Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche - The Life & Spiritual Songs of Milarepa PDF

May this supreme, peerless teaching,
The precious treasure ofthe Victorious Ones
Spread and extend throughout the world,
Like the sun shining in the sky.

GoLDEN RosARY EDITIONS
comprise oral teachings by

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche on the great
lineage masters of the Kagyu tradition.
They are reproduced through

the inspiration ofH. H. Karmapa,
the blessing ofKhenchen Thrangu Rinpoche,
and the guidance ofVenerable Lama Karma Shedrup.
These editiom are dedicated

to their long life and prosperity.
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust

Publicatiom
The Life
&
Spiritual Songs
of
Milarepa
by
Khabje Khenchen
Thrangu Rinpoche
Copyright © 2003 Namo Buddha &
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Publications.
All rights reserved. No part of this book, either text or art, may be reproduced
in any form, electronic or otherwise, without written permission form Thrangu
Rinpochc or Namo Buddha Publications.
ISBN Number: 1-877294-26-8
This publication is a joint venture between:
Namo Buddha Publications

P. O.Box 1083, Crestone,
CO 81131, USA
Email: [email protected]
Thrangu Rinpoche's web site: www.rinpoche.com
and
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust Publications
PO Box 6259 Wellesley Street,
Auckland, New Zealand
Email: [email protected]
www.greatliberation.org
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Gabriele Hollmann for the enormous work of
transcribing and editing this manuscript. We would also like to thank Jean
Johnson for going over the manuscript. And, of course, we would like to thank
Peter Roberts for carefully retranslating this manuscript and giving his advice
on technical details. The songs on pages 53 - 55 are from The Rain ofWisdom,
translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee under the direction of
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. © 1980 by Chogyam Trungpa. Reprinted by
arrangement with Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston, www.shambhala.com
Notes
Technical words are italicized the first time that they appear to alert the reader
that their definition can be found in the Glossary ofTerms. The Tibetan words
arc given as they are pronounced, not spelled in Tibetan. We use B.C.E. (Before
Current Era) for B.C. and C.E. (Current Era) for A.D.
Table of Contents
Foreword zx
Biography of Thrangu Rinpoche Xt
Preface Xttt
Chap.] An lntro duction tothe -r.

1ext 1
2 Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru 9
3 Songs ofthe Snow 17
4 The Rock Sinmo in the Lingpa Cave 27
5 Songs on Yolmo Snow-Mountain 37
6 The Story ofNyama Palderbum 45
vii
The Life & Spiritual Songs ofMilarepa
Chap.7 The Encounter with Naro Bonchung 57
8 Invitation from the King ofKathmandu 67
9 Entering the l'ak Horn 73
10 The Story ofGampopa 81
11 Victory Over the Four Maras 93
~m ~
Glossary ofTerms 115
Glossary ofTibetan Terms 141
Bibliography 143
m~ 1~
viii
Ven. Lama Karma Shedrup Cho Gyi Senge Kartung
Foreword
7he Golden Rosary Editions contain the spiritual biographies
and teachings of the glorious Kagyupa lineage. The term
"Golden Rosary'' refers to this lineage of realized masters who
have transmitted unbroken the profound Mahamudra teachings
of the Lord Buddha to the present day. What makes these teachings
so profound is that they contain instructions and practices which
enable one to accomplish enlightenment in one lifetime.
One of the tremendous blessings of the Kagyu lineage is the
diversity of lifestyles manifested by the lineage masters, showing
that whatever our circumstances or lifestyle, we can practice these
teachings and accomplish enlightenment. For example, Tilopa
accomplished enlightenment while working as a menial labourer
grounding sesame seeds. Others like Marpa were businessmen
and had families. Marpa's student Milarepa was an ascetic who
spent his life practicing in isolated caves, and one of his students,
Gampopa, was a monk. Yet what they all had in common was that
through practicing Mahamudra they all accomplished
enlightenment. All this shows the great variety and power of the
ix
methods of Vajrayana for transforming one's mind through

whatever circumstances. So similarly, if we practice Mahamudra
with great diligence and effort we can achieve the fruition in
one lifetime.
Therefore to read these spiritual biographies of the Kagyu
lineage masters is a great inspiration to enter the path and they
also provide encouragement and inspiration to continue when
circumstances become difficult. In particular it is of great blessing
to receive these teachings from Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, a
master of great wisdom and compassion. Because he has directly
realised Mahamudra and is a holder of this lineage he can transmit
not only the words but the meaning.
So, I encourage all students to read these spiritual biographies
and pray that it will inspire you to fulfil all the aspirations of the
lineage masters. And may this merit cause the life and teachings
of the great masters to flourish and remain for many eons
benefiting limitless sentient beings.
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust

3/1 Franklin Rd, Ponsonby
Auckland, NZ
X
Biography of
Thrangu Rinpoche (b. 1933)
7 he lineage of the Thrangu Rinpoche incarnations began in
the fifteenth century when the Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak
Gyatso visited the region of Thrangu in Tibet. At this time His
Holiness Karmapa established Thrangu Monastery and enthroned
Sherap Gyaltsen as the first Thrangu Rinpoche, recognizing 'him
as the re-established emanation of Shuwu Palgyi Senge, one of the
twenty-five great siddha disciples of Guru Padmasambhava.
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is the ninth incarnation of this
lineage and was born in Kham, Tibet in 1933. When he was four,
H.H. the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa and Palpung Situ Rinpoche
recognized him as the incarnation of Thrangu Tulku: by
prophesying the names of his parents and the place of his birth.
He entered Thrangu monastery and from the ages of seven to
sixteen he studied reading, writing, grammar, poetry, and astrology,
memorised ritual texts, and completed two preliminary retreats.
At sixteen under the direction of Khenpo Lodro Rabsel he began
the study of the three vehicles of Buddhism while staying in retreat.
At twenty-three he received full ordination from the Karmapa.
When he was twenty-seven Rinpoche left Tibet for India at the
xi
time of the Communist invasion. He was called to Rumtek,

Sikkim, where the Karmapa had his seat in exile. At thirty-five he
took the geshe examination before 1500 monks at Buxador
monastic refugee camp in Bengal India and was awarded the degree
of Geshe Lharampa. On his return to Rumtek he was named
Abbot ofRumtek monastery and the Nalanda Institute for Higher
Buddhist studies at Rumtek. He has been the personal teacher of
the four principal Karma Kagyu tulkus: Shamar Rinpoche, Situ
Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche.
Thrangu Rinpoche has travelled extensively throughout
Europe, the Far East and the USA. He is the abbot of Gampo
Abbey, Nova Scotia, and ofThrangu House, Oxford, in the UK.
In 1984 he spent several months in Tibet where he ordained over
100 monks and nuns and visited several monasteries. He has also
founded Thrangu Tashi Choling monastery in Boudhnath, a retreat
centre and college at Nama Buddha east of the Katmandu Valley,
and has established a school in Boudhnath for the general education
of lay children and young monks. He also built Tara Abbey in
Katmandu. In October of 1999 he consecrated the college at
Sarnath which will accept students from the different traditions
of Buddhism and will be open to Western students as well.
Thrangu Rinpoche, a recognised master of Mahamudra
meditation has given teachings in over 25 countries. He is especially
known for taking complex teachings and making them accessible
to Western students.
More recently, because of his vast knowledge of the Dharma,
he was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the personal
tutor for the Seventeenth Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje.
xii
Preface
7 wo thousand five hundred years ago the Buddha gave a
remarkable set of teachings in which he postulated that
everyone experiences s·uffering. He further taught that to overcome
this suffering, this feeling that the world is not going the way that
we want it to go, could only be done by explaining the mind. The
Buddha then spent the next forty years of his life giving teachings
on how to overcome this suffering and how to attain complete
freedom, that is complete liberation or awakening. The
examination of mind involves first understanding why we suffer,
then contemplating the causes of this suffering, and finally
examining our mind through meditation. The meditation, which
is common to all Buddhist traditions, is known as sitting meditation
or Shamatha meditation in Sanskrit.
These teachings spread first throughout India and then
gradually to most Asian countries. In the eleventh century the
Moslems invaded India and destroyed most of these teachings
in the country of their origin. However, a few centuries before
brave pilgrims from China and Tibet had come to India risking
life and limb and had collected these precious Buddhist teachings
and taken them back to their own country and translated them
into their language.
xiii
One such person was Marpa who came from Tibet and brought
back a large numbers of texts of not only what the Buddha taught,
but of Buddhist teachings which were practiced by the
accomplished masters or siddhas of the eleventh century. The
Buddhist practices of these siddhas were a living tradition passed
down from guru to disciple with the disciple not receiving the
teachings until the master had completely accomplished the
practice and the pupil had shown that he or she was ready to
receive them. In many ways one could say that these were the
most important transmissions of the Buddhist teachings because
they weren't simply words on a page.
Marpa received the complete Vajrayana practices of Hevajra,
Chakramsamvara, and Vajrayogini. In addition, he received the
six yogic practices ofNaropa and the transmission for Mahamudra
practice.·By completely mastering these practices Marpa was able
to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime.
Marpa brought back these teachings and transmitted them to
Milarepa who is one of the greatest Buddhist saints to have ever
lived. His incredible story of achieving enlightenment is told in
The Life ofMilarepa and is one of the truly inspirational books in
Buddhism. This biography tells mainly the story of Milarepa's
life. Milarepa's teachings on his practice of the Six Yogas and the
Mahamudra meditation is mostly told in a second book called
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa translated by Garma
Chang.
Marpa received the teachings on a particular type of meditation
called Mahamudra, which is a special meditation of the Vajrayana
school of Buddhism. Mahamudra meditation does not involve
the great accumulation of merit of the Hinayana, nor does it require
the very scholarly analysis of emptiness of the Mahayana; rather it
xiv
Preface
is the practice oflooking directly into one's own mind and seeing
its true nature.
For example, one day Tilopa asked Naropa to stretch a piece
of cotton doth across the ground and when he had done so, Tilopa
lit the cloth and asked Naropa what he saw. Seeing the charred
warp and woof of the doth Naropa replied that he understood
that the guru's instructions was like a fire which burned away the
disciple's disturbing emotions which was like the doth. This causes
the belief in subtle reality to be destroyed and so the student cannot
enter into a worldly living.
Thrangu Rinpoche is one of the most respected scholars of
the Kagyu lineage ofTibetan Buddhism. He is recognized for not
only having a tremendous scholarly background, but also for having
great meditative insight into the Buddhist teachings. Every year
since 1986 he has shared his wisdom and teachings with Western
students through his Namo Buddha Seminars given at his monastery
in Nepal. At the Namo Buddha Seminar in 1988 he gave a series
of ten teachings on Milarepa's 100,000 Songs. These Songs contain
very detailed explanations of Buddhist dharma illustrating the yogi's
spontaneous realizations. These songs ofMilarepa can still be heard
in the monasteries of Nepal and, one hopes, have not been
forgotten by the people ofTibet.
Since these spiritual songs are often a distillation of a
practitioner's lifetime of meditation, they sometimes need a
commentary to explain all the nuances of what they mean. Due
to the large number of Songs and the limited time of the Namo
Buddha Seminar, Thrangu Rinpoche selected ten of the important
Songs to illustrate important Buddhist teachings and gave extensive
commentaries on them.
In The 100, 000 Songs ofMilarepa translated by Garma Chang
the reader will find that the translation does not always correspond
XV
to the way in which the song is translated here. This is why we

have included a translation of the parts of the Songr that are relevant
rather than simply referring the reader to Chang's book.
Finally, the reader may feel that these stories of ghosts and
demons and supernatural powers are simply folk legends from
twelfth century Tibet. This certainly would be the orthodox
Western historian's view. However, even today in the Far East
there are great Tibetan practitioners who perform miracles similar
to those described in The 100,000 Songs. Many of the lamas and
lay persons, including Western practitioners, have seen these
"miracles" and so the Western reader is cautioned from simply
dismissing the accounts of Milarepa as folk lore. The most
important aspect of these stories is, of course, the dharma that
shows us how to conduct our lives so that we may reach
enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
ClarkJohnson, Ph. D.
xvi
The Life
&
Spiritual Songs
of
Milarepa
Marpa the Translator, Milarepa's root guru
1012- 1097 C.E.
1
An Introduction to the Text

The Nature of the Buddhist Biography
( 7 he text entitled The Life ofMilarepa 1could be termed a

