The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

by Tsangnyon Heruka

  From among the devas and rakshasas there, the five dakinis who had given rise to bodhichitta rose from their seats and arranged themselves on Milarepa’s left side. Then, together in single voice, they proclaimed this praise of the way of seeing good qualities:

  Under the shining luminosity of the midnight sky,

  In the range of snowy mountains in the north,

  Is a tucked-away valley, a seat of natural gold—

  The Menlung Valley, a pasture where medicinal riches descend.

  Within it lies Chuwar, the site endowed with blessing.

  Now in this time of the teachings’ degeneration

  There is one with incredible undertaking of hardship.

  For food, he eats the nectar of nonconceptuality;

  He drinks his own natural urine to quench his thirst;

  He has no shame with regard to clean and unclean;

  He engages in yogic conduct that’s like a madman’s.

  In order to measure your experience,

  The year before last in the first summer month,

  We went to Lachi Nayön Chudo.

  You were there in the thorny teakwood forest

  Acting heedless and wearing no clothes.

  You enjoyed the pleasures of girls of low caste.

  We saw you looking into a white silver mirror.

  With the magical power of your body,

  You displayed the ayatana of exhaustion,

  And we saw you vanish into space, free of form.

  Seeing that, amazed, we went away.

  Later, in the middle autumn month,

  When you were practicing at Chonglung Rock,

  We came to investigate your meditation.

  You wore the clothing of the sun and moon

  And your head was adorned with a wreath of flowers.

  Your body was smeared with ashes and rakta.

  You held a parasol and victory banner in your hands.

  Riding upon the king of fierce beasts,

  You rode into the expanse of the sky,

  And then you completely disappeared.

  At that time, we had no chance to obstruct you.

  Then last summer, in the first month,

  We thought, “We will obstruct your meditation

  And intimidate you, yogi.”

  So, in the center of an expansive great ocean,

  For clothing you wore a great blazing fire.

  On your head a venomous snake adorned your skull.

  Leaning with your back upon the blade of a sword,

  You sat cross-legged on the tip of a spear.

  As you played upon the orb of a wish-fulfilling jewel,

  We saw you swallow the mountain whole.

  At that we were awed and bewildered.

  Since you’ve complete control over the awareness of mind,

  You’ve an emanated body that manifests and disappears.

  Because you display many miraculous powers,

  You are a yogi who is like Indra.

  Your mind is free of fear and pride.

  Because you’ve abandoned doubts, hopes, and fears,

  You are a yogi who is like a lion.

  With no terror, no panic, and no discouragement,

  Since you’ve faced your obstacles and have no fear,

  You are a yogi who is like an elephant.

  When beings see you, they’re happy and their hairs stand on end.

  When others merely touch or look upon you,

  Obstacles are cleared, and others’ benefit is accomplished;

  Thus, you are a great wish-fulfilling jewel.

  Lord yogi who is an expression of the sky,

  You’re never swayed by distractions toward characteristics

  And you’ve realized true meaning that is without letters,*30

  So we had no chance to bring demonic obstructions.

  We did not know how to obstruct you,

  And to block our malevolent obstructions through inflicting harm,

  You displayed many amazing things—

  A myriad of signs and magical displays.

  Then you taught the dharma with words of truth,

  And all were placed on the path of peace and happiness.

  On that auspicious night last month,

  You made grow the precious sprout,

  The causal basis for omniscience.

  Spiritual friend who teaches the unerring path,

  Jetsun, you glorious protector of beings,

  In the future in the eastern direction,

  In the realm known as Abhirati,

  When you’re invited as a heart-son

  Into the palace of Buddha Akshobhya,

  All the dakas and dakinis

  Who reside above, below, and on the earth,

  And all the devas of the pure virtuous kind—

  With parasols, victory banners, the sound of music,

  And gatherings of beautiful offering clouds—

  Will come before you to greet you and show the way.

  When they lead you to the celestial abode,

  Those who have seen you and heard your speech,

  Manifesting as humans or spirits,

  Those of us included within your retinue,

  May we follow you and be your servants!

