The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

by Tsangnyon Heruka

  The following month, on the eleventh day of the middle autumn month at twilight, a radiant and beautiful lady came, wearing white silk with red spots and flame designs drawn upon it. Her lower hem was bordered by the five precious gems, and her upper garment, made of silk, was covered in pearls, tassels, and garlands, all with ravishing beauty. Around its edges were turquoise-colored diamonds, and on either side of her upper garment were golden peacocks embroidered with their necks crossing each other. She took Milarepa’s feet to her head and circumambulated seven times, and then did a set of nine prostrations.

  “Jetsun, our queen has become extremely ill, please come to the other side of the snow mountain.” Thus she invited Milarepa, it is said.

  The Jetsun replied, “The day is getting late, I will not go now. You can stay here for the night. Tomorrow morning, you and I will go back together.”

  “We can go by the Miraculous Light Path of Samanta Tsari;100 it will not be difficult. Please, you must come today.” Thus she pleaded, it is said.

  The Jetsun replied, “Where is this road? I am an old man, and I have never seen such a road before. Which direction is it? You be my guide.”

  Then she produced a white woolen blanket from her side, and lifted it toward the sky. She said to Milarepa, “Get on top of this blanket, and it will carry us there.”

  It is said that just as soon as the Jetsun had placed a foot on the blanket, in an instant, like a flash of lightning, they went off. On the left slope of the Azure Queen Snow Mountain, there was a white silken tent adorned with golden draping. It was strung with ropes of sapphire and staked with conches and tent pegs of coral. Within was a beautiful lady with long braids that enwrapped her body and reached the floor. She had one extremely bloodshot eye and her head was lifted slightly on a pillow.

  It is said she told the Jetsun, “Jetsun, I’ve become extremely sick; I ask you to please help me.”

  The Jetsun carefully asked her, “What has caused your sickness? How long have you not been well? What is your condition now?”

  It is said that she then reported: “As to the condition for my becoming ill, last summer there were herders who lit a great bonfire.*7 The smoke from that fire caused me to become ill. As to when, it was during the first month of autumn during the waning moon that I became a bit unwell. Then, since the eleventh of the middle month of autumn, it has become extremely painful, and so I sent for the Jetsun. Because of my own breath, a variety of human illnesses have broken out in this land, and the epidemic has caused great disturbance here. This is the state of things.”

  When the Jetsun heard this, he thought, “The cause of the epidemic that struck last year is this woman. It is not possible for me to benefit anyone for the time being. Right now, she must keep to her previous commitment.”

  Then he said to the woman, “Beautiful one, previously, I gave you the precepts of the supreme motivation of bodhichitta, and you were given the recitation transmission of the yidam deity. I taught you the dharma of karma, cause and effect, but you have not abided by your commitment, and have not kept your oath. You could not bear a slight discomfort and thus have broken your vows by harming all these innocent beings, spreading harm and detriment. Because of this breakage of samaya and because of your previous deeds, I cannot trust you at all. Now, if you commit to putting a stop to this epidemic, then I will see if I can help a little bit. If you do not accept, I will leave right now. Jaded woman bound by oath, this breakage of samaya is a great negativity.”

  She became very fearful and astonished. Seizing the feet of the Jetsun she fervently pleaded, “We are ignorant sentient beings; though we have this slight sickness of delusion, please do not say this! Generally, if the virtuous worldly devas of the higher class are not harmed, then for the most part, we will not do any detriment. In particular, we have not purposefully disregarded the Jetsun’s command; nor have we intentionally done any harm to beings ourselves, or sent anyone else to do so. For example, just as the river here overflowed in the last month of summer, saturating all of the river banks, in the same way, the demons of our class along with their retinues, as well as the servant pishachas*8 and rakshasas—the many hundreds that enjoy flesh and savor blood—created harm and detriment.*9 However, if I become well, I will heed the Jetsun’s words and clear away the sickness of those beings. Please, I beg you, look upon me with compassion!”

  With that, that very evening, the Jetsun recited from the hundred-syllable purifying ritual, then made many supplications to the guru and three jewels, and performed a life extension ritual of Ushnishavijaya.*10 From the next morning onward, she was able to rise from her bed and prostrate to him. Then, for seven days, directing his awareness, he sent blessings upon her, and she became very well. Her complexion became even more beautiful and more abundantly radiant than before.

  Then the Jetsun said, “Beautiful one, now you have completely recovered. Therefore, I will now go to help the beings in the town. Tell me, what substances are most agreeable for you, and what kind of practices should be done?”

  “Jetsun, because of our strong interdependent connection, when I am well, the people will also gradually become well. However, if you want them to recover quickly, it is a common oath for all us worldly dakinis that if one of us is not well, then we make everyone unwell and create disturbance; further, all the devas and ghosts of samsaric existence are stirred from the depths in support. Thus, the practices you should do are reciting the dharani of the Essence of the Tathagata’s Ushnisha*11 many times, reciting the profound sutra section of the Mahayana, the Cleansing Vase Water Ritual entailing the sequestering off of the town, arranging vast torma and puja offerings such as the select white and red offerings, ornamenting those with as many types of food as you have, and then dedicating. With these, the people’s illnesses will be quickly pacified.”

