  Through austere conduct you benefit others.

  We bow at the feet of the Jetsun Repa.

  We five sisters assembled here

  Have obtained an inferior birth in this life,

  But bodhichitta is beyond male or female.

  We have contemplated the faults of samsara;

  Through taking on hardship and suffering

  We’ll practice the command of the guru.

  Our homeland, the prison of Mara,

  Forever abandoning it, we’ll roam in mountain retreats.

  Mara’s diversion—relatives and kin—

  Forever abandoning them, we’ll rely on the guru.

  Mara’s deception—food and wealth—

  Forever abandoning it, we’ll undergo hardship.

  Abandoning, too, the soft cloth of Ü,

  We’ll kindle the warmth of the bliss of chandali.

  Abandoning the intimate companions of our homes,

  We’ll roam in empty lands with no people.

  Abandoning the eight worldly concerns,

  We’ll take humble positions with our three gates.

  Abandoning the thought that this life is permanent,

  We’ll meditate that the time of death is uncertain.

  In short, we will practice the guru’s command.

  Precious, genuine qualified Guru,

  We young ladies here, we sisters five,

  Request to be the guru’s servants.

  With kindness please teach us the sublime dharma.

  When they had sung this, the Jetsun realized that they were disciples with karmic connection, and he accepted them as attendants. At that time, the father Jetsun and his son were staying at the Five Small Lakes. He gave the five women the abhishekas and key instructions, and set them to meditate. After three nights, the leader of the sisters began to gradually develop good qualities such as the heat of chandali.

  Later, she became ill. In order to see whether or not she was able to roam in mountain retreats, and to see whether or not her faith was unwavering, Milarepa told her she could leave as she pleased. Although she was ill, she continued to roam in mountain retreats. Thus, she had gained confidence in withstanding adverse conditions.

  One day, when the Jetsun was staying in a different area, the young lady came to see him where many other students had all come to meet the Jetsun at that time. To see whether the young lady had lost her faith or not, the Jetsun sang this song of realization with a hidden meaning:

  I supplicate the guru lord.

  I take refuge in the yidam deity.

  All these faithful students gathered here:

  If you can’t renounce the eight worldly concerns,

  Do not say you are a faithful one;

  Faith changes under adverse conditions.

  If you don’t avoid the ten nonvirtues,

  Then do not say you have discipline;

  There’s a danger you’ll go to the lower realms.

  If you can’t renounce your self-deception,

  Don’t say that you are keeping samaya;

  There’s a danger you’ll go to vajra hell.

  If you haven’t studied and contemplated in an unbiased way,

  Don’t criticize the other yanas;

  There’s a danger you’ll renounce dharma and scorch your own mind.

  If you haven’t realized the dream-like nature,

  Don’t disregard virtuous and negative karma;

  There’s a danger you’ll go to the three lower realms.

  If you don’t know the mind-streams of others,

  Do not denigrate people or their views;

  There’s a danger you’ll fall into arrogance.

  If you haven’t mixed mind with dharmata,

  Do not say you’ve had excellent experiences;

  There’s a danger the obstructions of Mara will come.

  If you’ve not arrived at the ineffable meaning,

  Do not say you have a high view;

  There’s a danger you’ll be left just wishing for fruition.

  If spontaneity has not risen up from within you,

  Don’t glance about and do as you will;

  There’s a danger the stone you throw will hit your own head.

  This dharma I’ve spoken, keep in your minds;

  Consider its meaning and clearly understand.

  Thus he sang. From among them there, only Rechungma*13 understood the meaning. “Regarding the guru’s conduct of a siddha, my faith hasn’t wavered for a single moment,” she said. Then she offered this song on fifteen points of realization:

  I prostrate to the guru lords,

  To my single father, the Jetsun guru.

  I have faith and respect without any break.

  The single refuge, the three precious jewels:73

  I shall choose no other support but them.

  When taking the key instructions of the guru’s whispered lineage,

  I’ll not just patch any terms together.*14

  In the yidam practice of the Jetsun,

  I’ll not break the practice of the four-session yoga.

  With the nature of illusory appearances,

  I’ll not leave an imprint by clinging to things as real.

  The luminous nature of the mind,

  I’ll not mar with the defects of concepts.


  Things’ abiding nature—the object to be understood—

  I’ll not hide under stains of perceiver and perceived.

  The essence of mind is the innate state;

  I’ll not make it a support for latent tendencies.

  Mind is dharmakaya, its nature is emptiness;

  I’ll not sully it with the stains of attributes.

  Being stricken by illness in this body of four elements,

  I won’t put blame on other friends.

  Demons and obstructions are our practice’s friend;

  I won’t seek out divinations or think erroneously.

  Toward the confused projections of latent tendencies in a dream

  I’ll not grasp with concepts that cling to them as real.

  Angry enemies are my gurus who teach patience;

  I won’t think of or act out of revenge toward them.

  The conduct of the siddha guru

  I’ll not imbue with the imputations of analysis.

  Buddhahood is self-arisen and spontaneously present;

  I’ll not seek out a result other than this.

  For disciple followers who are worthy vessels,

  The flow of compassion’s river will never cease.

  Lord Guru, one with genuine kindness,

  Please guide me, a disciple of inferior intellect.

  Please accept me with your hook of compassion.

  When she had sung this, the Jetsun was very pleased and decided that Rechungma was a qualified yogini, fit to be a companion in conduct. He gave her all of the key instructions without any left out. Then Milarepa said to Rechungpa, “You are very good at teaching female disciples, so you should look after her.” Then he gave her over to Rechungpa, who took her for a while as his samaya companion.