The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

by Tsangnyon Heruka

  The herder answered, “He is called Lhajé Yangé. He is rich and has great faith.”

  Milarepa and his disciples went to him and found the physician standing in the midst of a great crowd of people.

  The Jetsun said to him, “Benefactor, it is said you are very rich. We have come this morning to beg for today’s meal.”

  The benefactor said, “On the other side of the pass is Milarepa, and on this side is Dampa Sangye. The coming and going of all these yogis never ceases. If I give food to every single one of them, I will be left with nothing. If I meet Milarepa himself, then I will offer my service and respect. But we do not have fortune enough to meet him.”

  The Jetsun replied, “I am Milarepa, so you may bring us something to eat.”

  He said, “Well, it is said that the Jetsun Milarepa can use any appearance as an example to teach the dharma. Please teach some dharma using the bubbles in this irrigation ditch in front of us as an example.” In reply the Jetsun sang this song of realization of the impermanence of water bubbles:

  I bow at the feet of the guru, the buddha of the three times.

  May all appearances in this village be turned to dharma.

  This life’s impermanence is like a water bubble;

  It’s nothing dependable, the guru taught.

  Lazy ones are like thieves in an empty house;

  Don’t you know you’ll return empty-handed?

  Youth is like a flower in the spring;

  There’s no knowing when it will fade.

  Old age is like a fire in the field;

  Don’t you know it’s right upon your heels?

  Birth and death are like the sun’s rising and setting;

  They happen again and again, said the Muni.

  Sickness is like a little bird hit with a stone;

  Don’t you know your strength will be gone?

  Death is like the depletion of a lamp’s oil;

  It’s certain that you will not always remain.

  Bad karma is like water falling over a steep cliff;

  I’ve never seen it go back up.

  Evil ones are like a poisonous tree;

  However much you keep to them, that much you lose.

  Impaired samaya is like a crop of beans withered by frost;

  Those with grave samaya impairments are brought to ruin.

  Dharma conduct is like the harvest of the field;

  However much you strive in it, that much you win.

  The guru is like nectar and medicine;

  As much as you keep to them, that much you gain.

  Samaya is like a watchman’s tower;

  As much as you keep it, that much you gain.

  Negative and virtuous karma are like the wheel of existence;

  Those who defile their vows will know defeat.

  Samsara is like a poisonous thorn;

  As much as it spreads, that much you’ll suffer.

  The Lord of Death is like the shadow of the sun;

  I’ve never seen him successfully blocked.

  When that single time arrives,

  Is there anything but to practice genuine dharma?

  There’s no refuge or protector apart from that.

  Whoever obtains dharma will be victorious,

  But there is no one who wishes to practice genuine dharma.

  The households of samsara generate labor and toil;

  For the painful labor generated, they scramble and plunder.

  When speaking of the dharma, how happy they are,

  But when it comes down to the meaning, they’re reduced to a mutter.

  Benefactor, don’t talk too much; practice the sublime dharma!

  Thus he sang. Then the physician said, “This is very helpful for my mind. Please also teach dharma to help me develop certainty in the dharma of karma, cause and effect, and birth, old age, sickness, and death.” In reply, Milarepa sang this song of realization:

  In the state of the great birthless reality

  Falls the rain of nectar of the four immeasurables.

  You place all beings on the path of great bliss;

  I praise you, Lord, Wish-Fulfilling Jewel.

  With this key point, I praise the guru.

  Now, please listen to these words, you who sit here:

  When you’re young and your faculties are sharp,

  You never imagine old age will come.

  But old age comes, like a seed underground.

  Gradually and slowly, it makes its way.

  When your five senses’ faculties are sharp,

  You never imagine that sickness will come.

  But sickness comes upon you all of a sudden.

  Forcefully and powerfully, it makes its way.

  When, in this life, appearances seem solid,

  You never imagine that death will come.

  Death will come like a bolt of lightning.

  Swiftly and suddenly, it makes its way.

  Old age, sickness, and death, these three,

  Come as easily as the hand meeting the mouth.

  Obstacles come suddenly, and sting like an arrow.

  The Lord of Death waits like a watchman over the pass.

  This life, next life, and the bardo, these three,

  Like blind birds flying, arranged in their rows,*1

  You’re never parted from these three guests.

  Are you not frightened of your negative karma?

  Hell beings, pretas, and animals, these three,

  Like the arrows of a powerful archer,

  Lie in wait in tight, treacherous paths.

  These three treacherous paths ever await you.

  Are you not frightened of your previous suffering?

  Does your present suffering not torment you?

  Suffering is like the ripples on water:

  Before one clears, another comes right behind.

  If the time never comes when they all are cleared,

  Happiness and pain will be like travelers on the road,

  As soon as one goes, another one comes.