  Then the Jetsun went to the Rock Fortress of Drin and said to the people there, “I had a dream indicating that your Lady was probably displeased due to smoke from a bonfire that struck her. This caused a disturbance. Then all the devas and ghosts of samsaric existence became upset; because of that you have this epidemic. Now, you should do these rites for clearing obstacles and use these select offerings that I have collected.”

  The people did accordingly and, along with the select offerings, they arranged a vast array of tsok*12 and torma, made supplications to the guru and the three jewels, and offered tormas to all the dharmapalas. This they followed by dedicating to all the devas and ghosts of samsaric existence. Through merely proclaiming the power of truth, the great epidemic was eliminated after a short time.

  At the end of that month, on the twenty-ninth, the five Tashi Tseringma goddesses, the leader and her attendants, came before the Jetsun surrounded by a retinue, an assembly of many local and medicine deities. They offered to the Jetsun abundant gifts of excellent food and drink with tremendous flavor filling many vessels crafted from a variety of precious substances. Making countless prostrations and circumambulations, they arranged the offerings within his sight in front. The five worldly dakini sisters said, “Now we have been resuscitated back from near death. Jetsun, there is no one kinder than you.” Then they offered him this song with pleasing words:

  Up within the sky’s expanse,

  Churning billows of black clouds gather

  In order that the Naga King Nga-dra

  Sustain beings with nourishment;

  They’re a sign of this nectar—the light falling rain.

  The slow easy drizzle of the rain that falls

  Is the sign of the balance of the earth’s moisture and warmth.

  The thunder’s trembling and rumbling roar

  Is the voice of the quarreling hot and cold elements.

  Like those clouds, too, below

  Is a three-sided snow mountain, with its peak high in the sky.

  The crystalline crown of its stupa-base

  Is inlaid with the light of the stars

  And the radiance of the sun and moon.


  It is there that our Men-tsun-mo palace stands.

  Enwrapping the left slope of the snow mountain

  Is a crystalline playground above the lower confluence.

  It is adorned with a canopy of rainbows—

  This is the wondrous pasture, the Menlung Valley.

  It’s a place where plants and the six grains grow,

  An auspicious land arrayed with colorful flowers.

  This medicinal playground is a sight to be seen

  Where the local deities dance and play.

  In particular, there is a blessed ground:

  At the Chuwar nirmanakaya palace

  Resides a wondrous human being.

  Is it not Lord Mila the yogi?

  In your previous lives, you gathered merit,

  So now you’ve attained a precious human birth.

  Free from the slightest bit of laziness,

  You never parted from the practice of meditative concentration,

  And so realized the reality of unborn mind.

  Then through trulkhor you gained control of the body.

  You have no fear caused by the obstruction of distraction,

  Therefore you are a mountain-like yogi.

  Since you’ve perfected the good qualities through prana,

  Your naked body is radiant.

  Through many actions of yogic discipline,

  You perform beings’ benefit perfectly, O noble man.

  Now in this time of degeneration,

  You’ve come to the land of the red-faced ones.

  In general, you’re a great ornament for the whole land.

  In particular, you shine as the pride of us ladies!

  On the eleventh day of this month,

  Due to the blazing of a filthy fire,

  I was oppressed by an illness of the four elements.

  Afflictions and torment stirred in the depths of my mind.

  I experienced sensations of suffering.

  My mind and body nearly parted.*13

  When this affliction came upon me,

  Lord, by the hook of your compassion,

  You gave me the blessing of transference.

  You recited mantra from a purifying ritual.

  Then you pointed out to me the mind beyond birth and death

  And the certainty of realization quickly arose.

  The four illnesses gathered, dissolved like clouds.

  My body became pleasant and light, like cotton,

  And many realizations dawned in my mind.

  You blocked the obstacle of untimely death:

  The heat that had drawn in from my extremities was restored;

  The ins and outs of my breath, that were cut, were re-conjoined;

  Thus the messenger of the Lord of Death was put to shame.

  Lord yogi, you are so incredibly kind!

  I, your subject with the obscuration of inferior birth,

  Am forgetful and my mindfulness is weak;

  But your restoration of my life-force here

  Is something, that in this life, I could never forget.

  To repay the kindness of protecting me

  I’ll offer any siddhis that you may wish

  And never transgress any command you give.

  From this time forth until the attainment

  Of ultimate, unsurpassable enlightenment,

  Through the river-flow of pure aspiration,

  Like the body with its shadow,

  May I accompany you, not separate for a single instant.

  Then, when you have actualized buddhahood

  In the pure realm that’s tamed by your rupakaya,

  Just like the first five disciples of the Buddha,

  May we be the first of your retinue;

  May we drink the very first nectar.

