It’s also good to forget your objects of attachment.
When you realize wisdom beyond mind,
It’s fine to forget the things of perceiver and perceived.
It’s also good to forget about pleasure and pain.
When you realize no thinking and no feeling,
It’s fine to forget about your experience.
It’s also good to forget about decrease and increase.
When you realize the three kayas are intrinsic within,
It’s fine to forget the deity’s creation stage.
It’s also good to forget the conceptual dharma.
When you realize fruition abides within yourself,
It’s fine to forget the fruition through efforts.
It’s also good to forget about relative dharmas.
Through meditating on the instructions of the whispered lineage,
It’s fine to forget about conventional speech.
It’s also good to forget the dharma that makes you prideful.
When you realize all appearances are your texts,
It’s fine to forget about the texts with black letters.
It’s also good to forget about dharma that’s heavy to carry.
Thus he sang. Then the monks said, “Until attaining enlightenment, because there are still doubts and flaws, it’s not okay to forget about the dharma that one has learned.” Then Milarepa sang this song of realization in reply:
When you recognize confusion is your mind
And you find the confidence that it is without any base,*1
It’s not possible for effort to ever arise
And one is delighted with the changeless reality.
When you realize the single reality’s nature,
It’s not possible for there to be things to adopt and reject.
It’s so joyful to clear up ignorance.
When you realize reality is without any ceasing,
It’s not possible for hopes and fears to arise.
You are so happy to destroy confusion.
With ignorance, you wander in the three realms.
Through the upadeshas of the siddha guru
The sense pleasures, attachment-free, become a great ornament.
I’ve not trained in the terms of scholars;
All tenet systems are intellectual dharma.
It has little benefit for stopping the afflictions.
All you great teachers, guard your pride!
Both the true nature and confusion
At the time of realization are of a single essence.
Don’t abandon samsara, you faithful ones.
Let appearances rest in their own place, uncontrived,
And finally, seal this with space.
The buddhas have given it many names.*2
When Milarepa had sung this, all of the monks there had faith. They stopped accumulating the negativity of wrong views and their pure vision increased.
Among that sangha of monks there was one whose inner potential had awakened, named Likor Charuwa; he followed the Jetsun as attendent. He was given the abhishekas and instructions, was set to meditate, and excellent experiences arose for him.
Then Likor Charuwa thought, “The Jetsun has such compassion and power, if he were able to act a bit more in accord with conventional conduct, he would be able to attract many geshes from Ü and Tsang into his retinue. Through his affluence and fame, he would be able to bring great benefit to sentient beings and the Buddha’s teachings.”
He came to the Jetsun, and conveyed his thoughts. The Jetsun replied, “I have no need to do anything other than what my guru commanded. Those who have a worldly way of thinking can do as they please.” Then he sang this song of realization:
I bow at the feet of Marpa the Translator.
Since I’ve realized the appearances of sound are just echoes,*3
I don’t let it stop my yogic conduct.
I throw away all preparations and pleasantries.
Wealth and fame, you may do whatever you please!
I have confidence that food and wealth are illusions.
I happily let go of the food and wealth I obtain.
When I don’t obtain any, I don’t yearn for it at all.
Good merit, you may do as you please!
I know my followers are like apparitions.
So the learned and righteous who come from every direction
I don’t try to flatter or try to please them.
Monks, you may do as you please!
In the natural state, which is equality,
I realize attachment and anger are suffering’s cause.
I’ve cut all such ropes and tormented mind states.
Relatives, you may do as you please!
In the dharmata free of elaborations,
The elaboration of clinging creates suffering for oneself.
I release the shackles of perceiver and perceived.
Craving, you may do as you please!
In the luminous nature of the essence of mind,
I don’t see any stains of conceptuality.
I throw away all analysis;
Conventions and terms, you may do as you please!
Thus Milarepa sang. Then Likor Charuwa said, “Of course, for someone like the Jetsun this is fine, but I was talking about how to benefit the teachings of the Kagyu lineage and more inferior sentient beings.”
The Jetsun replied, “Just as I kept my vow fully when I first took it, I do so now, and will do so in the future. It is certain that I bring great benefit to both the teachings and sentient beings.”
“What vow did you take?” asked the monk.
“My vow was like this, and those of you who follow after me should do the same.” Then he sang this song of realization:
Because I had great fear of samsara,
The translator Marpa showed me great kindness.
Until I savor the supreme taste of the genuine dharma,
I won’t let my mind be distracted by outer objects.*4
Until I master the path of means,
I will not abandon my yogic conduct.
Following after Naropa’s instruction,
I’ll always uphold the Kagyu teachings.