  After they offered this song on the way of seeing the special good qualities to the Jetsun, they concluded with pure aspirations. Again, the Jetsun thought, “These worldly dakinis and demons are savage and extremely difficult to tame; they still must be bound under oath and subdued.”

  Then he said, “Beautiful ones, it is wonderful that you have expressed your faith and devotion to me and thus made the aspiration to have compassion from now into the future. Here, so far, I have taught you how to traverse the path of omniscience with the vows of bodhichitta of the supreme family. Now, there is a special, quick path, a teaching that has many methods and no difficulty. I will give you the transmission and samaya commitments of the Vidyadhara Mantra [the Vajrayana]. Each of you should offer to me your life-force; arrange tormas and whatever you have to offer.”

  At that they were overjoyed. They arranged vast offerings and tormas and did many prostrations and circumambulations. Then each of them graciously offered her life-force and sat next to the Jetsun as she had before. With that, the Jetsun gave them the abhisheka of the Knowledge-Entrustment of Lady Tara*31 and conferred the yidam, the Goddess Kurukulle,*32 and the transmission of the heart mantras.

  Once he gave permission for these, he instructed them assiduously and said, “Beautiful ones, from now on, all of us gathered here are bound by samaya as master and disciples. Therefore, during any of the four activities, in whatever you do, always meditate with the guru at the crown of your head. Whatever happens, whether good or bad, search for no other master apart from the refuges, the three jewels. The outer environment is the naturally existing celestial palace, and all the inner inhabitants, all sentient beings, are the yidam deity. Therefore, whatever beings you see, you should treat them with devotion and interest; it is not okay, even for a moment, to disparage, abuse, hurt, or harm anyone. At all times and in all ways, do not be separated from the pride of the deity.”

  Then the five dakinis supplicated Milarepa: “Jetsun, with the tradition of the Vidyadhara Mantra, traversing the path is swift and easy. With many methods, it is accomplished without difficulty. Your bestowing of the special samayas is extremely kind. Our impure mind-streams of sentient beings have had strong continuity, since beginningless samsara, in cultivating latent tendencies. In particular, we have taken the low births of women and have low intellect. So what the Jetsun has taught us has not yet developed in our mind-streams; however, we will train gradually with diligence.

  “Though we may not be able to perceive other sentient beings as the yidam deity, we will refrain from harming them. We will benefit and support the people in the nearby lands with whatever comforts we can provide. In particular we will protect, guard, and keep fully hidden*33 all of
those in the retinue of the followers of your teaching. We will be your subjects and provide whatever favorable conditions are necessary.” After committing themselves in this way, they did many circumambulations and prostrations to the Jetsun. Then, it is said, they flew into the sky and disappeared.

  This is the story of how the leader of the five worldly dakinis, Tashi Tseringma, sang songs in the form of questions and answers about giving rise to the supreme motivation with the great Repa Lord whose name is not lightly uttered, the Glorious Shepa Dorje, at the left corner [of the Mountain of Tashi Tseringma] in Dingma Drin.

  At the peak of the auspicious and glorious Azure Mountain, the fortunate and gifted one, Repa Shiwa Ö, directly compared meditative experiences with the sister Tashi Tseringma and repeatedly asked questions. Later, meeting the lotus feet of the Jetsun three times, with delight, he also gave some needed information. In the forest of Omchung Pal,*34 an isolated and delightful place where accomplishment is attained, Ngendzong Tönpa Bodhiraja and the yogi Shiwa Ö together, for the sake of fortunate students of the future, discussed and assiduously wrote this down without adding anything or leaving anything out. This completes the well-arranged writing known as “Garland of the Light of Amrita.”

  *1 The Azure Queen Mountain (T: mthon mthing rgyal mo) is another name for the mountain of Tashi Tseringma.

  *2 The “four joys” (T: dga’ ba bzhi) refers to “a realization of chandali that is taught in the context of the completion stage in the mother anuttaratantras; the four joys that arise from when the bodhichitta is stabilized and reverted upward from the ‘jewel’ to the centers of the four chakras—the navel, heart, throat, and crown” (TDC).