J biography, but-biographies in Buddhism are not quite the
same as those by modern historians. A modern biographer
looks for factual information, such as the exact date somebody
was born and the historical dates of the various things they did~ In
Buddhism a spiritual biography or a hagiography is not concerned
with the details of a person's life: whether Milarepa was born in
this or that year makes no difference. What does it matter if he
was born on the sixth instead of the seventh day of the month?
Rather, Buddhist biographies are based on the essential elements
of the individual's life: What motivation did they have? What
practices did he do? How much diligence did they have? What
results did they achieve? Finally, how were they able to help other
beings? This kind of biography inspires faith, devotion, and
diligence for spiritual practice and that is why spiritual practice is
so very important.
Some recent Tibetan scholars have denounced the Tibetan
tradition of biographies as uncritical, arguing that they contain
only the good qualities of their subject and omit all the bad
1
The Life & Spiritual Songs oJMilarepa
qualities. It is true that there are few details in these biographies;

we are not told what kind of food Milarepa ate, or what kind of
bed he slept on. These are not just historical accounts of someone's
life. A spiritual biography is called namtar in Tibetan, which literally
means "complete liberation." These biographies describe
individuals who have rejected samsara, and through faith, devotion,
diligence, and wisdom have attained complete liberation from the
sufferings of samsara. These biographies therefore describe the
process of liberation beginning with why the individual first choose
to practice the dharma, how they met their teacher, what
instructions were received, how that individual practiced them,
and what results were achieved. These biographies have the purpose
of inspiring the readers to become drawn to the dharma and be
diligent in their practice.
The Characteristics ofa Spiritual Biography
A spiritual biography can be said to have nine

characteristics. These characteristics can be grouped into three
sets, each containing two faults to be avoided and one good
quality to be acquired.
The first set of three characteristics is comprised of being
meaninglessness, being in error, and being meaningful. For
example, it would be pointless to describe how tall Milarepa was;
the information that he was five feet or four feet tall would be
meaningless. The second characteristic of being in error would be
something contrary to the facts, for example, to say that Milarepa
was a very aggressive or lustful person. Obviously those two faults
should be avoided in a namtar and rather the text should be
meaningful. For example, the text should describe how Milarepa's
experiences of suffering and impermanence caused him to turn to
2
the dharma, meet his guru, and practice his guru's instructions
correctly so that those reading the biography will understand how
they themselves should also follow the dharma, practice the
instructions, and accomplish the end result of enlightenment.
The next group of three characteristics is dedication to learning,
debate, and practice. The first, dedication to learning, means that
one feels one has to know and explain everything in detail, which
is not that important. The second is dedication to debate.
Dedication to debate means being engaged in the refutation of
certain statements, answering objections to one's own views, and
so on which is not of any importance. What is important for a
text is the third characteristic of dedication to practice. One does
not just hear and contemplate the teachings, or just debate it, but
one actually gains control of one's own mind, eliminating faults,
increasing positive qualities, and accomplishing benefit for oneself
and for others.
The last group of three characteristics is deceit, propagation
of violence, and eliminating suffering. The first, deceit, means
the treatise is written in order to mislead people. The second is a
propagation of violence. The advocating of violence occurs when
texts engender an increase of cruelty and violence towards others,
instead of compassion and altruism. Texts with those two
characteristics should be avoided. The kind of text that should be
studied is one that has the characteristic of providing a method to
eliminate suffering.
Therefore a namtar should not have any of the characteristics
of: (1) being meaningless, (2) being in error, (3) dedicated to study,
(4) dedicated to debate, (5) one of deception, or (6) advocating
the propagation of violence. Texts containing these characteristics
should not be written; one that has been written should not be
taught, and its teachings should not be practiced.
3
The kind of text that should be written, taught, and put into
practice is one that has the three characteristics of being: (1)
meaningful, (2) dedicated to practice, and (3) is a means to
eliminate suffering.
The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa
The biography ofMilarepa (Tib. mila namtar) is dearly written

and easily understood, as is its translation into English, so it does
not require much additional explanation. However, there is also
the collection of the spiritual songs of Milarepa entitled The
Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa (Tib. Mila Grubum) and in
this book I shall explain a selection of songs from ten of its chapters.
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa were compiled by
Tsang Nyon Heruka2 an emanation of Milarepa, who also wrote
The Life ofMilarepa. Tsang Nyon was a siddha who had gained
the appellation "Nyonpa" which means "crazy." ·He was one of
three famous contemporary "crazy siddhas": Druk Nyon who was
"the crazy man from Bhutan," U Nyon who was "the crazy man
from U 3" and Tsang Nyon who was "the crazy man from Tsang.4''
The life-story and songs ofMilarepa inspire people to practice
his lineage of instructions. This lineage consists of the path of
means using the Six Yogas ofNaropa and the path of liberation, 5
which is Mahamudra meditation.
In the Karma Kagyu transmission of his lineage, the ninth
Karmapa taught the realization of Mahamudra in three texts. He
explained Mahamudra in the long The Ocean ofDefinitive Meaning,
the middle length in The Mahamudra which Eliminates the Darkness
ofIgnorance, and the short Pointing Out the Dharmakaya. These
three texts provide us with a progressive path of meditation
beginning with the four ways ofchanging the mintf' and progressing
4
to the stages of tranquillity or Shamatha meditation and insight

or Vipashyana meditation7 by explaining the methods of practice
that lead to the ultimate experience.
A Prayer to Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa
First, I shall give a brief description of Milarepa, so that we

may have faith in him. Milarepa was an exceptional master, because
he had an exceptional guru, Marpa, and an exceptional pupil,
Gampopa. Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo 8 concisely described these
three masters in a short prayer that is regularly recited in the Karma
Kagyu school. In this prayer one verse is dedicated to each of
these masters with each verse describing three special qualities
that the master possessed. The first four lines is a prayer to Marpa:
Great courage took you to India many times.

With great wisdom, you saw the true nature of all
phenomena.
With great accomplishment, you performed miracles.
I supplicate the great translator Marpa.
Marpa underwent considerable hardships to go to India three

times. He did not do this for his own benefit, but he did this so
that he could meet great gurus such as Naropa and Maitripa and
receive the teachings from them and put them into practice. Not
only did Marpa have the great confidence that he could receive
these teachings, but he also had the confidence that he could
introduce these teachings into Tibet and teach many pupils who
would practice and embody them correctly and completely, and
then transmit them on to their own pupils. He did this so that
their lineages would grow and prosper throughout the future.
5
When Marpa went to India, met his gurus, and received their
instructions, he didn't just learn these instructions but he also
practiced the instructions and attained full realization. Through
the power of his wisdom Marpa saw the true nature of all
phenomena and attained the supreme accomplishment
(enlightenment) within that very lifetime.
Marpa not only saw the true nature of phenomena, but as a
sign of his attainment of the dharmakaya he was able to display a
variety ofmiraculous powers to his pupils who were worthy, so as
to engender faith, and have them follow the dharma.
The second verse is a prayer to Milarepa:
With great power, you destroyed your enemies.

With great hardship, you pleased your guru.
With great diligence, you raised the victory banner
of practice.
I supplicate the great yogi Milarepa.
Milarepa began by studying under a master of black magic

and using his powers he destroyed and killed his uncles who had
treated him, his mother and sister poorly. This, of course, created
great negative karma that Milarepa would have carried into future
lifetimes had he not regretted these actions and searched out a
true lama, Marpa.
Marpa commanded Milarepa to build a succession of stone
houses only to tell him to pull them down again. Despite the
hardship involved, Milarepa's faith in Marpa never wavered, and
he fulfilled Marpa's commands. This purified him of his negative
karma, which pleased Marpa, his guru.
6
Milarepa, having received the instructions from Marpa, knew

that the practice of these instructions was more important than
any worldly activities. So Milarepa lived in various caves even if it
meant that he had to go without food or clothes and practiced
with diligence until he accomplished enlightenment. He then
passed on his dharma teachings to many pupils thus raising the
victory banner of practice.
The next verse is a prayer to Gampopa:
The Great Vehicle awakened your heritage.

Due to the Mahamudra your realization manifested
itself.
Your great activity extended as far as space extends,
I supplicate the great meditator Gampopa.
Milarepa had many disciples, but there were two main ones:
Gampopa, who was said to be like the sun, and Rechungpa, who
was said to be like the moon. Gampopa was an exceptional pupil
who had been prophesied by Buddha Shakyamuni. 9 Gampopa
was a physician who when he lost his family to a disease that he
could not cure began seeking the dharma. He began by first
studying under a Kadampa teacher and took ordination learning
and practicing the Mahayana doctrine. Later when he heard some
beggars discussing Milarepa he developed great faith in Milarepa,
so he sought him out, became his student and received teachings
from him.
Gampopa practiced the Mahamudra instructions he received
from Milarepa and attained the ultimate result, the manifestation
of the realization of Mahamudra, so that the special qualities of
the Mahamudra experience and realization arose in his mind.
7
Gampopa accomplished the ultimate realization of

Mahamudra and passed on the transmission of his teachings
through four great pupils: Dusum Khyenpa (the first Karmapa),
Tsultrim Nyingpo, Baram Dharma Wangchuk, and Pagmo Drupa,
from whom the four primary and eight secondary Kagyu lineages
subsequently formed. 10 These teachings on Mahamudra
meditation and other Vajrayana practices have literally spread
around the world, so the instructions of Marpa, Milarepa, and
Gampopa have thus continued uninterrupted due to the extensive
activity of Gampopa.
8
2
Six Songs ofLonging for the Guru

{The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa are in three parts:
J the teachings Milarepa gave to non-human beings, the
teachings he gave to his principal disciples, and the general
teachings he gave to his ordinary pupils.
The first chapter of the book11 begins with the section on
teachings to non-human beings. It is entitled Six Songs ofLonging
for the Guru. These spiritual songs dearly teach the wish to abandon
samsara, devotion to the guru, and meditation on compassion for
non-human beings.
The story begins when Milarepa was practicing Mahamudra
meditation in the Kyung dzong (Garuda-castle) cave in Chong
lung (Carnelian-valley). One day he thought he would eat
something but discovered that he had run out of food, water, and
even firewood. He decided that he had been a little too diligent in
his meditation in that he had ignored his physical welfare and
that he should now pay a little attention to the material world.
There are some people who believe that they need to undergo
the same hardships as Milarepa by being very poor and eating
very sparsely. But in fact, deprivation is not necessary on the
spiritual path. Hardship alone does not bring Buddhahood; it is
through the practice of the dharma, of meditation, that one
9
accomplishes Buddhahood. Milarepa had an overriding desire

to meditate and thus underwent hardships because everything
else meant little to him. Milarepa was so concentrated on
meditation that he forgot all about food and clothing,, and so
ended up without any.
So, Milarepa left his cave to collect some firewood. A sudden
gale began to blow his firewood away and when Milarepa held on
to his wood he began to lose the cotton robe he was wearing to
the wind. This put Milarepa into a dilemma of either holding·
onto his wood or to his robe, until he thought, "I've been
meditating for so many years to overcome attachment to the self,
hut I haven't even been able to abandon my attachment to fire
wood and this piece of cotton. If the wind wants to take my wood,
then let it take it! If it wants my cotton robe then let it take it!" So
he let the wind blow away both his firewood and his robe.
Milarepa was in such a state of physical exhaustion, due to his
exertions and living on very little food, that he passed out. When
he came to he saw his cotton robe was hanging from a tree. He
took it down sat himself upon a stone and gazed into the east
where he could see a white cloud far away. He thought, "Marpa is
living in the land of Drowolung (Wheat-valley) just under that
cloud. He also thought of his many dharma companions who
would be there, receiving instructions and empowerments from
Marpa. He then thought about this until he had an unendurable
longing for that place, his guru, his fellow pupils, and his guru's
teachings. With sadness, faith and devotion, he sang a spontaneous
song, in which he said:
In the east there is a white cloud. Beneath that white

cloud is Drowolung. In the hermitage in Drowolung,
Marpa Lotsawa is living. In the past I was able to see
10
Six Songs oJLongingfor the Guru
him. If I could see him now,. I would be so happy. I

,don't have enough devotion, but I long for my
exceptional guru so intensely I would be so happy to
be able to see him again.
The second verse describes Marpa's wife, Dagmema. She was

very loving, particularly to Milarepa, so the verse says:
Dagmema showed more love to me than my own

mother. If she were here and I could see her, I would
be so happy. She is so far away and the journey to her
would be difficult, but I long to see her.
Then he sang:
Now Marpa is in Drowolung and will be giving the

four kinds of empowerments - the vase
empowerment, the secret empowerment, the wisdom-
knowledge empowerment and the word
empowerment. If I could receive such profound
empowerments now, that would make me so very
happy. Though I am po0r and have no offering for
the empowerment, nevertheless, it is so fortunate to
request and receive the four empowerments. I long
for them and I long for my guru.
When one meets Marpa Lotsawa in the hermitage
of Lho Drowolung, he gives the instructions which
allows one to reach Buddhahood in one lifetime,
within the one body: these are the instructions of the
profound Six Yogas ofNaropa. It is fortunate to dwell
in Drowolung, to see Marpa Lotsawa and to receive
11
the instructions of the profound Six Yogas ofNaropa.