Giving rise to the bodhichitta of aspiring and engaging at the start,
I won’t practice the dharma for only my benefit.
Marpa’s spontaneous and secret conduct
I will spread throughout all of Tibet.
Whatever it is that pleases the guru,
From now on, I will strive to do.
Through the compassion of the Jetsun, Likor Charuwa’s outlook changed. “Just as the Jetsun vowed, I too will practice”: he made this aspiration and strong vow with his mind, and he unrelentingly meditated in mountain retreats. In this way, the wondrous qualities of the path developed in his mind. Thus, Likor Charuwa became one of the close sons of the Jetsun who were meditator-monks.
This is the cycle of Likor Charuwa.
This completes the second cycle: accepting of the fortunate ones to be tamed, the heart-sons of the Jetsun.
*1 “These two lines mean that one recognizes that the appearances of outer objects are confused projections of the mind, so they do not exist apart from mind, just like the appearances of outer objects in a dream. Knowing that, one knows that these confused appearances have no ground; that they do not truly exist outside. This realization is similar to the experience of a lucid dream. (KTGR)” (Stories and Songs: 101).
*2 “The implication of this last line is that the true nature of reality is inexpressible. (KTGR)” (Stories and Songs: 101) (T: sangs rgyas dag gi bla dgas lags).
*3 The “appearances of sound” here, in particular, refers to what others say.
*4 Literally, “I won’t let my mind engage in outer objects” (T: phyi rol yul la sems ’jug ri).
Cycle Three
MISCELLANEOUS STORIES
45
Replies to the Questions of Students
&nb
sp; NAMO GURU
When the Jetsun Milarepa was staying at the Cuckoo Solitary Fortress,*1 Rechungpa requested of the Jetsun, “Please teach a practice to do with one’s three gates.” In reply, the Jetsun sang this song of realization:
With your body, keep the samaya of nonconceptuality.
With your speech, sustain the conduct of a buffalo.*2
With your mind, look at the unborn nature of mind.
Thus he sang. Then Rechungpa sang:
Because of our ignorance, we do not understand:
How does one keep the samaya of body?
How does one sustain the conduct of speech?
How does one look at the nature of mind?
The Jetsun replied:
The three nonconceptual samayas of body
Are to maintain the vows of the three trainings.
The samaya of speech is to sustain noncontrivance.
Look at the completely liberated nature of mind.
Rechungpa then commented on his guru’s speech:
Within the dharmakaya—coemergent union—
Is the sambhogakaya—conceptuality liberated in its own place—
And the nirmanakaya that performs boundless benefit for beings.
The ground is the revulsion of the pratimoksha.*3
The path is the key point of training in bodhichitta,
The fruition is to keep the samaya of Secret Mantra.
To turn away from the eight worldly concerns in this life,
Abandon hoarding and maintaining with desire;
Keep [samaya] by abandoning hypocrisy and wrong livelihood.
For body, like a crazy man, be without concepts.
For speech, like a dumb person, do not speak.
For mind, like a small child, be attachment-free.
Thus he sang. Then the Jetsun said, “If you don’t understand these vital points, this is what will happen.” Then he sang this song of realization:
Looking for freedom with the thought of “I,” it cannot be attained.
Not having liberation is like a banner knot that is loosened and tightened.
Not having realization is like a blind man wandering in a field.
Without pratimoksha, there is no revulsion.
Without bodhichitta, there is no benefit for others.
Without Secret Mantra, there’s no pointing out.
The eight concerns are the signal that summons this life.
Desire is the hail that destroys all virtue.
Hypocrisy is the prison of samsara.
If concepts arise, that is perceiver and perceived.
By talking, you’ll not cut the traces of conventional terms.
If there is passion, that’s the cause of samsara’s bonds.
If there is no lineage, the teaching is severed.
If there’s no samaya, that’s the Lord of Death.
Beings alternate between being friends and discordant foes.
If some fundamental ground is found, that is adopting and rejecting.
If birth is found, that is fixation on things as real.
If there’s no realization, there is only a wish.
If reality can’t be shown, then it is meaningless.
Thus he sang.
Once, the Jetsun was sitting, covering his head. Then one of the younger repas asked, “Why is the Jetsun sleeping?” Then he sang this song of realization:
When I cover my head, I cannot see far.
Worldly eyes, though clear, are completely blind.
I’ve taken up dharma conduct by sleeping naked.
The eight worldly concerns are the cause of distraction.
Everything one does comes down to the mind.
Continuous experience, without break, is truly marvelous.
I, a yogi who does different things,
Whatever they are, I do them in the space of bliss.
