Thus he sang. The students showed him great respect and reverence, then departed.
Meanwhile, although Rechungpa had spent only a day at each of the villagers’ houses, he had been gone for quite a long time. When he came back to see the Jetsun, the entryway to the cave was closed. Rechungpa thought, “Is he unhappy with me because I spent too long?” Then he offered his guru this song:
There is no reference point in the innate, true dharma.
If there is a reference point then it is not innate.
In the Great Perfection there is no bias.
If there is bias, it is not the Great Perfection.
Mahamudra has nothing to block or create.
If there’s blocking or creating, it is not Mahamudra.
In the experience of great bliss, clarity is not obscured.
If clarity is obscured, it is not great bliss.
In the Great Middle Way nothing can be identified.
If there’s identification, it’s not the Middle Way.
I, Rechungpa, traveled around the town;
Is the Father Jetsun happy and well?
Then the Jetsun sang this song of realization from atop the cave entrance:
Apart from mind, there is no buddha.
There is no quicker path than the nadis and pranas.
There’s no other friend than the three precious refuges.
There is no more excellent experience than bliss and emptiness.
There is no one kinder than the genuine lord.
Beings should take him to their crown,
And put into practice the unerring instructions.
This is how to develop certainty in your being.
If you gain realization within yourself,
Then the lineage instructions have been received.
When you have determined your own mind,
Signs of experience and confidence will quickly arise.
When loving-kindness has arisen in the mind,
Then sentient beings are accepted with compassion.
When one sees the buddha guru,
Blessings are naturally received.
I’ve put a few lines together here;
If you understand the meaning, there’s dharma there.
If you didn’t understand, it’s just a little ditty.175
Son, Rechungpa, are you well?
This old father here is feeling quite fine!
With that, he opened the cave and they went inside. “I was just kidding around just now. But I can see that you still have great attachment to the eight worldly concerns. You must abandon them and meditate in the mountains.” Then he sang this song of realization:
The blessings of the lord guru lie within the mountains,
Grant your blessing that I stay in mountain retreats.
O Rechungpa, you fortunate one,
Focus your senses and listen to my song.
When staying in isolated mountain retreats,
Don’t think of the worldly things your relatives say.
If you do, then old enemies will be revived.
When meditating near the guru,
Don’t think of a reward for your accumulated merit.
If you do, then an army of bad conduct will ensue.
When offering tormas to the bhuta spirits,
Don’t think of hoarding those balls of torma.
If you do, then you too will become such a spirit.
When meditating with undistracted concentration,
Don’t take time to meet with your friends.
If you do, then those friends will kill your spiritual practice.
When you have perseverance in hardship,
Don’t think of meat, beer, and delicious food.
If you do, then you’ll be born as a hungry ghost.
When meditating on the whispered lineage’s path of means,
Don’t think like students yearning for intellectual knowledge.
If you do, you’ll enter an erring path.
When you’re staying in isolated mountains,
Don’t think of leaving to engage in activities.
If you do, then negative mind states will quickly arise.
Son, with perseverance, finish the result with dharma.
With endurance, abandon samsara’s suffering.
Son, we’re connected through aspiration;
May your father’s realization arise within you.
This realization of all appearances as dharmakaya,
May it be perfected in the experience of my son.
This song touched him deeply, and Rechungpa prostrated to the Jetsun. Then he offered this song to him:
Through the father guru’s kindness, I have practiced the dharma.
I left my good and loving parents behind
And relinquished my homeland, so hard to relinquish.
I still have feelings of longing for my friends.
I put off hoarding food, wealth, and clothes.
I have no conditions for avarice or nonvirtue.
With hardship and rasayana, I meditated in caves.
But desire for gathering and gaining continues on.
For meeting, I have met with an actual siddha.
For obtaining, I’ve obtained the whispered lineage instructions.
For meditation, I meditate with undistracted diligence.
I still desire to encounter and hear teachings.
For deeds, I do my father service.
For practice, I practice toward buddhahood in one life.
For staying, I stay in mountain retreats.
I still have a mind of doer and deed.
Lord Vajradhara, with your unmoving essence,
Grant your blessing that these thoughts may be transformed.
When Rechungpa had sung this, the Jetsun gave Rechungpa many pieces of advice, and his realization increased greatly. Then the Jetsun and his son were invited to the Belly Cave by the people of Nyanang.
This is the story of Ramding Sky Cave.
*1 The union of luminosity and emptiness.
52
Rechungpa’s Departure for Central Tibet
NAMO GURU
The benefactors of Nyanang gave the Jetsun Milarepa abundant service and respect, and he stayed at the Belly Cave there. While Rechungpa was staying in the upper cave, the guru, yidam, and dakinis came to Rechungpa and exhorted him by means of a sign in his dream [to request Milarepa to tell his life story]. Then, in response to his supplication, Milarepa told his life story.
