The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
Page 69
The fierce mantra of love and compassion
Purified their obscurations, day and night;
The gateway of birth in samsara’s six realms was cut.
They were placed among the assemblies in the blissful pure realms.
Their enjoyment of delight and joy expand
In the pure realm of Sukhavati.
A retinue of dakas and dakinis surrounds them.
You don’t need to worry, my dear sister Peta.
Thus he sang. Peta said, “This is wonderful! What sort of ritual did you perform for them?” Then he sang this song of realization in reply:
Lord, protector of beings, I supplicate you.
Grant your blessing that I may repay my parents’ kindness.
In the mandala of great bliss free of duality,
I placed the assembly of deities of self-awareness and clarity.
In the vase of the upadeshas and lineage transmission,
I poured the water of the six paramitas.
The obscurations of the five poisons and avarice were purified.
With the amrita of the Kagyu gurus,
I bestowed the four abhishekas upon their body, speech, and mind.
The stages of the paths and bhumis of realization
I showed them to be great bliss, inseparable,
And made the tsa-tsa of the inseparable three kayas.
I performed the weekly rite free of defilement.
For the anniversary of profound ensuing cognition,
I made the offering of the excellent antidote.
I dedicated with Mahamudra
And made the aspiration that is naturally, perfectly pure.
Myself, our parents, and sentient beings,
All of our wishes were accomplished at once.
Remembering the kindness of the guru again and again,
I repaid the kindness of my parents.
Thus he sang. Hearing this, Peta developed deep certainty. Then Milarepa sang this song of realization, exhorting his sister to practice:
I bow at the feet of Lord Marpa from Lhodrak,
Grant your blessing that anguished love toward relatives may be pacified.
Accept me with compassion that my mind-stream may mix with dharma.
Listen now, my sister Peta,
Since you were young, you’ve had no perseverance in dharma.
To think you’ll practice when you’re old, what good will that do?
Not relying on the Jetsun guru,
What good will friendly gurus do?
Not obtaining the whispered lineage key instructions,
What good does mere dry rhetoric do?
If you don’t recognize your own mind,
What good does lots of training do?
Those who don’t seize their own place, which is unborn,
Accumulate negativity with empty philosophical views.
Those for whom experience doesn’t dawn from within
Are hypocrites, making lots of show.
Those who don’t watch the show of interdependence
Have doubts and think highly of themselves.
Hypocritical ones who have not given rise
To bodhichitta and compassion have much purifying to do.186
Those who don’t ask, “Can I attain buddhahood?”
Say they are dharma protectors, while secretly bloodthirsty for wealth.
For those who don’t aim to benefit all sentient beings,
Their parents’ kindness becomes a cause for samsara.
Those who don’t practice in accord with the dharma
May be close ones but then rise up as enemies.
Those who commit harm toward their friends
May seem beautiful, but they’re of the demon class.
Those who don’t meditate earnestly for a long time,
Short-term are called “meditator,” but they struggle in meditation.
Those who don’t help and have patience wherever they are able,
Though they act like a good friend, have many regrets.
Having such agony for the sake of your mother
Clears your negativity and obscurations, dear sister.
Thus he sang. She meditated and gave rise to excellent experience and realization. At this, the Jetsun was pleased and he sang this song of realization to inspire his sister:
Listen again, dear sister Peta,
If you do not turn away from dharma,
Suffering will completely be exhausted.
If you do not say harsh things to others,
You will be seen just like a god.
If you do not have ill will toward others,
Your own merit will flourish.
If you do not have great attachment to this life,
The next life will be happy and pleasant.
When you do not develop vanity and pride,
You’ll attain a pleasing and beautiful body.
If you can sustain your mind’s own nature,
You will quickly attain buddhahood.
If you can stay strictly in retreat without speaking,
You’ll receive the blessings of the dakinis.
If you do not have desire for mundane happiness,
You’ll purify the obscurations of karmic results.
If you can meditate until your death,
You’ll be a heroic Victorious One equal to the sky.
If your mind isn’t enwrapped by faults,187
You will be received by the dakas and dakinis.
If your conduct is in accord with dharma,
The dharmapalas and dakas will protect you.
If you supplicate the guru lord,
You will receive blessings and siddhi.
Understand this and put it into practice.
May you always enjoy bliss and glory.
Thus he sang. Peta remained in mountain retreats and was able to meditate. Thus, she developed extraordinary experience and realization. She became one of the four daughter-like disciples of the Jetsun Milarepa. At that time, too, the Bönpos developed unwavering faith.
This is the cycle of the hook of compassion for the dead, and establishing Peta in enlightenment.
*1 Milarepa is saying that the Bönpos’ practice creates the conditions for death to come.