Thus he sang.
Another time, when the Jetsun was staying at Tsikpa Kangthil Fortress,*4 Rechungpa asked him, “If a yogi develops experience, realization, and power, is it acceptable to demonstrate it?” Then Milarepa sang this song of realization:
The lion that dwells within the snow,
The tiger that dwells within the forest,
And the fish that dwells in the sea, these three:
When these three hide, it’s marvelous.
When these three hide, they have few enemies.
These three are the three outer examples.
If we join these with the inner meaning:
The body of the yogi, that’s one;
The Secret Mantra’s path of means, that’s two;
The experience of fruition, that’s three.
If you hide these three, it’s marvelous.
If you hide these three, there’ll be few enemies.
There are very few who can hide these three.
Therefore, there are few siddhas in Tibet.
Thus he sang.
Another time, Shengom Repa was having many doubts and asked the Jetsun about them. Then after Milarepa gave him a detailed and lengthy explanation, he sang this song of realization in summary:
If you don’t realize many as one taste,
That’s the view of permanence within luminosity meditation.
If you don’t realize the union of great bliss,
That’s the view of nihilism within emptiness meditation.
If you don’t know how to meditate with everything that appears,
Then nonconceptual meditation is conceptual.
If you don’t realize all you meet is ordinary,152
Then your nondual meditation is contrived.
If you don’t realize your own mind is unborn,
Then nonreferential meditation is full of effort.
If you don’t reverse your attachment,
Then your uncontrived conduct is full of adopting and rejecting.
If you don’t understand “free of adopting and rejecting,”
Then the virtue you do becomes nonvirtue.
If you don’t understand “free of birth and death,”
Engaging in effort is the cause of samsara.
When Milarepa had sung this, all of Shengom Repa’s doubts were completely cut through.
On another occasion, the Jetsun was staying at Crystal Cave Water-Wood Fortress*5 on the banks of the Chuwo Sang River on the side of Tseringma’s mountain.*6 Rain had not fallen for some time, and several of the benefactors of Drin began to fight over water rights. When they came to the Jetsun, he said, “I don’t know anything about worldly affairs. The rain will come; you do not need to fight.”
Then Rechungpa supplicated him to help them reconcile their argument, to which the Jetsun replied, “It is meaningless for any yogi to get caught in the middle of disputes.” Then he sang this song of realization:
A glorious mountain with abundant good qualities,
A site that is the source of all one needs or desires,
I give praise respectfully with my three gates
At the feet of the Great Translator Lotsawa.
The main parties, the mediator, and the arbitration, these three,
Are the cause that makes the pain of bias arise.
If you want to seize your own place without bias,
Do you know how to be an impartial mute?
Homelands, wealth, and relatives, these three,
Are the cause of the bonds of samsara’s three realms.
If you want to be liberated from the river of suffering,
Do you know how to cut the root of entanglements?
Selfishness, hypocrisy, and deception, these three,
Are the cause of falling into the three lower realms.
If you want to see the freedom of the higher realms,
Do you know how to have a forthright mind?
Explanations, spiritual guides, and discussions, these three,
Are the causes of pride and jealousy.
If you want to practice the genuine dharma,
The kitchen, housework, and trying to please others, these three,
Are the causes of destroying the yogi’s meditative concentration.
If you want to sustain innate wisdom,
Do you know how to be without embarrassment and have little desire?153
The master, servant, and engaging in studies,
These are the cause of distraction and worry.
If you want to practice in solitude,
Do you know how to be without masters and servants?
Sorcery, power, and improper behavior, these three
Are the causes of the yogi giving up his own life-force.
If you want to see the complete result of dharma,
Do you know how to be like the lark’s example?*7
This melody of seven causes of contradicting the dharma
Along with their seven successive remedies
Arose through experience and I put them to song.
Through virtue, may you attain enlightenment.
After he sang this song and supplicated the three jewels, a great rain fell and all of the quarreling subsided.
Another time, the monk disciple-sons requested the Jetsun to accept them and teach them the major key points of the Six Dharmas and Mahamudra. The Jetsun replied, “If you wish to practice properly, these key points are important. Keep them in your mind.” Then he sang this song of realization:
Father, though you demonstrated going to nirvana,
From the pure realm of the pure sambhogakaya
You act for the benefit of the three realms’ beings.
Translator Marpa, at your feet I bow.
Sons Dewakyong*8 and Shiwa Ö,
Ngendzong Tönpa, and so forth,
Cherished sons whom your father cared for,
Fortunate disciples who are sitting here,
Now listen to this song of ten important points,
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa Page 59