  Then, by the good qualities of that nectar drunk,

  We shall attain the kingdom of dharma.

  And for all beings with ignorant misunderstanding,

  From the gathering clouds of the four magnetizing activities,*14

  May a rain of many nectars fall;

  And by that, may all beings be completely fulfilled!

  Thus, led by the Men-tsun-mo, Tashi Tseringma, the five dakinis sang this to the Jetsun. After they made this pure aspiration, the Jetsun wondered, “If I teach these yaksha demonesses who have showed such gratitude for the recovery of their illness some instructions on the creation and completion stages of Secret Mantra, will they be able to meditate upon them?”

  Then he said, “Beautiful ones, you have spoken this way regarding recovery from your illness. Since you are actual practitioners of the path of Secret Mantra, if you have an instruction that can make you come out of the deep thicket of samsaric existence, and having crossed the treacherous path of samsara’s birth and death, will leave you free from the experience of suffering of samsaric existence from this time forth, will you be able to practice it?” Then he sang this song of realization on instilling joyful inspiration:

  Under the canopy of the eastern sun

  Is the auspicious high peak of Menlha Mountain.*15

  On its crystalline top, the garuda peak,

  Shines a light of gold and red hue

  With hanging white clouds enwreathing its head.

  The lower part is a hem of five different rainbows

  In between is slate delineated with turquoise meadows

  That are shrouded in thick, dark clouds and fog.

  Is that not the Azure Queen Snow Mountain?

  On that snow mountain is a palace abode,

  Where lives a woman with remarkable form.

  A noble lady, a queen, so beautiful,

  She sings songs enticing to hear,

  So radiant and ravishingly alluring.

  Is this not the menmo Tashi Tseringma?

  This time you experienced terror and fear,

  Your pride was burst, it’s certainly true.

  Your body was afflicted with the four elements’ disease.

  Your mind suffered unbearably.

  Your breath, like mist, was vanishing away

  And your transient life-force was almost at its end.

  This was due to your previous bad karma

  And here you experienced its result.

  If you do not turn from this negative conduct,

  Then the lowest hell will be more fearsome than that.

  This time you didn’t die; you quickly overcame it.

  Toward the stirring of your seed of faith,

  I was motivated by compassion.

  By the true blessing of the Secret Mantra

  The mara of the Lord of Death was fooled;

  You were snatched from the clutches of the Yama of karma.

  Your bad omens’ negativity turned to prosperity;

  Bad conditions and obstacles were transformed into life.

  Do you feel happy, beautiful one?

  Though it is difficult to show gratitude,

  You said to me, “Thank you, Lord, for your kindness.”

  You offered poetic words of gratitude

  And I was delighted by that song you sang.

  From now on, if you listen and do as I say,

  Without any fear, you will be liberated

  From the path of great suffering without any freedom;

  From the place of four great rivers and their waves*16

  And the eight freedomless states, difficult to escape;

  From the dense, thick forest of samsaric existence

  Where bandits, the four maras, lie in wait;

  And away from the tight, treacherous path of the three bardos.

  The wide, open path where unceasing happiness is found

  Goes to the precious land of peace,

  This I confirm without any doubt.

  I am nothing so wonderful,

  But my lineage is truly marvelous, indeed.

  From great Vajradhara of the sixth family,

  All the way up to the translator, Lotsawa.


  All are emanations of the Sugata.

  This lineage of people is unbroken,

  Thus, what I say is of very high value.

  In the center of India are the greatly renowned

  Glorious Naropa and Maitripa;

  Their fame pervades every direction,

  So surely you’ve heard their names before.

  Blessed by both of these two siddha lords

  Is the one from Lhodrak, Marpa Lotsawa.

  At the feet of the father nirmanakaya,

  I stayed for six full years and eight months.

  Like a shadow to his body, I accompanied him

  And I took the lord’s command as authentic.

  Because he was deeply pleased [with me he bestowed],

  The profound tantra of Hevajra,

  And Chakrasamvara endowed with blessing,

  The essence tantra of Mahamaya,

  The glorious Guhyasamaja, like space,

  The protector of teachings Chatupitha,

  And the Buddhakapala Tantra,

  This essence cycle that teaches the ultimate meaning.*17

  From the tantras’ explanations, like an ocean of speech,

  He took their vital essence, a precious jewel, from its depths.

  From that he extracted the profound points, the essential meaning,

  Then lumped them together like a piece of pure refined gold.

  “I’ll give you everything with nothing added or left out,” he said.

  With the dakinis as a witness, in this way he swore.

  Thus I was given completely the whispered lineage’s instructions.

  Because of the father’s kindness, he is always in my mind.

  To repay him, I make the offering of practice.

  Through the key point of prolonged meditation,

  I gained control of the five elements and prana

  And have confidence in the conduct of equal taste.

  When my mind has agitation, I’m never distressed.

  Child, if you would like to have happiness,

  Listen to what I say and follow me;

  Follow my example, and practice like me.

  At this time, you have taken hold of the path;