If I could have that good fortune now, I would be
happy. Although I don't have enough diligence to
meditate on these instructions, they are profound, so
that ifl could receive them and meditate upon them,
I would be happy.
There are many fortunate Dharma companions
who are scholars and practitioners from U and Tsang
who are staying at the hermitage ofDrowolung. They
receive etnpowerments and instructions together;
when they practice the dharma together they compare
their various experiences and realizations, examining
them to see how good they are. When they receive
instructions from the guru, the pupils compare their
.understanding of them, to see whether they have
clearly understood their meaning or not. Due to this
their experiences and realizations increase. If I could
have that good fortune I would be happy.
I have faith and devotion in my guru, who is never
apart from me, but my intense longing for him is
unendurable; I am intensely miserable. So I am
praying to you to dispel my sadness.
When Milarepa had finished singing this song the cloud in

the east extended towards him. Upon its foremost tip was Marpa
Lotsawa, more majestic than ever, mounted upon a white lion.
Marpa said, "What is the meaning of this? Why are you calling
me so loudly? Are you distressed that you can't receive the blessingF
of the three jewels? Can't you meditate because you think too much?
Are you pining for pleasures and worldly activities? What is it?
Whatever is the matter, we are inseparable; I am always with you.
12
Six Songs of Longing for the Guru
Therefore, practice the dharma well, preserve the teachings, and

benefit other beings in the future." Milarepa was overjoyed to see
Marpa, and sang a song, which says:
I had sadness in my mind and so thinking of my guru's

life: how he lives at Drowolung with his pupils and
followers, teaching the dharma and bestowing
empowerments. I felt great longing and devotion,
and thus received the guru's compassion and
blessing, terminating my nondharmic thoughts. I
have disturbed my guru with my loud cries, but
please forgive me and continue to look upon me
with compassion.
I am practicing with great diligence enduring the
hardships of hunger, thirst, and cold. I offer this
practice to my guru, in order to please him. I dwell
alone in the mountains as a pleasing service to the
dakas and dakinis. Though I disregard physical
hardships, applying myself to the practice of the
dharma as an act of service to the teachings of the
Buddha. I will practice for as long as my life lasts, as
a gift of dharma to the beings who are without a
refuge, without a protector.
If I'm going to die, I'll die; ifl'm going to be sick,
I'll be sick; but it will not make any difference to me.
I shall practice considering it to be more important
than anything else. This is my purification of negative
karma and obscurations. Undergoing hardships is the
necessary condition for developing experiences and
realizations. Therefore, you, Marpa Lotsawa, have
shown me great kindness in giving me the complete
13
empowerments and instructions that will enable me

to accomplish Buddhahood through diligence. To
repay that kindness I am practicing the dharma, so
look upon me with compassion.
Having prayed in that way Milarepa's mind was filled with

joy. He put his cotton robe back on, gathered up the firewood
and returned to his cave.
When he entered his cave he saw that there were five strange
Indian yogins, called atasaras, 13 in there. They had tiny black bodies
and huge eyes. One of them was sitting on Milarepa's seat, teaching
the dharma, another two were listening to him, another one was
making food, and another was reading through Milarepa's texts.
Then they all stopped what they were doing and stared at Milarepa
who. felt a little frightened. Then Milarepa thought, "I've been
meditating in this place for so many years, but I've never offered
any thanks by giving any torma offerings to the deity who is master
of these lands, or to any of the local deities or spirits. 14 Therefore
they have created this illusion. I must express my thanks for being
in this place." So Milarepa sang this song:
This is a place of solitude, an excellent place for the

accomplishment ofBuddhahood. It is sa.ld that many
siddhas have dwelt here in the past. This is an excellent
place where I can live alone and practice that which
is good. This is a pure place, with pure water, where
the birds live free from fear without any care. The
birds and monkeys are relaxed, free from worries and
kind to each other. Such a place as this is very good
for me and it is conducive to practice.
14
Six Songs of Longing for the Guru
I dwell here meditating on the bodhichitta of

aspiration and the bodhichitta of application. 15 It is
perfect for me. Now that you have come, I will
meditate on love and compassion towards you. Be
happy and depart.
Milarepa finished his song, but the five yogins were very angry.
They increased in number from five to seven and faced him as an
angry group. Milarepa tried wrathful mantras against them, but
they had no effect. Meditation on compassion and giving them
teachings was no help either. Then Milarepa thought, "I am Marpa
Lotsawa's pupil. He gave me the realization that all phenomena
are nothing other than the mind. Therefore these beings are
nothing but the creations of my own mind and I shouldn't be
afraid of them." Milarepa then sang a song about his confidence
expressed through analogies. 16
15
The nine-story stone tower built by Milarepa as instructed by his teacher
Marpa (see page 6). It was built on the edge of Marpa's land. In the
1930s this tower stood alone, but since that time a small monastery
seen surrounding the tower has been built.
3
Songs ofthe Snow

(7 he third chapter of the collected songs of Milarepa is
J Songs of the Snow. 17 This chapter describes Milarepa's
practice of meditation, especially his practice of tummo
and the sign of heat that he generated as a result of this practice.
It must be pointed out that the main point of Milarepa's life
story is not that we can only accomplish the dharma by practicing
in the way that he did. It is an example of the diligence that leads
one to the ultimate goal. It would be good if we could develop a
diligence like Milarepa's, but even if we can't, a development of
dharma practice over a long time can still attain the same result.
The first chapter describes how Milarepa subdued demons in
Tramar Chonglung. The second chapter describes how Milarepa
went to Lachi snow-mountain and subdued the leaders of many
demons there. From this he became famous as a lama with great
powers who could subdue demons. 18
Then Milarepa went to stay at Nyanang and other places near
to Lachi mountain. He said, "Staying in the middle of villages is
depressing. I must go on my own to a place of solitude where I
can accomplish my practice and my guru's instructions. Living in
a village is not a very good thing anyway, so I shall go to stay on
Lachi mountain for a second time."
17
Milarepa's pupils made a request, saying, "Great lord, your

only concern is the welfare of beings, therefore give us teachings.
If you remain here with us for the winter it will be of very great
benefit. You must please stay here. Winter on Lachi mountain is
very difficult with so much snow and cold." Milarepa replied, "I
am a pupil in the lineage of Naropa, so I am not afraid of such
things. Marpa Lotsawa commanded me to avoid distractions and
to practice in solitude."
As Milarepa had decided to leave some of his pupils requested
to escort him to the mountain. All Milarepa took with him was a
little tsampa, rice, meat and butter. He was escorted to Lachi
mountain where he took up his residence in Dundul Purnoche
(The great cave of the subjugation of Mara) cave. His escort started
their return journey to the village but the weather turned bad. It
snowed heavily and they reached the village with great diffic~lty.
It snowed continuously for nine days and nine nights 19 so that
the route between the village and where Milarepa was staying
became cut off for six months. Milarepa's pupils were certain that
he must have died and that there was no way he could have
survived, so they made funeral offerings to him in the fourth
Tibetan month (about May to June). They decided that they should
at least go and collect his body so that they will be able to make
offerings to it. Therefore, some of them forced their way through
the snows to reach Lachi mountain.
When they neared Milarepa's cave they saw a snow leopard
upon a rock and thought, "Milarepa's body will have been eaten
by that snow leopard and we are not even going to be able to
bring back his body." When they reached the spot where the snow
leopard had been they saw human footprints. They wondered,
"What is this? Is it some deity or spirit?" When they carne close to
Milarepa's cave they heard him singing and then calling out, "Hurry
18
Songs of the Snow
up! Where have you been that you're so late getting here?" When
they got to the cave they discovered that Milarepa had already
prepared a meal for them.
The pupils then asked, "How did you know we were
coming?" Milarepa replied, "I saw you when I was sitting on
that big rock over there." But they said, "But all we saw was a
snow leopard on that rock, so what do you mean?" Milarepa
then said, "That was an emanation of myself. I have meditated
for so long that I have mastery over my mind and subtle winds, 20
so I can manifest many emanations."
Milarepa was in good health but he hadn't had enough food
to keep him alive, so they asked him how he had survived. Milarepa
said, "I don't need much food because of my practice of meditation
and sometimes dakinis bring me a portion of their ganachakras.
Therefore I only need to eat a spoonful of tsampa to keep myself
alive. But also, in the fourth month, I had a vision of you
surrounding me and offering me a great deal of food, after that I
didn't need to eat at all." They said that was the time when they
had made the funeral offerings to him, thinking he was dead.
Milarepa said, "This proves that when people do good actions for
the sake of someone who has died, it really does help them."
Then the pupils requested him to return to the village. At
first Milarepa refused, saying, "My meditation is going well here,
so I'm not going to leave." The pupils insisted, saying, "People
will accuse us of leaving you here to die and they will be very
angry with us, so you must come back this one time to the village
with us." Milarepa agreed to come and so they set off together
with some going on ahead to tell the villagers that Milarepa was
alive and on his way. A great number of villagers came to welcome
him and escort him to the village. When they asked Milarepa's
how he was, he replied with a song:
19
I am happy that today we have met here and all are

still alive. This old man has many songs, so I am
singing in answer to your question. Listen well.
Saddened by samsara, I did not stay in the village,
but went to Lachi snow-mountain. It was as if the
sky and the earth had planned a snowstorm. So many
clouds gathered and the sun and moon could not be
seen, the stars and planets could not be seen, it was as
if they had been thrown into prison. The snow fell
for nine days and nine nights with snowflakes coming
down as large as birds and snowflakes as small as
sesame seeds. I was in a high place and the dark
mountains around me were all turned white.
When this great snow fell, all people's homes were
changed into prisons because they could not leave.
Animals, deprived of food, suffered a famine. The
wild animals also had no food. Neither did the birds
in the sky. Mice hid under the ground like a treasure
and animals of prey had nothing to eat.
The blizzard that fell upon me, the winter wind
and my thin cotton robe competed with each other
to see who could make the winter coldest for me. As
I am one of a lineage of heroes, I didn't run away and
all ended well. Therefore I believe that in the future
the teachings of the Practice Lineage will spread, there
will be many siddhas, and I, Milarepa, will be famous
for my accomplishment of the dharma. You my pupils
will have faith in me and the future will be good and
the Buddha's teachings will spread. That's how I am.
How are you?
20
Songs of the Snow
The villagers danced with joy. Milarepa's experience and

realization intensified and he danced too, leaving his footprints
and imprints from his staff all over the rock beneath him.
When he arrived in Nyanang village, his pupils said, "You are
in good health and must have developed exceptional realizations
and experiences in your meditation. Please tell us about them." In
reply Milarepa sang a spiritual song about his experiences and
realizations in which he describes his view, meditation, conduct
and commitment:
My view is the realization of the true nature of the

mind exactly as it is; the mind is seen to be unborn,
empty. There is nothing to be viewed. There is the
destruction and disappearance of the viewed and the
viewer. I have obtained such an excellent view.
My meditation is an unbroken continuity of
clarity, like the constant flow of a river. This is
meditation on the true nature of the mind. The true
nature of the mind never changes; the meditation is
unceasing, with no difference between periods of
meditation and periods of non-meditation. It is as if
one has lost the capacity to distinguish between
meditation and meditator. Everything is meditation,
so that meditation has great diligence.
My conduct is that there is no change in the
mind's fundamental clarity, in whatever I do. The
interdependence of phenomena is empty. All
distinction between acts that are done, and the
individual who acts, are destroyed.
My commitment is free of hypocrisy, artifice,
hope, and worry. The distinction between a
21
commitment that is kept and the keeper of a

commitment is ended and destroyed. I have this
excellent commitment.
The result of this is that the mind is seen as the
dharmakaya. There is a spontaneous achievement of
benefit for myself and others. There is no distinction
between a result that is achieved and one who achieves.
I have this excellent result.
This is an old man's song about the happy time
he has had. In my retreat I was cut off by the snow. I
was looked after by dakinis. I had the best of drinks -
the water of melted snow.
Milarepa's pupil, Shakya Guna, expressed his joy that Milarepa

had. returned without harm, that none of his pupils had died, and
that they have all met again. He requested Milarepa to give them
a dharma teaching on the six months that he had spent in retreat.
Milarepa replied with a song on the signs of accomplishment from
his six months of practice:
Saddened by worldly activities I went to Lachi

mountain, where I stayed in the solitude of the
Dundul Pukpa cave, practicing for six months, here I
experienced the six signs of accomplishment.
The six external objects are:

If it obstructs, it is not space. If they are countable,
they are not stars. If it moves, it is not a mountain. If
it diminishes or increases, it is not the sea. If it can be
crossed by a bridge, it is not a great river. If it can be
grasped by the hand, it is not a rainbow.
22
Songs of the Snow
Six inner faults are:

Looking up at the planets is not the view. This means
that the view should be free of conceptualization and
identification.
Mec.litation on the view should be free of stupor
or the agitation of thoughts, otherwise, it is not a
valid meditation.
When we arise from meditation and engage in
conduct, that conduct should be free from the
distinction of good conduct to be adopted and bad
conduct to be rejected.
One who has the true view, meditation, and
conduct is a yogin. A yogin should always be free
from.thoughts, otherwise he or she is not a true yogin.
That yogin must have wisdom that does not fluctuate
between clarity and obscuration. Ifit does, that is not
true wisdom.
The ultimate result is freedom from suffering,
birth, and death. If there is birth and death, then the
result is not Buddhahood.
The six kinds of bondage that bind one to non-

liberation from samsara are:
Anger causes one to fall into and remain in the hell
realms. Anger is a bondage that binds one to hell.
Miserliness is a bondage that binds one to the realm
of the hungry ghosts. Stupidity is a bondage that binds
one to the world of animals. Desire is a bondage that
binds one to the world of humans. Envy is a bondage
that binds one to the realm of the Jealous gods. Pride
is a bondage that binds one to the realm of the gods.
23
These six kleshal1 are bondages that bind one to non-

liberation from the six realms of existence.
There are six aspects to the path that leads to liberation

from these bonds, from samsara:
If there is great faith, one will be able to enter the
valid path~ therefore faith is the path to liberation.
If witn great faith one follows a guru who is
learned and self-controlled, one will go along the path
to liberation.
If while following the guru one keeps one's
commitments to the guru, this is the path to liberation.
If one has faith, relies on a guru, and keeps
unbroken commitments, and then one wanders in
the mountains, one will be able to truly accomplish
the path to liberation.
If wandering through the mountains one stays
alone avoiding distractions, one will be able to practice
the dharma properly, and therefore this is the path to
liberation.
If remaining in solitude one practices, that is the
path to liberation.
There are sixprofundities:

The innate natural profundity is the mind at rest in
an uncontrived state. This natural state is not newly
created, but is primordially innate within us.
When there is no distinction between internal and
external, and everything is pervaded by the mind, and
by knowledge, this is called the profundity of
knowledge.
24
Songs of the Snow
When the all-pervading knowledge is free from

fluctuation in its clarity, and is ever-present, it is called
the profundity of wisdom.
When that wisdom pervades everything, this great
pervasion is the profundity of the true nature of
phenomena.
When that expanse of the true nature of
phenomena is free ofloss and change, when it is always
present, that is called the profundity of the essential
drops (Skt. hindu.)
When that state is free of loss or change and is
continuous, that is the profundity of experience, the
experience of meditation.
These are the six profundities possessed by the
confident.
There are the six kinds of bliss that are the results of
the path of means such as tummo:
When the heat of the tummo practice blazes in the
body, there is bliss.
When the karmic winds that move through the
left channel (the lalana) and the right channel (the
rasana), and enter the central channel (the avadhuti)
are transformed into wisdom-air, there is bliss.
When the flow of bodhichitta descends in the
upper body, there is bliss.
When the lower body is pervaded by the hindu,
there is bliss.
When the white and red elements come together
in the middle of the body, there is bliss.
25
When the body is permeated by immaculate bliss,

there is bliss.
These are the six kinds of ultimate bliss in yoga.
26
4
The Rock Sinmo

in the Lingpa Cave
( / / ( arpa had told Milarcpa that he should meditate on
J .J ~ Palbar mountain. Milarepa went there and discovered
the Lingpa Cave to be very pleasant, and so he
meditated in that cave. 22 One day he heard a loud voice coming
from a crack in the rock. Milarepa got up and looked but decided
it was just a meditator's illusion and sat down again. Then a bright
light shone out from the rock. Inside the light there was a, red
man astride a musk-deer that was being led by a woman. The
man gave Milarepa a slight blow and then disappeared in a gust of
air. The woman changed into a red female dog that seized Milarepa
by the big toe of his left foot and would not let go. Milarepa,
understanding that this was a manifestation of a Rock Sinmo 23
sang her a song.
Rahula, who is the deity of the eclipse, please do not

be an enemy to the sun and moon that shine their
light from the sky down onto beings.
Snow blizzards, please do not attempt to harm
the white lion when he is wandering on the snow-
mountains.
27
Concealed pit filled with pointed stakes, do not

harm the tigress who dwells within the jungles, who
is. the champion amongst the beasts of prey.
Hooks, do not harm the golden fish that swim in
lake Mapam.
Hunter, do not harm the vulture in the sky that
seeks for food without killing anything.
I am Milarepa, practicing for my benefit, and the
benefit of others. I have forsaken this life's wealth
and possessions, food, and clothes. I have developed
the bodhichitta and I am attaining Buddhahood
within one lifetime. Therefore, Rock Sinmo, do not
harm me.
The Rock Sinmo still wouldn't release Milarepa's foot and

replied to Milaiepa with a song delivered by a disembodied voice
using practically the same poetic images, and concluding with:
You say that you accomplish the welfare of yourself

and others, that you have developed the bodhichitta,
and that you are achieving Buddhahood within one
lifetime so that you will become a guide for all the
beings in the six realms of existence.
However, when you meditate one-pointedly,
strong tendencies from your previous lives cause
illusions to appear. The tendencies are causes, the
illusions are conditions, and the result is that your
own thoughts appear to you as enemies, as demons.
If your own thoughts did not appear as your own
enemies, I, the Rock Sinmo, could not appear to you.
28
The Rock Sinmo in the Lingpa Cave
The demons and spirits appear due to negative

tendencies, and come from the mind.
If you do not know the nature of your own mind,
even though you tell me to leave, I won't.
Milarepa thought that what the Rock Sinmo had sung was
very true. He replied to her with a song using eight images:
Your words are very true. Nothing could be more

true .. I have wandered through many places but have
never heard anything as beautiful as your song. Even
if I questioned many scholars, I would never hear a
higher meaning. The eloquent words from your
mouth are like a golden needle that pressed onto the
heart dispels the heart-air24 and dispels the darkness
of delusion and ignorance, causing the lotus of the
mind to blossom, causing the torch of self-knowledge
to blaze, and causing wisdom to awaken.
When I look up into the sky, I think of emptiness
that is the true nature of phenomena. Therefore I
have no need to be afraid of material phenomena.
When I look at the sun and moon, I think of the
fundamental clarity of the mind. Therefore stupor
and agitation cannot harm me.
When I look at a mountain's peak, I think of the
stability of meditation. Therefore loss or change in
meditation cannot harm me.
When I look at a river, I think of the unbroken
continuity of meditation experience. Even if a sudden
condition appears, it can cause no harm.
29
When I look at a rainbow, I think of the unity of

appearance and emptiness, in which emptiness does
not harm appearance, and appearance does not harm
emptiness. As I have realized the union of appearance
and emptiness I am not afraid of eternalism and
nihilism.
When I look at the reflection of the moon on
wa~er, I think of ungraspability, so that thoughts of
grasped and grasper cannot harm me.
When I look inwards at my own mind, I think of
a naturally radiant butter-lamp in a bowl. Therefore
the dullness of ignorance cannot harm me.
Because I listened to your instructions my
meditation and self-knowing wisdom has become
clear. I am free of obstacles from demons and
obstructing spirits. You have given many teachings,
and clearly understand the nature of the mind, so
why have you become a demon? Y.ou have become a
demon because you harmed beings and ignoring the
law of karma. Therefore you should now contemplate
karma and the harmfulness of samsara, and abandon
all evil actions. I was only pretending to be afraid of
demons. I was playing a trick on you. Don't think
that it was real.
The Rock Sinmo now had faith in Milarepa, and stopped

trying to harm him. She answered him with a song in which
she says:
30
I am fortunate to have met Milarepa. It has been good

to hear the Dharma being taught. I am what I am
because I harmed many people.
Milarepa, deciding that she must be bound to an oath, replied

to her with a song in which he said:
These elevated words you speak will be of no use to

you. You are in this body because you have harmed
others. You must abandon those negative actions,
practice what is good, and be of assistance to yogins.
What you need now is to pay careful attention
to cause and effect, and you must promise to support
all dharma practitioners, and be a friend to all yogis
in particular.
The Rock Sinmo, now that she had true faith in Milarepa,
manifested her body to him and sang a song in which she said:
I have committed many negative actions, I had strong

deftlements and extreme malevolence and intolerance.
I am fortunate to have met you and to have received
the dharma from you. I repent creating an illusion
and attacking you. I vow that I shall no longer harm
others and that I will be a friend to yogins practicing
dharma in retreat.
Milarepa then taught her the dharma and in particular he

sang a song in which he said:
31
There is a demon that is greater than you- attachment

to the sel£ There is a demon that is more evil than
you - evil intent. There is a demon that is wilder
than you - thoughts.
Take an oath to subdue them and enter the
dharma. If you do not break your word all will be
well with you.
When Milarepa had completed his song, the Rock Sinmo took
that vow and disappeared. At dawn the Rock Sinmo, with her
entourage of beautiful males and females wearing beautiful
jewellery, appeared to Milarepa, bringing him many offerings.
The Rock Sinmo said, "I have a spirit's body because I harmed
beings in a previous life. I request that you to teach me the dharma''
singing the following song:
I have met many siddhas, but you are the one who
had the greatest kindness and blessing for me. I request
the dharma from you. Some give the teachings
containing the provisional meaning and some give the
Hinayana teachings, but these are unable to subjugate
the mind's defilements. Others speak many words and
give many teachings, but cannot provide refuge from
suffering and the conditions for suffering. You are a
nirmanakaya of the Buddha, and therefore you have
realized the true nature of phenomena. Please bestow
upon us the profound teachings that come from your
own mind.
In reply, Milarepa sang her a song with twenty-seven images

(three for each of nine verses) in which he said:
32
I don't usually sing on the ultimate truth, but as you

have asked me to, I shall.
( 1) Thunder, lightning, and clouds appear from
the sky and merge back into the sky.
(2) Rainbow, mists, and fog appear from the air
and merge back into the air.
(3) Honey, fruit, and crops arise from the earth
and merge back into the earth.
(4) Forests, flowers, and leaves arise from the
hillside and merge back into the hillside.
(5) Rivers, foam, and waves arise from the ocean
and merge back into the ocean.
(6) Latencies, clinging, and atta.chment arise from
the ground consciousness and merge back into the
ground consciousness.
The mind has latencies 25 that have been laid down

throughout beginningless time. These latencies result in our
perceptions. The mind also clings to the perceptions of things
that we desire. Finally, there is an attachment to phenomena
which mind takes as being truly real. These latencies originate
and arise from the ground consciousness.
The seventh consciousness is the ajflicted consciousness, which
is a continuous attachment to the self whether we consciously
think of it or not. Whether these seven consciousnesses are present
or not, the continuity of the mind never ceases. There is always a
non-apparen_t consciousness, that is, the ground consciousness from
which all the latencies of appearances originate. Therefore,
latencies, clinging, and attachment arise from the ground
consciousness, and when they disappear, they then merge back
into the ground consciousness.Z6 Milarepa continues:
33
(7) Self-knowledge, self-clarity and self-liberation arise

from the mind and merge back into the mind.
When meditating on the true nature of mind, the mind knows

itself, it has natural clarity, and it naturally liberates itself from the
kleshas. These three qualities of the self-awareness of mind, the
natural clarity or luminosity of mind, and the natural liberation
of mind are not newly created from meditation, but arise from
the nature of the mind itself and then merge back into the nature
of the mind.
(8) Non-arising, non-cessation and indescribability

arise from the true nature of phenomena (Skt.
dharmata) and merge back into it.
First there is non-arising, at the end there is non-cessation,

and in-between these there is indescribability. These are the
characteristics of the true nature of phenomena.
(9) The appearance of demons, the belief, and the

concept of demons, arise from yoga and merge back
into yoga.
The appearances, belief, and concepts of demons
may arise on the conventional Level or relative level
and from the practice of yoga they merge back into
it. Obstacles and obstructing spirits are just
manifestations of the mind. If one doesn't realize that
they are empty, 27 one will believe them to be demons.
If one does realize that they are empty, there is a natural
liberation from demons.
34
There are many delusions that occur in samsara:

outer delusions, inner delusions, defilement delusions,
and so on. The mind is the source of all these
delusions. 28 All delusions naturally cease when there
is the realization of the nature of the mind. The true
nature of the mind is a natural fundamental clarity
that is empty, beyond coming or going. Though we
perceive numerous external phenomena, they are all
delusions manifested by the mind. They are empty
by nature, but nevertheless appear. Though they
appear, their nature is empty. This is the inseparability
of emptiness and appearance.
Even meditation is just a thought, even non-
meditation is just a thought. Whether one meditates
or not, the nature of the mind does not change.
Therefore, even a belief in meditation and non-
meditation is a cause of delusion.
Phenomena have no reality, they are like space.
Their emptiness must be understood. If you wish to
have the correct view, you must see the emptiness
that transcends the intellect. If you wish to have
correct meditation, you must meditate without
distraction. If you wish to have correct conduct, it
must be effortless and natural. If you wish to gain the
full result, hope and fear must be abandoned.
This is my teaching to you.
This ends the teaching of Milarepa on the absolute or

ultimate view.
35
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu demonstrating the yogic posture ofMilarepa.
5
Songs on Yolmo Snow-Mountain
g have chosen this chapter9 from the collected songs of