*2 Literally, “ejected to a place,” meaning he transferred the bug’s consciousness to another location (T: gnas spo).
*3 During the forty-nine day period following death, special rites and ceremonies for the benefit of the deceased are held on one day of each week.
55
Final Advice to the Students of Nyanang
NAMO GURU
When the Jetsun Milarepa was staying in the upper valley of Tsarma in Nyanang, several benefactors were fighting over the dowry of a new bride, and so they came to the Jetsun for mediation. “Have all the people quarreling come to me,” he told them. They came and he gave them lots of dharma advice and sang this song of realization:
You selfish men carrying rocks in your heads,
You fight with each other to take for yourself
This woman who doesn’t fight with you, yet brings you ruin.
She wears dark red on her body but just rots from within.
With her foul vagina, she yearns for a man.
The root cause of all ruin, indeed, is women,
And the land’s contagion is evil men.
This bride who lives in a bad land and in a bad time
If married will be valuable.
She’s filthy but many men fight over her;
This is the conduct of worldly ones’ loss of judgment.
Young men, don’t fight, take stock of yourselves.
Elders, don’t be deceitful, for you’ll bring your own negativity.
Steer this town’s mob toward the dharma.
Thus he sang, and the quarreling subsided. Then one of the benefactors, a woman with faith known as Cham-Mé, said from among the rows of a feast where vast offerings of respect and s
ervice were made, “Precious Jetsun, tell us, how have you gone about benefiting beings? How many disciple-sons do you have? Among those, how many are siddhas?”
The Jetsun replied, “It is truly marvelous that these questions have arisen in your mind. The dakinis gave me a prophecy that is like this, and I have accomplished beings’ benefit in this way.” Then he sang this song of realization:
I supplicate the guru and assembly of dakinis.
Grant your blessing that I may spontaneously accomplish the benefit of beings.
The nirmanakaya of the dakinis’ prophecy
Is Gampopa from Dakpo who shines upon beings like the sun.
Rechungpa is the nirmanakaya moon.
The tiger of meditators is Jodar Shiwa Ö.*1
Then there are twenty-five others, like Drigom Repa.
These are the main ones of whom the dakinis spoke.
There are twenty-five siddhas, one hundred with realization,
And for one hundred eight, self-arisen experience dawns.
I’ve one thousand disciples who act in accord with dharma.
One hundred thousand made a dharma connection,
But only a few really keep their practice.
These questions you’ve asked show you have excellent imprints.
Thus he sang. Then the disciple-sons gathered there said, “You have many students who have attained accomplishment!” They were all overwhelmed with joy, and felt very blissful and serene.
They then asked Milarepa to make a dedication for them, and the Jetsun said, “Here, both the receiver of offerings and the benefactors have had pure, virtuous intention, so therefore the dedication is present naturally. However, I will make a dedication to follow the example of the Buddha. You too should follow this example.” Then he sang this song of realization:
Gurus, yidams, and assembly of deities,
Please fulfill the good wishes of this dedication.
I have the method of accomplishing buddhahood
For all assembled here, without exception;
Therefore, please act following my example.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas,
And sangha, too, please think of me.
The virtue of sentient beings, such as myself,
Who practiced generosity, discipline, and so on
Within great samsara without any beginning:
I rejoice in all these virtuous deeds.
By this virtue that I practice here—
Genuine generosity, the ornament and wealth of the mind,
Which is the accumulation of the yogi’s merit—
May I attain buddhahood
For the sake of my masters, teachers, and parents.
Until that is attained, by my virtue here
While following a Mahayana guru,
May you have a body where you keep the three vows;
May all wishes be accomplished,
And may you not accumulate negativity with each other.
Also, by the merit of this virtue,
With abundance of life, merit, prosperity,
Retinue, virtuous activity, and so forth,
May the obstacles that cut the lifeline
Of liberation be completely pacified.
Thus he sang, and expressions of approval and well-wishing188 came from the heavens.
Then all the students of Nyanang, hearing that the Jetsun would go to another mountain retreat, made excellent offerings of service and respect to Milarepa and supplicated him to stay.
The Jetsun said to them, “I have stayed in this place for a very long time now and the benefactors are likely tired of me. I will go to another place to await my death. If I do not die there, then we will meet. In the meantime you should act in this way.” Then he sang this song of realization:
I bow at the feet of the qualified lord guru.
Material wealth is like dew on the grass;
Without any attachment, practice generosity.
While having obtained the essence of the freedoms and resources,
Protect your discipline as you would your own eyes.
Anger is the root of the lower realms;
At the risk of your life, you should practice patience.
