The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
Page 56
“Son, if you want to be a genuine meditator, you should not have great attachment to the omens in dreams. If you do, you will become influenced by demons. Only follow the instructions of the guru and your own determination; do not heed others’ advice, as it is the cause for mind becoming confused. Do not look for the faults of companions around you. Don’t give sway to unwholesome thoughts. Don’t involve yourself in correcting others. Not knowing others’ mind-streams is a cause for downfall.
“Our confused appearances in this bardo of birth and dying are like a dream that is continuing on right now. The latent tendencies we create through our activities in the daytime come to us in that night’s dream; they appear to our consciousness, mind’s delusion. In the bardo of dreaming, the illusions within them are compounded delusion. Once those latent tendencies have been fully ingrained, then following after our virtuous and negative karma, we come to experience the feelings of suffering and happiness in the bardo of becoming. To purify this, if you can perfect the training in dream yoga and illusory body yoga right now, then in the bardo you will arrive at the state of the sambhogakaya. Therefore, you should practice them with vigor.”
Then the lord said, “Please accept me and give an instruction on these bardos that is easy to put into practice.” Then the Jetsun sang this song of realization:
I prostrate to the guru lords.
In particular, I go for refuge to the one who is kind.
Son, in reply to your supplication,
I sing this melody about the bardos.
In general, the beings of samsara’s three realms
And the buddhas in the state of nirvana, these two,
Within the true nature of things, are of one abiding nature.
Practice this bardo of the view.
The white and red that dawn as a variety
And the inexpressible mind itself
Are one in the indivisible primordial state.
Practice this bardo of meditation.
Confused appearances that appear as a variety
And one’s own mind that is unborn
Are one in nondual coemergence.
Practice this bardo of conduct.
The latent tendencies that appear in last night’s dream
And knowing they’re false upon awakening
Are one within the illusion-like state.
Practice this bardo of dreaming.
The five impure aggregates
And the five pure buddha families
Are one in the state of the completion stage without concept.
Practice this bardo of the path of creation and completion.
The father tantras that arose from means
And the mother tantras that arose from wisdom
Are one in the coemergent third abhisheka.
Practice this bardo of the vital point.
The changeless dharmakaya for the benefit of self
And the unceasing rupakaya for the benefit of other
Are one in the indivisible innate state.
Practice this bardo of three kayas.
The womb of the impure illusory body
And the form of the pure deity
Are one in the state of the luminous bardo.
Practice this bardo of fruition.
Thus he sang. Then the Jetsun said, “Teacher of Ü, Dorje Drakpa, and Shiwa Ö, await your dreams tonight, and tomorrow morning this old father will interpret them.”
They each waited for their dreams, and in the morning, Shiwa Ö came first to the Jetsun and said, “Last night, I had an excellent dream. In the east the warm sun rose and I dreamt that it dissolved into the center of my heart.”
Then Rechungpa said, “I dreamt that I went to three great valleys and shouted in a loud voice.”
Then Gampopa, while weeping, said, “I had a very bad dream.”
The Jetsun said, “You don’t know if it was good or bad. Tell me the dream.”
“I dreamt I slaughtered many men of different races and stopped their breath. I must have great negativity.”
“Teacher-son, you don’t need to weep. Look at your hand.” Then the Jetsun took his hand and said, “Son, you haven’t given me any doubt in my hopes for you. I have had great hopes that you will be someone who liberates all sentient beings from samsara, and this is something that will indeed happen. A son has been born to this old father. Now I have served the activity of the Buddha’s teaching.
“The dream of Shiwa Ö was middling. Because your motivation is small in scope, you will not benefit vast numbers of beings. But you will go to a pure realm. Rechungpa, because of your impudence, you disobeyed my command three times. You will take rebirth in three different valleys, as three different geshes renowned far and wide.”
Then Gampopa, the physician from Nyal, meditated with great exertion for another month. First, he had a vision of the seven Medicine Buddhas. He became able to take only a single breath each day. When he released his prana, the vision dissipated. In the afternoon, when he bound his prana, he saw the infinite sambhogakaya pure realm. Becoming distracted by this, he released his prana and saw that it had become evening. Thinking that it would disturb his guru’s samadhi, he did not go to tell him of his experience that evening. In his early morning session, when he again bound his prana, he saw the Buddha Shakyamuni as the principal figure in a retinue of a thousand buddhas.
When the sun rose, he went to his guru and prostrated before him. Without Gampopa needing to tell of his experiences, the Jetsun said, “Now you have seen the yidam deity’s face: you saw both the sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya directly. Now, you must see the dharmakaya. I want you to stay in the presence of your old father, but due to the connection of previous aspirations, you must go to Ü and meditate there. The obstacles that you have met so far in meditation I have cleared away. Now there is the obstacle of the higher perceptions. When such higher perceptions arise, because there is the danger of being overtaken by the mara of the divine son,*32 it is very important to keep these experiences extremely secret. Generally, because the Secret Mantra is to be kept secret, the accomplishments should be attained in secret. The maras will not overpower those with the sharpest faculties, and those people will be able to benefit beings; thus they should gather disciples and care for them.”