Milarepa because Yolmo mountain is very near to
Kathmandu, and there are persons here (in Kathmandu
where the seminar is being given) who feel a strong connection
with Yolmo.
Marpa had told Milarepa what places he should practice in.
One of these was Yolmo snow-mountain, and so Milarepa came
to Yolmo and stayed in a cave called Tapuk Senge Dzong (Tiger
cave at Lion castle) in the forest ofSingaling (The Land ofLions).
While he was there local deities caused him no obstacles; they
manifested themselves in peaceful forms and took an oath to serve
and honor him. Milarepa's meditation progressed well.
One day five young men and women came to see him and
asked him to teach them the dharma. They said, "This is such a
terrifYing place, the quality of someone's practice would be bound
to be very unstable. Has this happened to you?" In answer to their
question, Milarepa sang them a spiritual song in which he said:
Yolmo has pastures, flowers, trees, forests, monkeys,

birds, bees, in summer and winter, autumn and spring.
37
Here I meditate on emptiness. Sometimes many

thoughts arise, and these aid my meditation. This is
very good.
I do not accumulate bad karma, and therefore I
have good health. I will have thoughts that will
disturb my body and make me uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, that is beneficial for my meditation
experience and so this is very good. I am therefore
free from the defilements and free from birth and
death, and this is good.
Though deities and spirits are malevolent and
create illusions, it only increases my realization. This
is very good.
I am free from sickness, but if suffering occurs, it
appears as bliss, which is very good.
I have the pleasure of different kinds of meditation
experiences, but sometimes when I jump, run or
dance, I am even more blissful.
The five pupils felt great faith on hearing Milarepa's song.

He then gave them instructions, which they then meditated on
and attained good qualities, which pleased Milarepa. He sang
them a song about the kind of conduct they should have, in
which he said:
There are many Dharma practitioners, but you are

very fortunate to meditate upon this path. You are
practicing to attain Buddhahood within one lifetime
using one body. Therefore do not have attachment to
this life. Many good and bad actions are done for the
38
sake of this life, and this prevents you from properly

following the path of the dharma.
In serving the guru, you should not feel proud
that you have done so well, as this prevents the
accomplishment of the goal.
In keeping your commitments, you should not
associate with ordinary people, which brings the
danger of your breaking your commitments.
When you are studying you should not feel proud
that you have understood the meaning of the words,
as this will cause the disturbing emotions to blaze up
like fire and ruin your good activities.
When you meditate with your companions in the
dharma, you should not have many tasks to perform,
as they will cause distraction and be an obstacle to
the dharma.
After those general instructions, Milarepa gave specific

instructions on how his students were to conduct themselves on
the path of means involving such profound practices as the Six
Yogas ofNaropa by giving them the profound instructions of the
oral transmission:
In doing these meditations, you should not use the

powers developed from the oral transmission for the
subjugation of demons or for the giving of blessings.
If you do, your own being will become demonic,
many obstacles will occur, and you will fall into
worldly activities.
When practicing the dharma there will sometimes
be meditation experiences and realizations of the true
39
nature of your own mind. When these occur, do not

hrag that you are doing well and do not display
clairvoyant powers. If you talk about signs of progress
that you have attained, you will develop pride, envy,
anger, and the signs will diminish. You need to
understand and abandon all these faults.
Then Milarepa's students asked him how they could practice

self-sufficiency, and Milarepa sang some general instructions saying
that they must practice well, have firm faith and devotion, and so
on. They did practice well, and with great faith in Milarepa they
offered him a mandala of gold and a.Sked for an instruction on the
essence of view, meditation, and conduct. Milarepa said that their
practice was better than an offering of gold, and returned the gold
to. them. Then he sang a song in which he said:
The view, meditation, conduct and result are the

foundation of the mantrayana.
The view of the mantrayana is how we should
understand the true nature of phenomena. Intellectual
knowledge of the view, however, ,is not sufficient to
reach enlightenment because we have to meditate on
what we have to understand.
Just engaging in meditation is also not sufficient
to gain enlightenment because we have to know if
our meditation is correct or not. Finally, to reach
enlightenment we have to engage in pure conduct
when we are not meditating.
The essence of the mantrayana is engaging in the
correct view, proper meditation, and pure conduct.
Each of these has three objects.
40
The Buddha's view has two aspects: the sutra and mantra views.
In the surra path we engage in understanding the true nature of
phenomena by primarily engaging in logical arguments. In the
mantra path, however, we engage in the understanding of the
nature of phenomena through direct perception of mind.
There are three aspects to this mantrayana view:
(1) All appearances and existences are subsumed within the
mind. All external forms, sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile sensation
arise within the mind. The mind's sensations of happiness,
suffering, defilements, thoughts, and anything else are also derived
from the mind itsel£
(2) What is mind? It is clarity and knowledge. It is not a material
thing. It can think and change, it can engage with lucidity in all
kinds of thoughts.
(3) However, the mind itself cannot be identified, as its nature
is emptiness. While some teachers first introduce their pupils to
emptiness and then to clarity, Milarepa introduces the clarity of
the mind first and then introduces emptiness by pointing out that
this clarity cannot be identified.
These are the three aspects of the mantrayana view of the true
nature of the mind.
The three aspects of meditation are:
(1) Many thoughts appear in meditation. If the nature of
mind is not identified, the thoughts become a problem; they
become solid and an obstacle. However, when the true nature of
the mind is realized, although thoughts arise, they are liberated
as the dharmakaya.
(2) When thoughts are naturally realized to be the
dharmakaya, the clear knowledge of the mind is a state of bliss
that is free from suffering. Meditation is then accompanied by
the experience of bliss.
41
(3) This meditation is not the creation of something new.

Delusion has been dispelled by the mind resting in its own natural
state, without alteration or artifice. The mind must rest, be relaxed
in the nature of the mind itsel£
The three aspects of conduct are:
(1) In the mantrayana one does not need to deliberately
accomplish the ten good actions. The practice of good actions will
occur spontaneously from the realization that comes from
meditation.
(2) Similarly, the ten unvirtuous actions will be spontaneously
avoided without any need to deliberately control one's actions.
With the realization of the nature of mind one does not need to
have contrived conduct.
(3) There will also be no need to deliberately contrive remedial
actions, to engender realization through effort. If one rests relaxed
in the natural state of the mind, the realization of clarity and
emptiness will naturally arise.
Finally, the three aspects of result are:
(1) According to the Buddha's exceptional view of the
mantrayana, nirvana and Buddhahood are not located in some
other place so we have to go someplace to get them. They are also
not newly created or achieved.
(2) Samsara is not like garbage that has to be thrown away.
There isn't anything that can be thrown away. The very nature of
samsara is nirvana, whether we realize it or not.
(3) Nirvana is not something to be created and samsara is not
something to be eliminated because our mind is Buddhahood.
There is no Buddhahood that is other than us; it is the nature of
our own mind.
When we have gained the elimination of all the negative
qualities and gained all the positive qualities of realization, it is
42
the unchanged nature of our own mind, exactly as it is, which is

Buddhahood. While we ·do not realize this, we are under the
power of the defilements and wander in samsara. When we realize
the true nature of the mind, there is the conviction that the
mind is Buddhahood.
In this way view, meditation, conduct, and result have three
aspects each, making twelve aspects in all, or as Milarepa says, the
twelve nails hammered into them. There is an additional nail that
is hammered in, a thirteenth nail, which applies equally to view,
meditation, conduct, and result and that is the nature of
phenomena, which is ungraspable. It is an emptiness that
transcends all extremes, all conceptualization.
Who is it that hammers in these thirteen nails? It is the guru
who introduces the pupil to recognition of the ungraspable
nature. 30 If we analyze too much, the mind becomes confused
and the nails will not go in. However, when we understand the
innate nature exactly, the nails will be hammered in. These thirteen
nails are the wealth that belongs to all dharma practitioners.
Milarepa says, "They have arisen in my mind. Take pleasure in
them and practice them."
Then Milarepa sang them another song:
You must have diligence and faith when you practice.

You must practice in solitude. Yolmo mountain is an
excellent place to practice.
Having followed my own advice in my own
practice of meditation, I enjoy the most perfect
happiness.
43
6
The Story of
Nyama Paldarbum
( 7 he fourteenth chapter3 of The Hundred Thousand Songs
1
J ofMilarepa contains the teachings that Milarepa gave in

response to the questions ofNyama Paldarbum. She asked
Milarepa many questions and the answers Milarepa gave her are
profound and beneficial to our own practice.
One autumn Milarepa came to a place named Gepa Lesum,
where the people were bringing in the harvest. He was asking the
people for food and a young girl named Nyama Paldarbum said,
"Go to that house over there and I will come to you soon and give
you food."
Milarepa went to the door of the house and tapped on it with
his staff. There was no response. He tapped again and an old woman
came out who said, "You so-called yogins do a lot of begging and
when there's no one at home you go in and steal, which is exactly
what you were planning to do!"
Milarepa then sang her a song describing the suffering of old
age and how in the midst of those sufferings we must practice the
dharma and follow a guru. When he had finished the old woman
was filled with regret and felt faith in Milarepa. With her hands
together she supplicated him with tears streaming from her eyes.
45
Paldarbum arrived at this point and thought that the yogi

must have hit her. "What do you think you're doing, hitting an
old lady?" she asked him.
The old lady said, "He didn't hit or insult me, I insulted him.
Then he gave me dharma teachings that have aroused great faith
in the dharma in me. I'm crying because I feel great regret for
what I said to him. I'm very old now, but you're still young, so
you should serve this lama, Milarepa, and request the dharma
from him."
Paldarbum said, "You are both amazing. If you are Milarepa,
then I am very fortunate to J?eet you. I have heard that when
pupils listen to the account of your lineage they develop great
faith and their perceptions are transformed. I have heard that you
have very profound instructions. What are they?"
Milarepa could see that this girl had the karma to be an
excellent pupil and so he sang her a spiritual song that described
the profundity of his lineage. The usual description of his lineage
is the succession of gurus - Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa - however,
here he describes his lineage as the dharma which begins with the
Buddha. 32 Therefore the source of the Vajrayana teachings is
described to be the three kayas. 33
Milarepa sang:
The dharmakaya is the all-pervading wisdom of the

Buddha's mind, the all-pervading Samantabhadra,
who is not an individual Buddha but represents the
compassion and wisdom ofBuddhahood.
The dharmakaya gives rise to the sambhogakaya,
which is beautified by the eighty major and minor
signs physical signs.
46
The Story ofNyama Paldarbum
The sambhogakaya is a manifestation of form for pupils.