Then Rechungpa had a strong wish to go to Central Tibet. Some students compared the master and disciple, saying, “The son is superior to the father because he has gone to India.” So the younger students went to be in the presence of Rechungpa, while the older ones went to Milarepa.
At one point, the students came to offer their respect and service in the presence of the father and son. To Rechungpa they made excellent offerings, but they offered only the smallest amount to Milarepa.
Then Rechungpa thought, “If I have received this much, then the Jetsun has certainly received even greater offerings.” He went to the Jetsun and said, “Jetsun, have you received excellent offerings today? Between the offerings received by us both, master and disciple, it would be good if we hold a ganachakra for all of the repas.”
“Very well,” Milarepa said. “My share is over there under that slab of stone; go ahead and take it.” Then Rechungpa rose, went over, and saw that there was only a single piece of rotten meat, a gourd of sour beer, and a mere serving of tsampa.
Rechungpa returned to his cave and thought, “Is this how these students act? This guru is like the buddha; I cannot match even a single pore on his body. Such service is no good. Before, I remained near the guru, and I am completely satisfied in the key instructions I have received in their entirety and in my service to him. Now, if I stay around, not only will I not be of service, I will only be an embarrassment. I will ask the Jetsun’s permission to leave.”
Then rising
early in the morning, he went to see Milarepa. In his cave, the Jetsun was there lying down, rubbing his head. Mégom Repa, too, was there in his bed. Rechungpa thought, “My guru here has actualized the dharmakaya for self-benefit, yet sometimes he acts with conduct that seems strange to others.”
Knowing what Rechungpa was thinking, the Jetsun sang this song of realization on the four modes of conduct:
Son, Rechungpa, now please listen.
I, your old father, Milarepa,
Sometimes I sleep, and while I sleep, I meditate.
When I meditate while I’m lying down,
I’ve the instruction of ignorance dawning as luminosity.
This is something I have but no one else does.
If everyone had this, I would be very pleased.
I, your old father, Milarepa,
Sometimes I eat, and while I eat, I meditate.
When I meditate while I am eating,
I have the key instruction for seeing food and drink as a ganachakra.
This is something I have but no one else does.
If everyone had this, I would be very pleased.
I, your old father, Milarepa,
Sometimes I walk, and while I walk, I meditate.
When I meditate while I walk,
I have the key instruction for seeing walking as circumambulation.
This is something I have but no one else does.
If everyone had this, I would be very pleased.
I, the old father, Milarepa,
Sometimes I act, and while acting, I meditate.
When I meditate while doing this action,
I have the key instruction for liberating action into dharmata.
This is something I have but no one else does.
If everyone had this, I would be very pleased.
Son Rechungpa, you too should practice like this.
Mégom, get up, and boil up some gruel.
Giving many reasons, Rechungpa then asked Milarepa for permission to go to Ü. Then he offered this song of realization:
I wish to roam the countryside with no fixed direction,
And to go and circumambulate holy Lhasa,
To encounter the two Jowo statues in person,
To see the glorious Samye monastery,
To circumambulate the Yoru Tradruk Temple,*1
To go and see the great seat of Mar-Ngok*2
To go and see both Loro and Nyal
And beg for alms in the practice of equal taste;
I beg you, I must go to Ü.
Having been requested in this way, the Jetsun replied, “Son, though there are beings for you to guide in Ü, the time has not come for you to go. Do not go against what your guru says; listen to my song.” Then he sang this song of realization:
Born of the family of Secret Mantra with its supreme methods,
Lord of the pure four kayas and four joys,
Hidden buddha in human form,
Supreme among beings, to Marpa I bow.
On this auspicious day of the waxing moon,
This special eighth day of the lunar month,
I, with yogic perception, am feeling so happy.
The sun’s light rays warm me like a fire-crystal.
You who bear the spear and banner in an army of hundreds,
My attractive son, called Rechungpa,
Please don’t say these words you just spoke.
Are you just saying this now, or have you had it on your mind?
Do not let your ears be distracted;
Wipe the rust from the mirror of your mind,
And listen clearly to this old man’s song.
When you go to solitary mountain retreats,
What good will come from wandering the countryside?
When you meditate on the guru as buddha,
What good will come from circumambulating Lhasa?
When you’re watching the show of your own mind,
What good will come of seeing the sights of Samye?
When you cut fabrications from within,
What good will the seat of Mar-Ngok do?
When you’re meditating on the key instructions of the whispered lineage,
What good will Nyal and Loro be?