“When will it be time to teach disciples?”
“When you see the essence of mind and it becomes stable, then it will be time to look after disciples. After some time, you will develop the realization of clear insight*33 toward the essence of mind unlike what you have
now. At that time, you will gain clear and stable certainty through seeing directly that your old father is a buddha. At that time, you should gather disciples and look after them. If the prana enters your fingers, then you will be able to overcome any difficulties with prana. See if you can do it now.”
Then on top of a flat rock Gampopa made a pile of dirt, and focusing on his fingers, brought the prana into their tips. By midnight, the ashes had dispersed. The next morning, in the presence of his guru, he told him what had happened.
Milarepa said, “You have not attained mastery over the prana, but it has become workable for you. You will be able to perform miracles such as emanating and transforming and will obtain the supreme and ordinary siddhis. Now you do not need my assistance; you may go and practice on your own. Go to Gampo Dar Mountain in the east, which is like a royal seat; its peak is like a precious ornamented hat like the one I am wearing. There is a wooded meadow like a golden mandala, and in front there are seven mountains like mounds of jewels that look like seven ministers prostrating before the king. At the neck of this mountain is where your disciples are. Go there, and benefit beings.” Then he sang this song of realization:
Teacher-son, will you go to Ü, or not?
If the teacher goes to Ü
Sometimes appearances of food will dawn.
When the appearances of food do dawn,
Eat the undefiled food of samadhi.
Kno
w that everything sweet and delicious is an illusion.
Whatever appears, bring it to your experience as dharmakaya.
Sometimes appearances of clothing will dawn.
When the appearances of clothing dawn,
Wear the clothes of chandali’s blissful heat.
Know that everything soft and fine is an illusion.
Whatever appears, bring it to your experience as dharmakaya.
Sometimes appearances of your homeland will dawn.
When appearances of your homeland dawn,
Take up the homeland of dharmata.
Know that all homelands are an illusion.
Whatever appears, bring it to your experience as dharmakaya.
Sometimes appearances of wealth will dawn.
When appearances of wealth dawn,
Take up the seven noble riches.
Know that all types of wealth are an illusion.
Whatever appears, bring it to your experience as dharmakaya.
Sometimes appearances of friends will dawn.
When appearances of friends dawn,
Rely on the friend of self-arisen wisdom.
Know that all friends are an illusion.
Whatever appears, bring it to your experience as dharmakaya.
Sometimes appearances of the guru will dawn.
When appearances of the guru dawn,
Supplicate with him always above your head;
Never forget to meditate with him in your heart.
The guru, too, is like an illusion or dream.
Know that everything is like an illusion.
Gampo Dar Mountain in the east
Is like a king sitting upon his seat.
The mountain behind is like a hoisted white banner.
The mountain in front is like a mound of jewels.
Its peak is like a jeweled crown.
The seven other mountains are like the bowing ministers.
The wooded meadow is like a mandala.
At the mountain’s neck are the ones to be tamed.
You should go there and act for the benefit of beings.
Son, you will accomplish the benefit of beings.
Thus he sang. Milarepa said, “Your name shall be Gelong Dorje Dzinpa Dzamling Drakpa.*34 Then he gave him the command of abhisheka and blessing. Granting him all the dharma in its entirety, Milarepa gave him a piece of golden arura on which he placed saliva from his tongue. He also gave Gampopa a tinder pouch and said, “Now go to that land to meditate.”
Then Gampopa, in accordance with the prophecy, went to Ü, and the Jetsun accompanied him as far as Champoche. When they reached a stone bridge, they stopped at the near side of it. “Teacher from Ü, for the sake of tendrel, I will not cross the river with you. Let us, father and son, speak here for a while. Put down your load and sit down.
“Teacher from Ü, abandon the arrogance and pride of your paternal relatives. Cut the ropes of relatives and close ones. Without the binding ropes of this life, become a child of the mountains. Practice by bringing all dharmas into one. Make supplications to me, your old father.
“Furthermore, it is not suitable to spend time with people for whom the three poisons are copious; you will fall under their shadow. How is this? There are people who take all appearances as their enemies; because they always denigrate people and the dharma, they are stuck. Anger burns within them like fire. For example, a snake does not have wings nor hands or feet; there is no feebler creature than a snake. But when seen, people have fear and flee from them; this is a sign that snakes have great aggression within them. Because they have such great aggression, they take everything outside to be their enemy.