This is called Vajradhara, which is not to be confused with
the dharmakaya Vajradhara. This Vajradhara is not an
individual Buddha but represents the changeless continuity
of the sambhogakaya.
The nirmanakaya that benefits beings is the

Shakyamuni Buddha who has manifested to guide
impure beings.
I am a yogin who possesses the lineage that is
exceptionally superior because it originates from the
three kayas.
Paldarbum said, "This is an excellent lineage, but one needs a

root guru from ~hom one can directly receive the instructions.
What kind of root guru did you have?" Milarepa could have
answered quite simply that his guru was Marpa Lotsawa, but he
sang her a song of the outer, inner, and ultimate gurus:
The outer guru is the one who communicates the

continuity of knowledge through signs. He or she is
the guru who teaches the instructions through
symbols and other various methods.
The inner guru is the one who teaches the
continuity of wisdom and causes the direct recognition
of the true nature of the mind.
The ultimate guru is the one who teaches the
ultimate truth by increasing the clarity of our wisdom
until the final result is attained.
I am a yogin who possesses the lineage of these
three gurus.
47
Paldarbum then asked, "One needs to receive an empowerment

from a good guru. What kind of empowerments have you
received?" Milarepa could have answered, "I have received the
empowerments of Hevajra and Chakrasamvara, but instead he sang
a song in which he said:
I have r.eceived the outer, mner and ultimate

empowerment.
The outer empowerment is the vase being placed
upon the crown of the head and is the symbolic use
of ritual objects.
The inner empowerment is the demonstration
that one's own body is the body of the deity. It is the
meditation that one's body is the body of the deity,--so
that one receives the blessing and the subtle channels
(Skt. nadz) and subtle drops (Skt. bindu) of the body
are empowered.
The ultimate empowerment is that which causes
the direct recognition of the nature of the mind.
I am a yogin who has received these three
empowerments.
Paldarbum said, "Those are very good empowerments. But

having received these empowerments, one needs instructions so
that one can follow the path. What kind of instructions did you
receive?" Milarepa replied with a song:
I have received the outer, inner and ultimate

instructions.
48
The outer instructions are to listen, contemplate,

and meditate in order to gradually understand the
meanmg.
The inner instructions are to be resolute, have
intense diligence in meditation that will be the basis
for the accomplishment of the final result.
The ultimate instructions are to have the
continuous presence of realization and experience,
which comes from diligence in meditation.
I am the yogin who has these three instructions.
Paldarbum said, "You have received good instructions. But

when one has received instructions, one needs to go into the
mountains to practice the dharma. What kind of dharma practice
have you done?"
In reply Milarepa sang of the outer, inner and ultimate Gocara
practice, 34 which are forms of the "cutting practice in which one
cuts through one's attachment to the self:
The external cho is to wander in fearful places where

there are deities and demons.
The internal cho is to offer one's own lSody as
food to the deities and demons.
The ultimate cho is to realize the true nature of
the mind and cut through the fine strand of hair of
subtle ignorance.
I am the yogin who has these three kinds of cho
practice.
Paldarbum said, "That is a very good cho practice. When

yogins do this practice, they recite "pai"35 in order to transform
49
bad circumstances into the path. What is the meaning of this

phat? To this Milarepa replied with a song about the outer, inner
and ultimate phat:
The outer phat is the dispelling of the thoughts that

prevent a stable meditation and it is also the gathering
in of these thoughts.
The inner phat is clearing away the dullness or
~gitation that affects the mind's awareness in
meditation.
The ultimate phat is resting in the true nature of
the mind.
I am the yogin who has these three kinds of phat.
Paldarbum said, "This phat is very good. When you practice

in this way what kind of mental states occur?" Milarepa sang of
the mental states of the uncontrived ground, path, and result:
The uncontrived ground is resting in the all-pervading

true nature, the true nature that pervades all
phenomena.
The uncontrived path is not a gradual progress,
but a direct arrival. 36
The uncontrived result is the true nature as
Mahamudra.
I am a yogin who has those three mental states.
Paldarbum said, "This is marvelous, it's like the sun shining

upon me. What kind of confidence have you gained from your
practice?" Milarepa sang of the confidences of view, meditation,
and result:
50
The confidence in the view is the realization of

emptiness. This is the view that there are no deities
nor any demons so that one cannot obtain benefit
from deities or receive any harm from demons.
The confidence in meditation is the absence of
an object of meditation. This means that there can be
no distraction.
The confidence in the result is the absence ofhope
to achieve it. This means there is the absence of fear
of failure.
I am a yogin who has these three confidences.
Paldarbum felt great faith in Milarepa. She prostrated to him,

invited him in, served and honored him, and said, "I am definitely
going to practice the dharma, so please keep me in your
compassion." Then she sang a song to Milarepa describing her
many faults with the basic meaning of the song being, "I will
sincerely practice the dharma. Please give me a practice that is
simple to understand and easy to do." Milarepa, pleased with her,
replied with a song:
Although you truly wish to practice the dharma, it is

not enough to give up worldly activities. You must
follow my example and practice without distraction.
Paldarbum then described in a song what her normal life

is like:
In the day there is never-ending work. In the night I

am fast asleep. Morning and evening I am a slave to
51
food and clothes. I have never had the chance to

practice the dharma.
Milarepa then sang to her a song on the four aspects of

renunciation necessary for true dharma practice:
The next life is far away from this life. Have you
prepared for this journey with food and clothes? The
way to prepare for that journey is to practice
generosity.
In order to receive food, clothes, and wealth in
future lives you should give them in this lifetime.
There is, however, an obstacle that prevents this
generosity to future lives, miserliness. Miserliness or
hoarding may seem beneficial in this lifetime in that
one accrues food and clothes and other possessions,
but in the long run it harms you because miserliness
causes poverty in the next lifetime. Therefore you must
recognize that miserliness is an enemy and cast it away
behind you.
The next lifetime is darker than this lifetime.
Therefore you must prepare a torch to illuminate that
darkness. This is done by meditation on the
fundamental clarity of the mind. Ignorance is the
obstacle and the enemy of clarity. Ignorance may seem
pleasant and beneficial superficially, but it is actually
harmful and you must recognize it as an enemy and
cast it away behind you.
The next lifetime is more frightening than this
lifetime, so you must find a guard that will protect
you. This guard is the practice of the dharma. Relatives
52
dissuading you from dharma practice are the enemy.

They may be helping and loving towards you, but
ultimately they are harming you. Therefore you must
recognize these relatives to be an obstacle and cast
them away behind you.
The next lifetime is a longer, more desolate road
than this lifetime, so you will need a horse so that
you can travel along it easily. That horse is diligence.
The enemy of diligence is laziness that will deceive
you into thinking it is beneficial, although ultimately
it is harmful. Recognize laziness to be an enemy and
cast it away behind you.
When Milarepa had sung this song, Paldarbum felt great faith
in Milarepa. He told her, "You don't have to change your name or
cut off your hair. 37 A person can have hair and also accomplish
Buddhahood." Then Milarepa taught her how to practice through
a song of four analogies and five meanings:
0 young lady, Paldarbum, listen wealthy lady,

endowed with faith. Look up into the sky, and practice
meditation free from fringe and centre. Look up at
the sun and moon, and practice meditation free from
bright and dim. Look over at the mountains, and
practice meditation free from departing and changing.
Look down at the lake, and practice meditation free
from waves. Look here at your mind, and practice
meditation free from discursive thought.
53
Then Milarepa instructed her in the physical and mental

practices and sent her to meditate. When she returned some time
later she sang of her experiences and doubts:
0 Jetsun Rinpoche, 0 supreme yogin, I am able to

meditate on the sky;. but when clouds arise, how
should I meditate? I am able to meditate on the sun
and moon; but when heavenly bodies move, how
should I meditate? I am able to meditate on the
mountains; but when trees and shrubbery blossom,
how should I meditate? I am able to meditate on the
lake; but when waves arise, how should I meditate?
I am able to meditate on the mind; but when
discursive thoughts occur, how should I meditate?
This means that she can look at the mind, nevertheless she is
disturbed by the thoughts arising within it. Milarepa sang her a
song to further her understanding and clear her doubts:
0 young lady, Palderbum, listen wealthy lady,

endowed with faith. If you are able to meditate on
the sky, clouds are manifestations of the sky. Once
more resolve this manifestation; once more resolve
your mind.
If you are able to meditate on the sun and moon,
the stars and planets are manifestations of the sun
and moon. Once more resolve this manifestation; once
more resolve your mind.
If you are able to meditate on the mountains, the
trees and shrubbery are manifestations of the
54
The Story oJNyama Paldarbum
mountain. Once more resolve this manifestation; once

more resolve your mind.
If you are able to meditate on the lake, the waves
are manifestations of the lake. Once more resolve this
manifestation; once more resolve your mind.
If you are able to meditate on your mind,
discursive thoughts are manifestations of your mind.
Once more examine the root of discursive thought;
once more resolve your mind.
What this means is that if you see your own mind, then what
you see is that the mind's essence or nature is emptiness. When
you see that, you also see that the nature of whatever thought
arises in the mind is also emptiness. When this is experienced
directly, then these thoughts dissolve in their own place, which
means right there or right here. Thoughts are not driven out or
sent somewhere else; they do not go away, they simply dissolve
naturally because they are seen.
55
7
The Encounter with Naro

Bonchung at Mount Kailash
(//0
J ..1 j
any Westerners now go to see Mount Kailash. It is a
place where Milarepa practiced and performed miracles,
leaving his handprints on the rocks and so on. 38
Therefore I shall go through the twenty-second chapter of The
Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa39 that describes Milarepa's
experience there.
In the Abhidharma it is said that north of Bodhgaya, beyond
nine dark mountain ranges and a snow mountain range there is
the mountain Gandhamadana and the lakeAnavatapta. 40 Milarepa
believed Mt Kailash to be Gandhamadana, and the nearby Lake
Mansarovar to be Anavatapta. On the other hand, the Sakya
Pandita believed that Kailash and Mansarovar were not
Gandhamadana and Anavatapta. However, the eighth Karmapa,
Mikyo Dorje, and many other Kagyu masters have stated this
mountain and lake is Gandhamadana and Anavatapta.
Marpa had told Milarepa that if he practiced at Lachi and
Kailash mountain he would gain exceptional experiences and
realizations, and would develop the great qualities that will benefit
his pupils. So, to fulfil his guru's instructions, Milarepa went to
Mount Kailash. The local deities ofKailash and Mansarovar greeted
57
;him on his arrival, prostrating to him and making offerings to

him. They offered the mountain and the lake as places of practice
to Milarepa and all his pupils. The deities also promised to help
them when they practiced there by increasing the conditions that
were conducive to their practice.
Naro Bonchung was in residence there at this time. He was
an excellent practitioner of the Bon tradition41 and had thereby
attained some miraculous powers and clairvoyance. He had heard
that Milarepa possessed inconceivable miraculous powers and
clairvoyance, so he came to welcome Milarepa and his pupils as
they arrived at the shore of Mansarovar.
Though he knew who Milarepa was, he pretended he didn't
and asked, "Where have you come from and where are you
going?" Milarepa answered, "We are going to Mount Kailash to
practice meditation."
Naro Bonchung then asked, "And who are you?" and Milarepa
answered, "I am Milarepa." Naro Bonchung then said, "Kailash
and Mansarovar are very famous, but when you actually see them
they're not anything special. You're the same, very famous, but
nothing special in person. But even if Kailash and Mansarovar
and you are really wonderful, this area is under the control of my
tradition. Ir is our land and our mountain. So those who stay here
have to follow the Bon tradition.
Milarepa said, "This mountain and lake belongs to the
Buddhist tradition because the Buddha foretold of their existence.
In particular my guru Marpa told me that I must practice
meditation here. I am not just following mY own wishes. That
you live here is very good. It will be better if you continue to live
here and follow the Buddhist tradition. If you're not going to
practice Buddhism it will be best that you go somewhere else."
58
The Encounter with Naro Bonchung at Mount Kailash
The reason Milarepa and Naro Bonchung argued in this way

was not due to sectarianism, but because it is best that people
keep to their own particular tradition; that way they will gain the
final goal. Bur if they mix different traditions, their practice will
not progress.
The Bonpo said, "If it's true that you have great miraculous
powers, we should have a miracle contest. Whoever wins will be
the master of Mt. Kailash. Now I shall perform a miracle." Naro
Bonchung then straddled the lake with his left foot on the near
shore and his right foot on the opposite shore. Standing thus he
sang a song in which he said:
Mount Kailash is very famous, but when: you see it,

it's just a snow covered mountain-peak. There's
nothing wonderful about it.
Lake Mansarovar is very famous, but it's just
a depression filled by river water. There's nothing
else there.
Milarepa is very famous, but he's just a naked old
man lying on the ground and singing. There's nothing
wonderful about him.
We Bonpos have an exceptionally superior
teaching. There is the Bon Kaya, and the Bon deity
who is the great King of wrathful deities, who has
nine heads and eighteen arms and many emanations.
His sister is Sipay Gyalmo ("Queen of Existence").
The Bon dharma is superior. As a sign of that
superiority, I manifest this miracle.
59
Milarepa then did a miracle. Without his body growing larger

or Lake Mansarovar becoming smaller, he covered it entirely with
his body and then he sang a song in which he said:
Buddha Shakyamuni sits upon a lion throne on