  If there comes no time when they are stopped,

  Happiness and leisure will be like basking in the sun,

  Made impermanent by a rainstorm or blizzard:

  Do you not know they will quickly come?

  Contemplate this, and practice sublime dharma.

  Thus he sang. Then everyone had faith and showed abundant respect and service. The people supplicated Milarepa to remain there with them permanently to be the object of their respect, but he refused. During the one night he did stay, he gave Lhajé Yangé the key instructions. Then he prepared to leave and all of the local people gathered and said, “If the Jetsun will not stay for even a few nights, please teach us some dharma that we may practice.” Then the Jetsun sang this song of realization in reply:

  Listen, all you villagers gathered around,

  Will you definitely practice the sublime dharma or not?

  If you definitely intend to practice the dharma,

  When you are sleeping in your own beds,

  Do not be overtaken by the ignorance of sleep.

  In late evening, you should do the yidam deity’s recitation.

  In the first part of the night, supplicate the guru lord.

  At midnight, meditate, free of conception.

  Before dawn, strive in the prana-control practice.

  At dawn, you should confess the five poisons.

  When the sun is up, you should seal all appearances.

  But the main thing is to look at your mind!

  The key instructions were received from the guru lord.

  Supplicate the yidam deity.

  Keep samaya with your vajra siblings.

  Make offerings to the three precious jewels.

  At your crown, meditate on great compassion.

  Recite the MANI PADME*2 essence.

  Be generous to all of those who are poor.

  Have compassion on those without any power.

  Pay service
to those who are learned and disciplined.

  Have respect toward your father and mother.

  The assembly of hundreds of wise, excellent gurus

  Practiced no other points but these.

  May all temporal things be auspicious!

  I aspire that your lives be long and free of illness.

  Thus he sang. All of them obtained unwavering faith and Lhajé Yangé took hold of the path at the time of death. Then the master Jetsun and his disciples went to Chuwar.

  This is the cycle of the Physician of Yangé.

  *1 According to Tibetan folk-lore, there is a species of bird in Tibet that is, in fact, blind, and that flies in a V-shaped formation following behind a sighted one of another species in the front. (TN)

  *2 This refers to the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion: OM MANI PADME HUM.

  57

  The Later Journey to Central Tibet

  NAMO GURU

  Rechungpa, the heart-son of the Jetsun Milarepa, had some obstacles concerning the Princess Dembu, and in order to clear these, the Jetsun came to Rechungpa, emanating himself as a beggar. Rechungpa had a large piece of turquoise that came from the Yakdé Valley, which he wrapped with a cloth and gave to the “beggar.”

  “My son does not have attachment to material things and has great compassion,” he thought. Due to the condition of giving the turquoise, Rechungpa became disillusioned about the Princess Dembu, left her, and returned to be with the Jetsun.

  On the road, Rechungpa begged from the dying daughter of a rich Khampa and was offered two portions of dried meat, which he cut up finely in order to offer the Jetsun.

  In Chuwar, the Jetsun, while sitting with his retinue of disciple-sons, said, “Rechungpa is coming carrying something that is so large it will not fit in this valley.” Rechungpa then quickly arrived. He gave a full bag of meat as a gift to the Jetsun and asked him about his health, to which Milarepa replied with this song of realization:

  For this yogi who roams the noble snowy white mountains,

  The mandala of his flourishing body expands.

  Having cleared the harsh sickness of the five poisons,

  I have no uneasines; I am happy.

  I’ve relinquished distractions of attachment to busyness.

  Attaining freedom and control, I am happy.

  Abandoning the many convoluted activities,

  Staying in solitary lands with no people, I am happy.

  Abandoning the home-life of worldly suffering,

  Without temporary hoarding and maintaining, I am happy.

  Not studying texts with intellectual ambition,

  Without any worries, my mind is happy.

  Without desire to speak and without great pride,

  Without debates or lip-service, I am happy.

  Knowing nothing of deception or phoniness,

  Without doing “this” for “that,” I am happy.

  Without arrogance or desire for fame,

  I say nothing wrong, so I am happy.

  Wherever I stay is fine; where I am, I’m happy.

  Whatever clothes are fine; with whatever I do, I’m happy.

  Whatever food is fine; with whatever I get, I’m happy.

  A man like me is always happy.

  Son, Rechungpa, did you come here happy?

  Thus he sang. Then the meat was cooked with some vegetables and served to all of the monks.

  One of the repas said, “The Jetsun said that his heart-son Rechungpa was coming with a gift that was so big it would not fit in the valley. What was that gift?”

  The Jetsun replied, “The offering of meat and vegetables won’t fit in the valley of your belly!” At that, everyone laughed.

  Then the Jetsun said to the disciple-sons, “Now I will give you all an abhisheka, and for the sake of tendrel, you should offer me something. Rechungpa, if you don’t give anything, it is fine.”