  *3 The ayatana of the totality (T: zad par gyi skye mched) is when “the yogin who has attained mastery of meditative concentration is able to transform whatever he or she focuses on, such as the four elements, however he or she wishes through the power of samadhi. ‘Totality’ here has the meaning of ‘limitless extent or dimension’ ” (TDC).

  *4 This seems to be the gayal, or Bos frontalis (T: ba men), a large ox-like semidomesticated bovine (Jäschke: 860).

  *5 This term is obscure but seems to be another name for Tibet (T: ba dha na). The Black Treasury reads parta shi (DN 517), and The Twelve Great Sons reads par do na (BCC 164a).

  *6 The morning star, Venus (T: tho rangs shar gyi skar chen). (DPR)

  *7 T: phra men DA ki. “Tramen” is sometimes used interchangeably with “dakini.” The word literally means “variegated,” or “hybrid,” and may also refer to female deities that have the bodies of humans and heads of different animals (Simmer-Brown: 311; RY).

  *8 T: spyan phyags. Chang (1999: 331) states: “The translator presumes that this term refers to a certain eye-gesture (mudra) performed for the purpose of veneration. This may still be used in India, but is no longer extant in Tibet.” This seems to be correct. (DPR)

  *9 Pakshu is an old name for the Brahmaputra River.

  *10 Shepa is part of Milarepa’s name, Shepa Dorje (Laughing Vajra). “Son of the Victorious Ones” is an epithet for bodhisattva. This line could also be translated: “Laughing bodhisattva, to you…” (T: rgyal sras bzhad pa khyod nyid la).

  *11 This reference is obscure.

  *12 Shmashana (T: sme sha na) is “a race that is said to be of low caste in India” (TDC). “Shmashan” is the Sanskrit name for a charnel ground where bodies are brought to be cremated.

  *13 The court case and the dzos (a hybrid cross between a male or female yak and domestic cattle) are both analogies for dharma commitments that are not followed through. If one goes to court but then the case isn’t resolved, then one will fight even more. Likewise, if one makes a commitment to engage in dharma practice but does not follow through, the outcome will be worse than if one had not taken the commitment at all. Similarly, the tethered dzos exemplify committing misdeeds after one has taken vows. When they are tethered together, two dzos will be lost if one goes over the cliff; likewise, the negative impact of misdeeds is even greater than if one had never taken the vows at all. (TN)

  *14 This refers to the four ranks of maras.

  *15 “Kumuda” (T: ku mu da) seems to be a type of white lotus. TDC states: “(Sanskrit) A flower that grows from the mud; when the moon shines at night, its petals open, and when the sun shines during the day, the petals close.”

  *16 Abhirati is the “Pure Realm of Manifest Joy” (T: mngon dga’i zhing khams), the pure realm of the Buddha Akshobhya.

  *17 Kshetrapalas are worldly protector deities.

  *18 “Jetsunma” is the feminine form of “Jetsun,” idiomatically meaning venerable or revered one.

  *19 Lady of Auspicious Long Life (T: bkra shis tshe ring ma). The siddhi of Proliferating Shiva’s Lineage is connected with mundane longevity and well-being.

  *20 Beautiful Lady of the Azure Face (T: mthing gi zhal bzang ma). The siddhi of the Illuminating Mirror is connected with higher perceptions.

  *21 Crowned Lady of Beautiful Voice (T: cod pan mgrin bzang ma). The siddhi of the Jewel Treasury is connected with wealth.

  *22 Unmoving Lady of Noble Mind (T: mi g.yo blo bzang ma). The meaning of this siddhi, the Provender of Mayang (T: rma g.yang zas kyi dngos grub), is not completely clear. Mayang is one of the two stated rivers at Chuwar. It is a fertile region, as the siddhi offered here is connected with farming. (DPR)

  *23 Lady Who Goes toward the Pure Aim (T: gtad dkar ’gro bzang ma). The siddhi of the Proliferation of Four-Legged Animals is connected with livestock.