Gridhrakuta42 mountain. The Buddha's teachings are
exceptionally superior. His body, inseparable from his
wisdom, is the dharmakaya Vajradhara. The one who
rests in the meditation united with that dharmakaya,
is Tilopa, the nirmanakaya. His pupil is the great
pandita Naropa, and Naropa's pupil is Marpa Lotsawa.
The blessing has been transmitted from
Vajradhara through Tilopa, Naropa and Marpa to me.
I have gained superior realizations and experiences.
I am the famous Mifarepa. In accordance with
Marpa's command, I have come to meditate at Kailash.
Meditating here I will accomplish complete benefit
for myself and for others. Mount Kailash is very
famous. The snow covered peak is a symbol of the
purity of the Buddha's teachings. Mansarovar lake is
very famous, being filled with water is a symbol of
the cessation of phenomena into a state of equanimity.
I am the famous Milarepa. An old man lying
naked is a symbol of the abandonment of the concepts
of perceiver and perceived. I sing because all
appearances appear to me as books, as teachings. Then
I give these teachings in the form of songs. That is
why Milarepa is famous.
In my realizatio.n and experience, outer
appearances and the internal mind are inseparable.
Thus, by gaining power over the mind I have gained
60
power over external appearances and can accomplish

miracles.
I have no need of miracles such as yours that
depend upon the help of a deity. As my miracles are
superior to yours, Mount Kailash belongs to me. If
you practice the Buddha's dharma that will be
beneficial to all. If not, as you are defeated by my
miracles you must go and live somewhere else.
Then Milarepa performed another miracle. He lifted up the

entire Mansarovar lake upon his fingertip, without causing any
harm to the creatures that lived in its waters.
Naro Bonchung said, "This time your miracle is a little better
than mine, but I was here first, therefore we should consider this
a draw. You say that I should leave ifl refuse to practice Buddhism,
but I will never abandon the Bon tradition. Therefore I will
perform another miracle and if you can do a better one I will leave
this place and go and live somewhere else."
Then Naro Bonchung proceeded to circumambulate Mount
Kailash counter-clockwise, 43 while Milarepa circumambulated
clockwise, until they eventually met each other.
Naro Bonchung seized Milarepa's hand and said, "You must
circumambulate counter-clockwise." Milarepa answered, "No you
must go clockwise," and they pulled each other in opposite
directions leaving their footprints on stone as they did so. Due to
the superiority ofMilarepa's powers Naro Bonchung was made to
go round the mountain clockwise.
When they had nearly finished going around, Naro Bonchung
said, "Now this next time we should go counter-clockwise," but
Milarepa said, "Well, that depends entirely on how strong you
are. If you pull me along I'll have to go." So Naro Bonchung
61
replied, "Well, we can find out which one of us is the strongest by

seeing who can carry the biggest stone."
Naro Bonchung carried a large stone to where they were, but
Milarepa brought a bigger one and placed it on top. Naro
Bonchung said, "You've defeated me twice, but twice is not
conclusive. We must compete once more." Milarepa answered,
"There is no real contest between us, it's just like a game for me.
I am bound to win, but so that future generations of practitioners
can see the superiority of the dharma I'll do a another miracle."
Naro Bonchung went to the eastern side of Kailash and
Milarepa went to the western side. Milarepa extended his leg
through and under the mountain and made a footprint in Naro
Bonchung's retreat. Milarepa said, "Now you do the same thing
back," but Naro Bonchung couldn't.
Naro Bonchung insisted that they should have another contest,
as a few miracles didn't prove anything. Again they
circumambulated in opposite directions until they met. It then
began to rain heavily so Milarepa said, "We should build ourselves
a shelter."
Milarepa gathered rocks by simply pointing at them, and then
told Naro Bonchung to bring some, but he failed to bring any by
miraculous powers. Milarepa, just by staring at rocks, placed one
on the right, one on the left, one at the rear and one on top as a
roo£ He then decided it was too high so he climbed on top and
pressed it down with his foot, leaving a footprint on the stone.
After he had come down, he decided it was now too low, so he
went inside and pushed it up with his hand leaving a handprint
on the ceiling. In this way he created what is now called Zutrul
Puk44 or "The Miraculous Cave" which can be seen today.
62
After this miracle Naro Bonchung conceded. Milarepa then

sang a lengthy song explaining how these mirades could be done.
He does this by explaining it in terms of view, conduct, and result:
The Buddhist view is free from extremes and

transcends the intellect. The belief that things are real
is the source of thoughts and defilements. There is
also the view that things do not exist. That is also a
delusion. One might think that if there is nothing
that exists, that there must be nothing. But if the
existence of things has no reality, then their non-
existence has no reality either.
The true nature of phenomena transcends
existence and non-existence, and also neither existence
or non-existence. The view that transcends these
extremes also transcends the intellect, because it is
not a view gained by thoughts that conceive the
identity of something, but it is gained by the wisdom
of meditation. This view is beyond the scope of the
ordinary mind and therefore is a source of power to
accomplish miracles.
There are two reasons why meditation is the
source of miraculous power: non-distraction and
objectlessness. Meditation is habituation to a state free
of distraction. If meditation has an object on which
the mind thinks, there will be attachment and that
will give rise to the defilements that create the
sufferings of samsara. Therefore I rest in a state of
meditation that has no object, in which I directly see
the true nature. That meditation is a source of power
to achieve miracles.
63
Conduct can also yield the power of miracles and

clairvoyance. I have a conduct that is free of the effort
to reject or cultivate the various thoughts that arise in
the mind. I rest relaxed in the true nature, which
results in an uncontrived, relaxed, spontaneous
manifestation of power to accomplish perfect miracles.
The result, the "self-liberation," also brings powers
which when it is attained, causes the continuity of
compassion, wisdom and power to not cease. There
is a variety of qualities that are free from worldly
attachment that are self-liberating.
This power of the result is derived from the direct
recognition of one's own true nature. It is not a new
creation, the developing of it is not going to some
other place. Ignorance and delusion are due to not
realizing the true nature as it is. The direct recognition
of one's own true nature brings freedom from extremes
and conceptual elaborations, and this leads to
miraculous powers.
The purity of commitments (Skt. samaya) in
which there has been no transgression also brings the
power to achieve miracles. This is due to fulfilling
the guru's instructions on meditation, diligence and
particular practices, and it is due to the commitments
to be free of any stain.
Practice is a source of the power to perform
miracles, because all appearances are made to aid the
development of realizations and experiences. If
circumstances conducive to meditation occur, they
can then facilitate diligence in meditation without
the presence of pride. When deleterious circumstances
64
and obstacles occur, they don't overpower or depress

the practitioner, but are themselves made the basis
for meditation. Therefore difficult circumstances are
preferable in terms of the development of powerful
meditation that has the power to perform miracles.
I, the yogin Milarepa, have the power to do
miracles. This is due to my diligence, dedication, and
endurance. When there are difficulties I do not feel
afraid. My diligence does not last for just a month or
year, but continues until the final goal is attained.
Due to my miraculous powers the Buddha's
teachings will prosper at Mount Kailash. This has
occurred due to the kindness of the Buddhas.
65
8
Invitation from the

King ofKathmandu ofMon
(1n chapter twenty-seven of The Hundred Thousand Songs of
J /:Iilarepa, 45 Milarepa was staying in solitude in a cave on
Katya mountain in the Nyishang Gurta, 46 in the area of
Mon. 47 While there he was keeping silence and resting in a
continuous stream of meditation.
During that time some hunters came along and saw Milarepa,
motionless and staring. They thought he was a demon, and ran
away, but then summoning up their courage, they returned ready
to shoot him with their poisoned arrows. They asked him, ''Are
you a human being or a demon?" but Milarepa did not respond at
all. They fired their arrows at him but they could not pierce his
body. They decided to throw him over a cliff, but they couldn't
lift his body. They stacked wood around him and set it on fire,
but Milarepa didn't burn. They carried him to a wide river and
threw him in, but Milarepa, rose up out of the water, perfectly
dry, still in the vajra posture, and floated back up to his cave and
back onto his meditation seat.
The astounded hunters left the mountain and told the nearby
inhabitants about this amazing yogin that was living there.
Milarepa's pupil Chirarepa, who had only recently become his
67
pupil when he was a hunter who had come across Milarepa on the
mountain, said, "That must be my Tibetan lama that you are
talking about. He is a true siddha. He even taught the dharma to
my dog and the deer when I was hunting, making them sit together
and meditate." 48
The reputation of Milarepa spread throughout Nepal. The
King of Patan49 and Bhaktapur50 developed great faith and
devotion towards Milarepa. The King dreamt that Tara told him,
"You have Benares cotton and a yellow myrobalan 51 fruit,. There
is a great Tibetan yogin presently staying at the Katya cave. If you
offer these things to him it will be of great benefit to you."
The king sent a man who could speak Tibetan to find Milarepa.
When he came to Milarepa's cave and saw how he had forsaken
material life and was remaining in meditation all the time, he felt
great faith and was certain that he had found Milarepa.
Nevertheless, in order to avoid any .tnistake he asked, "What is
your name? Isn't it terrible to live like this, without anything to
eat or drink? Why have you given up all possessions?"
Milarepa replied, "I am Milarepa, the yogin from Tibet. There
is a great purpose to not having possessions." He then explained
what he meant in a song:
I have no desire for wealth or possessions, and so I

have nothing. I do not experience the initial suffering
of having to accumulate possessions, the intermediate
suffering of having to protect and keep possessions,
nor the final suffering oflosing these possessions. This
is a wonderful thing.
I have no desire for friends or relations. I do
not experience the initial suffering of forming a
mental attachment, the intermediate suffering of
68
Invitation from the King ofKathmandu ofMiin
having a disagreement, nor the final suffering of

parting from them. Therefore it is good to be
without friends and relations.
I have no desire for pleasant conversation. I do
not experience the initial suffering of seeking
conversation, the intermediate suffering ofwondering
whether it will continue, nor the final suffering of
the conversation deteriorating. Therefore I do not
delight in pleasant conversation.
I have no desire for a homeland and have no flxed
residence. I do not experience the initial suffering of
partiality of thinking that "this is my land and that
place isn't." I do not experience the intermediate
suffering of yearning for my land. And I do not
experience the final suffering of having to protect my
land. Therefore it is better to have no flxed abode.
When Milarepa had sung this song, the man felt great faith in
him and returned to the king and gave a detailed account of his
meeting with Milarepa. The king said, "You must go back and
invite Milarepa to come here. If he refuses, offer him this Benares
cotton and yellow myrobolan from me.
The king's emissary returned to Milarepa and said to him, "A
Dharma king is reigning in Kathmandu and Patan. He has sent
me to invite you there. You must come there."
Milarepa replied, "I don't go into towns, and I don't know
anyone who lives there. I certainly don't know any kings. I don't
like flne food or drinks and I don't like having any possessions. I
don't know any stories about dharma practitioners who die of
hunger or cold. A lama who stays with a king will become lost. In
69
obedience to Marpa Lotsawa's commands, I travel from place to

place, practicing. It is best if you return to your king."
The emissary said, "He is a very great king. You're just an
ordinary lama, so he has only sent one man on foot to invite you.
It would be better if you came back with me." Milarepa replied,
"No, that's not how it is. I'm not an ordinary person, I am a great
king, a world-emperor, a Chakravartin. There is no one who is
my equal, no one who is as powerful as me."
The king's man said, "If you're a world-emperor, you must
have the seven royal possessions of a chakravartin. So where are
they? No, you're just an ordinary person. If you're a wealthy king
you'll have to prove it to me." In reply Milarepa sang a song that
taught the seven aspects of enlightenment as the seven royal
possessions of a chakravartin:
Your king and ministers yearn for happiness, but with

a kingdom like mine, this life and all future lives are
filled with bliss.
The first of the seven royal possessions is the
precious wheel that can take the king anywhere swiftly
and easily. I possess the precious wheel of faith. It
takes me from samsara to nirvana. With faith and
devotion I can enter any virtuous activity easily, so
that I am swiftly taken to nirvana.
The second royal possession is the precious wish-
fulfilling jewel that spontaneously fulfils one's own
wishes and the wishes of others. My second royal
possession is wisdom, the wisdom of ultimate and
relative truth, which brings the attainment of the state
of Buddhahood. By knowing the individual
capabilities and aspirations of beings, I turn the wheel
70
Invitation from the King ofKathmandu ofMan
of dharma52 for them fulfilling the hopes of all- the