  Rechungpa, displeased, joined in the ceremony. In the center of the mandala, there was the piece of turquoise, unadulterated, that he had previously offered the beggar. Rechungpa was dumbfounded. Realizing that the beggar he gave the turquoise to was the Jetsun’s emanation, he had confidence it was the Jetsun’s compassion to have him part from the Lady Dembu.

  The Jetsun said, “Rechungpa, if it were not for me, the value of this turquoise would have become your ruin. You have had uninterrupted devotion toward me and never abandoned your compassion for beings. I am satisfied.” Then he sang this song of realization:

  The father guru’s blessings are very powerful,

  Milarepa’s miracle was very significant,

  And Rechungpa’s compassion and generosity are very strong.

  When you gave turquoise to the beggar, it was I who received it,

  And this evening it’s a ritual gift for the Chakrasamvara abhisheka.

  The compassion you have for those with no power

  Is like an offering to buddhas of the three times.

  Your offering with compassion to me, that beggar,

  Was indeed an offering to Milarepa.

  Since all beings have been our fathers and mothers,

  To exclude or discriminate against any of them

  Is like eating strong poison without being aware.

  The minds of the wise and noble are harmonious,

  So to boast your own views with attachment and aggression

  Is like throwing all your training into the water.

  The dharma that doesn’t distinguish right and wrong,

  Is partial toward views, and denigrates true dharma

  Cuts the rope that takes hold of liberation.

  All of one’s happiness comes from others,

  And all benefit for others is the cause of one’s happiness.

  All types of harm are negativity for yourself;

  Therefore, generating the intention of doing benefit,

  One comes in the midst of the mandala deities.

  Confess all of your negative downfalls

  And make strong commitments to keep your vows.

  Thus he sang. Rechungpa gave rise to regret and confessed in the presence of the Jetsun and his dharma friends. Then he offered this song of realization:

  With the karma of distraction, wishing for bodily comfort,

  I followed after appearances that led me along.

  Deceived, I gathered karma of the lower realms.

  I confess these before the body of my father guru.

  Masters of deceit have a love of words;

  Such a skillful tongue is a cause for the hells.

  Lots of meat and liquor make for becoming a preta.

  Heedless speech and dishonesty:

  These I confess before the speech of my father guru.

  Wishing for pleasure is the cause for malevolent mind.

  With desire for fame and doing unwholesome conduct,

  One accumulates all kinds of negative karma.

  I confess these before the mind of my father guru.

  By wandering in the towns of evil lands

  The ritual practice of the powerful mandala was broken.

  With the activity of intimidating many demons

  The power of profound mantra strayed.

  By making plans for doing many things

  The stream of excellent samadhi was cut.

  This I confess before the mandala deities.

  By staying in various sleeping quarters,

  I began to distinguish self and other.

  That I couldn’t take defeat on for myself,

  I confess before my dharma friends.

  Thus he sang. Then the Jetsun gave the abhisheka and extensive pointing-out instructions to all the repas. Sitting in the assembly row after the abhisheka, Repa Shiwa Ö said to the Jetsun, “Rechungpa is someone who has attained mastery over prana and mind and has taken a secret consort. Shouldn’t the Jetsun consider this? Why is it necessary for Rechungpa to offer his confession here?”

  The Jetsun replied, “You
must understand the important key points of time.” Then he sang this song of realization:

  I bow at the feet of Marpa who is so kind.

  Grant your blessing that my mind-stream goes to the path.

  Accept me with compassion that I know my disciples’ mind-streams.

  Not knowing the right time for practicing dharma, the yogi goes astray.

  Not knowing the right time to speak, the elder goes astray.

  Not knowing the right time for giving food, the housewife goes astray.

  Not knowing the right time for doing work, the servant goes astray.

  Not knowing the right time for encountering foes, the hero goes astray.

  Not knowing the right time for meeting adverse conditions, noble monks go astray.

  Not knowing the right time for enduring suffering, benefit will go astray.

  Not having endurance in meditation, your goal will go astray.

  Not supporting one another, dharma friends will go astray.

  If the student doesn’t listen to the master, the relationship with the disciple will go astray.

  The ways one can go astray are fathomless:

  Practice as I tell you, my disciple-sons!

  Thus he sang and they all developed certainty. Then Rechungpa made a commitment to accomplish whatever the guru commanded.

  In a dream he had in which he put great effort into serving the guru, Rechungpa placed a bale of wool on a dog to carry, and cried out, ‘Write down the words!’ then they departed. When they reached a mountain pass in the dream, eighty-eight people were there and escorted them up. And there were eighty-eight people to receive them when they arrived. Rechungpa asked the Jetsun, “What is the meaning of this dream?” Then the Jetsun replied with this song of realization:

  The dog means that you will have a companion;