“Also, some people stow away everything from bored rocks to knots of wood. They say that when they get old, they will need provisions, and that when they die, they will need food for the charnel ground. They say that without wealth they cannot practice dharma, that in order to accumulate merit, they must have wealth. Getting involved with things like debt and interest, they engage in wrong livelihood. Within, they harbor great attachment that boils like water.
“There are some who say, ‘Now is not the right time to meditate on genuine reality’; there are those who do not cultivate compassion, who stray onto the path of the shravakas; and there are those who by disregarding [relative] means have a nihilistic view. These people have great ignorance within them, like being shrouded with darkness. If you try to give such people good advice, they will not listen. If they do listen to your advice, first they will ask you who your teacher is, and what dharma you practice. Then based on that, they will only get upset. They listen with such narrow minds that they abandon any good thing, are left without refuge, and will end up in the great hells of torment. So because of your interaction, engaging with them, others will accumulate nonvirtue in their mind-streams. Therefore it is not suitable to spend time with people who have an abundance of the three poisons:
‘If you stay seven days amongst the shravakas,
Your actions will become like theirs.
In general, you should be extra vigilant
Like an animal that has been wounded, or like a bird.’
“Without getting too close with others, remain peaceful and tamed. Have great patience. Be harmonious with everyone. Maintain impeccable cleanliness. Have very few concepts. Without being distracted by tea, beer, or dharmic activities, remain in mountain retreats; do not speak; and remain sealed in caves. Pass your time in these three ways. Even though you realize that your own mind is buddha, do not abandon the guru, the vajra master. Though accumulation and purification are pure in their own place, make efforts to gather even the smallest accumulation. Though you realize that karma and results are like space, avoid doing even the slightest negativity. Though there is no difference between meditation and postmeditation, continually practice the four-session yoga. Though you understand self and other to be equal, do not denigrate the dharma or persons. Thus it is said. Son, on the fourteenth day of the horse month of the rabbit year, you should come to see me.” Then he sang this song of realization:
Son, when the state, free of elaborations, dawns within the mind,
Do not follow after conventional terms.
There’s the danger of being bound by the eight worldly concerns.
Son, rest in the state that’s free of pride:
Do you understand this, Teacher from Ü?
Son when self-liberation dawns from within,
Do not posit pramana syllogisms.
There’s the danger of making useless efforts.
Son, rest in the state that is free of concepts:
Do you understand this, Teacher from Ü?
Son, when you realize your mind is emptiness,
Do not differentiate between one and many.
There’s the danger of falling into nihilistic emptiness.
Son, rest in the state free of elaborations:
Do you understand this, Teacher from Ü?
Son when you’re meditating on Mahamudra,
Do not strive in virtuous activity with body or speech.
There’s the danger that nonconceptual wisdom will disappear.
Son, rest in the state that is uncontrived and relaxed:
Do you understand this, Teacher from Ü?
Son, when signs and prophecies arise,
Do not fixate on them with conceited joy.
There’s the danger of receiving a demon’s prophecy.
Son, rest in the state free of fixation:
Do you understand this, Teacher from Ü?
Son, when you have gained certainty in your mind,
Do not give rise to attachment and clinging.
There’s the danger you’ll be carried off by the demon of conceited joy.
Son, rest in the state free of hopes:
Do you understand this, Teacher from Ü?
Thus he sang. Then the Jetsun placed his foot on the lord’s head. “Teacher from Ü, I have bestowed upon you all four abhishekas, her
e on one seat. Now, rejoice!”
Furthermore, by the abhisheka of the deity having been bestowed upon his body, his body was blessed as the mandala of the deity. By the mantra abhisheka having been bestowed upon his speech, his speech was blessed to be mantra. By the dharma abhisheka having been bestowed upon his mind, the unborn mind, the dharmakaya, was pointed out to him. The guru’s placing his feet upon his head unobstructedly empowered him as a full-fledged147 vajra master. Bestowing the speech abhisheka of samadhi, he said, “I have one remaining profound key instruction, but it is too precious to give away. Now you may go.”
The Jetsun remained where he was, and the Lord Physician crossed the river and went on some distance. Again, he barely heard Milarepa call out, and [he rushed back]. When he arrived at the Jetsun’s side, [the Jetsun] said, “Even though this key instruction is so precious,148 if I do not give it to you, to whom will I give it?”
Then the Lord Physician gleefully said, “Should I offer a mandala?”
“You don’t need a mandala. Do not waste this. Now, here is the upadesha.”
Milarepa then lifted up his clothes, exposing his naked rear covered with a web of calluses. “There is no profounder upadesha than to practice. It is through practicing, with my bottom becoming like this, that good qualities have arisen in my mind-stream. You too should develop perseverance and practice.” Thus, the instruction became well imprinted upon the Lord Physician’s mind.
Then, according to the guru’s prophecy, he went to the east to Daklha Gampo, where he accomplished vast benefit for beings and the teachings. These accounts are written clearly and extensively in Gampopa’s own biography.