  *24 The Black Treasury specifies that these are upasika, or female layperson’s, pratimoksha vows (DN 529).

  *25 James Valby explains this term (sman btsun) as “a dakini of the menmo class.” Menmos are minor deities derived from the Bön tradition that reside in lakes and sometimes in the mountains. They are usually associated with medicine and healing.

  *26 Using the Sanskrit terms, this would be translated: “They don’t see dharmins, they see dharmata” (T: chos can ma mthong chos nyid mthong).

  *27 Also called “retention” (T: gzungs), dharani is the ability to remember everything heard and is one of the qualities of a buddha.

  *28 Abhira is an ancient Vedic clan and the Abhira kingdom is mentioned in the Mahabharata; however, its reference here is not completely clear.

  *29 This syllable signifies a war cry (T: bso).

  *30 You have realized the true reality that is inexpressible.

  *31 “Knowledge-entrustment” (T: rig gtad) abhishekas are generally associated with kriyatantra. (DPR)

  *32 Kurukulle is a manifestation of Red Tara.

  *33 The Tseringma sisters are making a commitment to keep practitioners of Secret Mantra hidden from other humans and malevolent spirits.

  *34 T: ’om chung dpal. This place is near Chuwar, as it is sometimes also referred to as Chuwar Omchung. (DPR)

  30

  The Five Tseringma Sisters’ Investigation

  Golden Garland of Stupas

  NAMO GURU

  Guru of the precious lineage,

  Deva of devas, lord of dakinis,

  Blessed one, the jewel of his crown,

  A beautiful lotus flower with stamens,

  This was the translator, the great lotsawa.

  By touching his palms to his head,

  Empowerment was conferred; and with the lineage instructions,

  He became ripened and liberated—a fortunate one.

  To the Repa Lord who perfected his practice,

  To the feet of Glorious Shepa, I bow!

  Subsequently, this reply to the beautiful lady’s request

  About the points of liberation of the treacherous*1 bardo

  Was written to remind those of lesser intellect,

  Unaltered, through the retention of clarifying words.

  When the four abhishekas were first conferred upon him, the lord, the great siddha who surpasses all other humans, had an instantaneous vision of the assembly of deities within [the mandala of] gl
orious Chakrasamvara, the thirty-two outer kshetrapala dakinis, and the sixteen awareness consorts along with offering goddesses appearing in the sky in front. At that very time, the one whom the guru and dakinis assented be called by the name Glorious Shepa Dorje*2 was admonished to practice by the command of the lord Great Lotsawa. Thus, undergoing many hardships of austerities of the body, he perfected many good qualities through practice in Secret Mantra with its great power of tendrel. In reliance on his elemental body, he definitively attained the supreme siddhi of Mahamudra, the rainbow-like mental body.

  The Jetsun Milarepa, that great being, was staying in the wondrous land to the east of Dingma Drin, on the border of the splendid Mön region west of Lower Khumbu. Under billowing and swirling dark clouds, at the pathway where the dark planet Rahu moved,*3 and on the left slope of Khyung-go Tashi Snow Mountain*4 where white clouds hovered, lay the beautiful turquoise fields of the pasture, Menlung Valley, a playground98 of medicinal minerals beautified with jasmine flowers.99 The Tashi Oma River and Dütsi Ngödrup River*5 both smoothly flowed by. There, by the banks, was a natural, blessed solitary site. At that glorious palace of Chuwar, Milarepa remained with his mind unmoving from the state of the suchness of all phenomena, free of elaborations, luminous, with neither coming nor going.

  In the male wood-horse year, during the first autumn month when the twenty-fourth constellation shone, and when the waning moon was in the sky, the market of Dingma Drin was plagued by a great epidemic. There were many types of disease, such as white and black pox, blood disease, blackening fever, anyavali, bhidampali, kshanayarjali, and dark dharjali.*6 Many humans and livestock died.