With laziness, you won’t accomplish benefit for self or other;
Have diligence, and strive in virtuous action.
With confusion, you won’t realize the Mahayana’s meaning;
One-pointedly familiarize with reality.
Buddhahood cannot be found anywhere else;
Therefore, look at the nature of your own mind.
Faith is like the autumn mist;
When it dissipates, you must have perseverance.
Thus he sang. Then the students said, “Whatever the Jetsun may say, we will not let you go off to another land. You must stay!” Thus, because they offered such fervent pleas, the Jetsun said to them, “If I do not die, then I will come back to see you. But if we don’t meet, then from time to time, without forgetting these words, practice them.” Then he sang this song of realization:
E MA! All worldly beings
Care for their bodies like precious turquoise.
But due to adverse conditions, like old trees, they’ll eventually fall.
From time to time, set the watchman, and be undistracted.
You amass your wealth as bees do honey,
But adverse conditions, like frost, will come their way.
From time to time, set the watchman, and be undistracted.
For beauty, you rub yourselves like precious silk,
But due to adverse conditions, like a rainbow, it disappears.
From time to time, set the watchman, and be undistracted.
You spend time with family, like grazing beasts,
But conditions, like hunters, may come your way.
From time to time, set the watchman, and be undistracted.
You care for your children like an egg,
But conditions, like rocks, may come upon them.
From time to time, set the watchman, and be undistracted.
Your visage may be as beautiful as a flower,
But with adverse conditions, like hail, it goes away.
From time to time, consider impermanence, and be disillusioned.
You spend time with each other well, like mother and child,
But with adverse conditions, like friends and foes, you get into conflict.
From time to time, give rise to compassion for sentient beings.
You are happy when the sun warms you,
But suffering will come like a fierce harsh gale.
From time to time, be generous to those who are powerless.
Male and female benefactors gathered here,
If you cannot practice the genuine dharma,
Then if you live long, your wrongdoing will be long!
Putting effort into mundane activity is just hard work!
Thus he sang. The people said, “We will do as you have instructed. But we do not dare let the Jetsun go off to another place!”
Milarepa stayed for a short while at the Belly Cave, and when he finally left, he went to the lower valley and put his footprint in a boulder at the foot of the cave. Milarepa said, “The people of Nyanang should use this as a support for their devotion.” Then Milarepa left without the people being aware of his departure.
This is the cycle of the final advice to the students of Nyanang.
*1 Jodar (T: jo dar) is a prayer flag with the six syllables of the “Jowo,” Avalokiteshvara (Tucci 1998: 309).
56
The Physician of Yangé
NAMO GURU
When the Jetsun Milarepa along with five of his disciples journeyed to Tongla, they encountered five bandits. When the bandits searched their bundle of items, they found nothing other than skull-cups. They asked, “Are any of you the one they call the Jetsun Milarepa?”
“I am Milarepa,” the Jetsun replied.
The bandits all prostrated and said, “Well then, we
are very fortunate indeed! Please give each of us some dharma teachings.”
The Jetsun taught the dharma of karma, cause and effect; the good qualities of the higher realms; and the faults of the three lower realms. Then he explained how these are each the results of virtuous and nonvirtuous deeds. “You all should understand what is to be adopted and what is to be rejected.” Then he sang this song of realization:
I bow at the feet of the qualified guru.
Up in the celestial realm of Tushita,
As soon as rice is sown, it immediately ripens.
But it’s not because they are masters in farming crops:
This is the result of previous lives’ merit.
Be generous, all you fortunate ones!
Below in the eighteen realms of hell,
As soon as the weapon strikes, right then the wound is healed.
But it’s not that the wound is excellently tended to:
It’s the karmic result of killing in previous lives.
Relinquish your killing, all you fortunate ones!
Somewhere in the land of pretas,
As soon as they eat, they’re immediately hungry.
But it’s not because they have a huge belly:
It’s the ripening of avarice in previous lives.
Abandon your avarice, all you fortunate ones!
In the basin of the bathing pool
Stands a wish-fulfilling cow.
Whether she’s milked or not, it’s up to you.
Within the root of the embodiment of all trees
Lies the supreme medicine that clears the five diseases.
Whether the medicine is dug out or not, it’s up to you.
Although you invite the master guru
Who has the key, the upadeshas’ vital points,
Whether you open the two gateways is up to you.
Thus he sang. Then the bandits developed supreme faith and four of them offered their commitment never to attack, steal from, or kill others again. One of them followed Milarepa as an attendant and later attained excellent realization.
Then, the Jetsun and his disciples went down to Namar in Dingri. Along the way, they met a shepherd whom Milarepa asked, “In that land there, what is the name of the great benefactor?”