When you’re gaining certainty in your own mind,
What good will circumambulating Tradruk be?
Rechungpa continued to fervently offer his request, to which Milarepa sang this song of realization:
You white snow lion of the snows on high,
Don’t go to the valleys, but keep to the high snows.
If you go down into the valleys,
Do you not fear your turquoise mane will be damaged?
Show off your turquoise mane, and stay in the high snows.
Listen now to your guru’s words.
You vulture, king of birds, upon the high rock,
Don’t go to the lowlands, but keep to the high rock.
If you go down into the lowlands,
Do you not fear your wings will be damaged?
Show off your wings, and keep to the high rock.
Listen now to your guru’s words.
You tiger that stays up in the high forest,
Don’t go to the forest’s edge, but stay in the high forest.
If you go down to the edge of the forest,
Do you not fear your striped fur will be damaged?
Show off your striped fur, and stay in the high forest.
Listen now to your guru’s words.
You golden spotted fish of the high lakes,
Don’t circle the edge, but stay in the center.
If you circle the edge of the lake,
Do you not fear getting caught in a net?
Show off your golden spots, and stay in the center.
Listen now to your guru’s words.
You, Rechung Dordrak from Gungtang,
Don’t roam the country; stay in mountain retreats.
If you go and roam the country,
Do you not fear your experience and realization will be obscured?
Sustain your experience and realization, and stay in the mountains.
Listen now to your guru’s words.
Thus he sang. Rechungpa said, “If I stay around my guru, I will not be of service to him; I will only be an embarrassment. Therefore I ask you to let me travel the country and display my experience and realizations.” Then he offered this melody:
Father Jetsun Guru, please kindly listen.
I, a white snow lion of the snows on high,
If I don’t roam throughout the high snows,
There is no way to display my excellent mane.
Rechungpa won’t stay; to Ü I will go.
Now I plead for my guru’s assent.
I, a vulture, king of birds, upon the high rock,
If I do not fly up into the sky,
There is no way to display my excellent wings
Rechungpa won’t stay; to Ü I will go.
Now I plead for my guru’s assent.
I, a tiger in the high forest,
If I cannot roam throughout the vast jungle,
There is no way to display my excellent striped fur.
Rechungpa won’t stay; to Ü I will go.
Now I plead for my guru’s assent.
I, the golden spotted fish in the lake,
If I do not swim to the edge of the lake,
There is no way to display my golden spots.
Rechungpa won’t stay; to Ü I will go.
Now I plead for my guru’s assent.
I, Rechung Dordrak from Gungtang,
If I do not roam the countryside,
My excellent experience will not be displayed.
Rechungpa won’t stay; to Ü I will go.
Now I plead for my guru’s assent.
Then the Jetsun said, “Rechungpa, until your experience and realization are perfected, you should not leave your guru’s side.” Then he sang this song of realization:
You, Rechung Dorje
Drakpa,
Who’ve trained your mind-stream by hearing and contemplating dharma,
Understand these words I sing:
Without having desiring faith in the dharma,
Don’t go begging with a desire to eat.
Without realizing the nature of things,
Don’t give lofty lip service about the view.
Without training your skill in inner awareness,
Don’t engage in a stupid fool’s meditation.
Without knowing how to sustain and care for the key instructions,
Don’t hide behind176 the black letters of books.
Without understanding the teachings of profound dharma,
Don’t confuse others with your little bit of study.
Without knowing how to expand your merit,
Don’t rush to obtain the wealth of humans.
Without turning from attachment from within,
Don’t treat faith offerings like regular wages.
Without having purified the extent of the latent tendencies’ appearances,
Don’t speak of the higher perceptions you think you have.
Without having actualized the unsurpassable state,
Don’t let yourself be benefactors’ object of offering.
If you cannot practice the words of virtuous activity fully,
You should not get up from the guru’s side.
Son, Rechungpa, don’t leave, stay here for now!
Thus he sang. Rechungpa continued to fervently offer his request and Milarepa responded, “I swore to the benefactors that I would not send you to Ü, but if you will not listen to what I have said and insist upon going, and since promises are like dreams and illusions, it is okay for me to give you permission. Now go ahead and prepare to go.”
Rechungpa was so ecstatic that he nearly wept. For several nights, Rechungpa and his guru lay with their pillows touching, and Rechungpa received the teachings of the whispered lineage. Also, having written these in some pechas,*3 he had nothing else to prepare when it was time for him to depart. He wore nothing other than his single white cloth, and he carried a gayal’s horn and a bindle upon his back. Carrying a manual of the whispered lineage instructions under his arm, he went to receive the Jetsun’s blessing.
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa Page 65