Hinayana vehicle for the lower pupils, the
pratyekabuddha state for those of medium capability,
and the Mahayana for those with superior capability.
The third royal possession is the precious queen
who is very beautiful and adorned by a variety of
jewellery. My third royal possession is good conduct
- the dharma practitioner who maintains correct
conduct is beautiful, because he or she is free of the
stains of faults. Correct conduct develops all good
qualities, like being adorned by jewellery.
The fourth royal possession is the precious
minister who maintains and improves the kingdom's
wealth. I have the royal possession of meditation
through which I gather the accumulations of merit
and wisdom.
The fifth royal possession is the precious elephant
that can carry the great burden of the emperor's
wealth. I have my conscience, so that if someone
benefits me I know that I must not ignore them, but
repay their kindness. All beings have shown me
kindness and so I must help them all. Ifl give them
the Buddha's teachings they will eventually reach
Buddhahood. Therefore I take upon myself the
burden, the responsibility, of giving the Buddha's
teachings to all beings.
The sixth royal possession is the precious horse,
the emperor's mount, which takes him easily to any
land he wishes to go. I have the royal possession of
diligence, which takes me from self-attachment and
defilements to selflessness.
71
The seventh royal possession is the precious

general, whose army destroys the enemies of the
emperor. Some say that the precious general subdues
enemies just through the power of his majesty. I have
the royal possession of wisdom due to learning and
contemplation. I have the wisdom gained from
hearing the Buddha's words and commentaries to
them and the wisdom gained from analyzing the
teachings until certainty is achieved. This wisdom
defeats incorrect views, which are the enemy.
Even if you are a king you need these faultless
qualities that benefit beings.
The king's messenger said, "You truly follow the dharma. It is

marvellous. The king told me to give you these offerings if you
refused to come." He then gave Milarepa the cotton and the yellow
myrobalan. Milarepa accepted the offering and recited a dedication
and wishing prayer.
Some time later, Rechungpa and a pupil of Milarepa named
Shengomrepa came searching for Milarepa to bring him back to
Tibet. They couldn't find him until they met some hunters who
.said to them, "You're not real yogins. A yogin should be like
Milarepa. Weapons can't pierce him, fire can't burn him, throw
him in the water and he won't sink, throw him off a cliff and he'll
float right back up. The king even invited him to court and he
refused to go. That's what a real siddha is like." Rechungpa and
Shengomrepa gave the hunters a gift, asked them where Milarepa
was, and then went to him.
When they arrived, Milarepa gave Rechungpa and
Shengomrepa a teaching on practice being essential and then
returned to Tibet with them.
72
9
Entering a Yak Horn

(The thirty-eighth chapter of The Hundred Thousand Songs
J ofMilarepa, 53 is entitled "Entering a Yak-Horn." This story
is important because it teaches that the pupil must abandon
pride and show respect to the guru. This may seem at first a strange
thing to do, but respect for the guru is extremely important. Only
if one believes in the guru can one gain all the benefits and results
of dharma practice.
It can seem suspicious when a lama like myself, seated upon a
throne, is teaching people that they must have faith and devotion
for the lama. But nevertheless, that is how the benefit of the dharma
is obtained.
This chapter tells us that Rechungpa, Milarepa's moon-like
disciple, (which means the next most important disciple after
Gampopa, who was Milarepa's sun-like principal pupil) had gone
to India.
One day, Milarepa realized in his meditation that Rechungpa
had returned from India and was coming to see him. But he also
noticed that Rechungpa had become affected by pride. Rechungpa
was thinking, "My guru is of course a special person, but I've
been to India twice and I've met many special gurus, and received
profound instructions from them. I am no longer the same as I
73
used to be. In the past I had to undergo many hardships in my

dharma practice, but now that I am a very special lama. I won't
have to do that anymore."
Milarepa, aware of Rechungpa's state of mind, miraculously
transferred himself into the middle of the vast plain that Rechungpa
was crossing and approached him. Rechungpa thought, "I am
now someone who propagates the Buddha's teachings and helps
many beings. That was the reason I went to India. Now my guru
has come to greet me. He has greater powers of blessing than I do,
but I am more learned than he is. When I prostrate to him, I am
sure that he will prostrate to me in turn."
The Story ofDarmadode
Rechungpa had been given a staff by Tibupa to give to

J\1ilarepa. Tibupa, had been Marpa Lotsawa's son, Darmadode, in
his previous life.
Darmadode had died quite young. This came about when he
had been practicing in retreat when he saw many people going to
a festival. Due to the influence of the maras, Darmadode heard
someone say, ''Why is such an important person as Darmadode
not going to the festival?" Darmadode .then said to his parents,
"Even the old people are going to this festival, so I'm going too."
At the festival the maras caused him to have a fatal accident
while he was riding a horse. Although Darmadode had received
the instructions of trong jug, the transference of one's
consciousness into a dead body, he couldn't find a human body
to enter, so he entered a pigeon's body instead and flew to the
Shitavana charnel-ground in India. 54 There he transferred his
consciousness into the dead body of a young Brahmin, which he
74
Entering a Yak Horn
then reanimated. In that new body he became known as Tibupa,

because tibu means "pigeon."
Tibupa possessed not only the instructions he had received as
Darmadode, but he also passed on many instructions that he
obtained in India. Due to this, he became known as "the trunk of
the mantrayana tree. "
Rechungpa's Shortened Life
Rechungpa had met Darmadode in India, and was receiving

instructions from him, when one day Tibupa told him to go to
the market place. Rechungpa met a yogin there who said, "How
sad, you are such a handsome Tibetan, but you have only seven
days to live!"
Rechungpa was very frightened that he was about to die and
told Tibupa what the yogin had said. Tibupa said, "Don't worry,
go and see Ekamatrika Siddharajni. She's a hundred and fifteen
years old, but looks as if she's only sixteen. She will give you the
instructions for gaining a long life."
Rechungpa went to her, received the instructions, practiced
for seven days and then Amitayus appeared to him and asked.
"How long do you want to live?" ''As long as I wish!" Rechungpa
answered. "You can't do that," said Amitayus, "but you're in your
forty-fourth year now, and you can live until your eighty-first
year," which is exactly how long Rechungpa lived for.
Returning to our story, Rechungpa had brought Tibupa's staff

to Tibet, and gave it to Milarepa when they met, and then
prostrated to him. Milarepa however did not prostrate to
Rechungpa, contrary to Rechungpa's expectation.
75
Rechungpa asked, "What have you been doing while I was in

India? How are the other yogins?" Milarepa, noticing signs of
pride in Rechungpa, smiled and sang a song in which he said:
I am very well, because I am free from the sickness of

the five defilements that I had suffered from throughout
beginningless samsara.
Abandoning distractions, I dwell alone,
independent, without attachment to anyone. I am
well and happy because I live in uninhabited places
that are free of worldly activities.
I am well and happy because I am free of the
worries of scholarship, fame, and composing texts,
and can accumulate any merit I wish.
In answer to that song, Rechungpa sang of his journey to

India in which he said:
The way to India was long and dangerous.

Nevertheless I underwent that hardship and achieved
success. I met Tibupa and Ekamatsika Siddharajni.
Also the yidam appeared to me and I received "the
nine dharmas of the disembodied dakinis" 55 from
Tibupa, and therefore I am very happy.
Now that I have met my guru again, I can offer
him these nine dharmas of the disembodied dakinis,
and so I am very happy.
To dispel Rechungpa's pride, Milarepa replied with a song:
76
Entering a Yak Hom
Do not boast so much. I will sing you a song, and if

you think it's any good, keep it in mind.
These dharmas of the disembodied dakinis are
the property of the dakinis. You mustn't go around
saying that you have them; their possession should
be kept a secret and passed on only to a worthy
disciple. If you teach these dharmas indiscriminately,
the dakinis will be upset. Don't think your instructions
are so special. If you do, your mind will turn bad.
If you give many high teachings, you will
encounter an obstacle to your meditation. It is the
arrogance of thinking, "I have accomplished so much''
and it will result in abandoning a guru for a new one.
Don't be like that.
Then Milarepa used his miraculous powers to run off at great

speed, taking Tibupa's staff and Rechungpa's texts with him.
Rechungpa was soon exhausted trying to catch up with him,
and so he called to him to stop by singing a song in which he said:
I have the teachings of the dakinis. Please read them.

I have the deity-meditation of Siddharajni, which I
offer to you. I have many instructions for protection,
health, and countering demons, which I offer to you.
Accept them and stop for moment, I'm exhausted.
Milarepa stopped and sang a song in which he said:
For one who follows the path of the dharma, the

teachings of the disembodied dakinis brings neither
benefit nor harm.
77
Tibupa has a greater connection with me than

with you, and I am also a pupil of Siddharajni. I have
been many times to Tibupa's dwelling place to take
part in his ganachakras.
What you have to tell me is of no importance.
What we need to do now is go to a solitary place in
the mountains and meditate.
Rechungpa began to think negative thoughts about Milarepa,

thinking, "If this had been any other lama, I would have had a
great welcome party on my return from India. What kind of
welcome is one old man in a cotton robe. I'm going to go back to
India! My meditation practice should now be conjoined with the
enjoyment of sensory pleasures."
Milarepa, being aware of Rechungpa's thoughts, pointed to a
yak horn lying nearby and said, "Bring me that yak horn."
Rechungpa thought, "My guru always says that he doesn't need
anything, that he has no attachment for anything, but now he
desires to possess this yak horn." He then said aloud to Milarepa,
"What is the point of carrying such a useless thing? You can't eat
it, or wear it."
Milarepa answered, "I have no attachment to it, but if I keep
it, it will prove useful sometime." They then carried on walking
across the great plain ofTibet that was known as Palmo Pahang.
While they were still in the middle of it, black clouds gathered
and they were caught in a severe hailstorm.
As the hailstones began to strike Rechungpa, without looking
to see what Milarepa was doing, he hid under his cotton robe. As
the hail began to lessen he wondered, "What happened to my
guru?" and peeked out. There was no sign of Milarepa anywhere.
"Where has he gone?" Rechungpa wondered, looking all around.
78
Entering a Yak Horn
Then he heard Milarepa singing, but the sound ofMilarepa's voice

was coming from inside the yak horn.
Rechungpa thought, "This is the yak horn Milarepa was
carrying" and tried to pick it up, but it was so heavy h<;_ couldn't
move it. He looked inside and saw that Milarepa was sitting
inside, singing. However Milarepa's bpdy had not become any
smaller and the yak horn had not become any larger. Milarepa
sang a song:
Rechungpa's view is like a vulture. Sometimes it's high

up and sometimes it's low down. Don't run about so,
your robe will be soaked. You should come inside
this yak horn with me. It's very nice in here.
Rechungpa is like the sun and moon, it's
sometimes clear, and sometimes obscured.
Rechungpa's conduct is like the wind, it's sometimes
gentle, and sometimes brisk. Don't run around out
there, come inside this yak horn. It's very nice in here.
I've never been to India. I'm just an old man, so I
sit in the back end of the narrow tip of the yak horn.
You've been to India and you are a great scholar, so
you should sit in the wide front end of the· yak horn,
at the mouth.
Rechungpa thought, "Well, who knows? There might be room

for me in there," but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't
even get his hand in. Rechungpa started shivering with cold and
sang into the yak horn a song in which he said:
It is true what you say about the lack of stability in

my view, meditation, and conduct. But whether my
79
robe is dry or soaked, you are my root guru, and I

pray to you.
Milarepa came out from the yak horn and looked up into
the sky. The clouds parted and the sun shone, drying
Rechungpa's robe.
After sitting in this place for a little while, Milarepa said, "You
didn't need to learn sorcery in India. I know how to do that. As
for the dharma, I didn't go to India because I have the Six Yogas of
Naropa, which are so profound that I am perfectly satisfied by
having just them. But it is very good that you went to India and
obtained the dharmas of the disembodied dakini as they will be
needed by people in the future.
80
10
The Story ofGampopa

( J'(larepa's principal disciple, who was known as his sun-
J .1, ~ like pupil, was Gampopa. The account of how
Gampopa met, learned from, and practiced under
Milarepa serves as an example for us. If we can practice in the
same way, we can become like Gampopa. This story is found
in the forty-first chapter in The Hundred Thousand Songs of
Mila rep a. 56
Marpa Lotsawa had prophesied, on the basis of a dream that
Milarepa had, that Milarepa would be one of the four "pillars,"
that is, one of the four main pupils who would preserve and
transmit Marpa's lineage. Marpa also prophesied that Milarepa
would have an unrivalled pupil who would make Marpa's lineage
flourish for a long time and he would benefit countless beings.
Milarepa also received a prophecy from Vajrayogini, who said that
he would have three pupils that would be like the sun, the moon
and the stars. The pupil who was like the sun was Gampopa.
Gampopa was also prophesied by the Buddha in the King of
Samadhi sutra, in the Mahakaruna-pundarika 57 sutra, and others,
where the Buddha said that there would be a physician monk in
the land of the Himalayas who would follow the Mahayana and
benefit the Buddha's teachings and many beings. Gampopa is also
81
known as Dagpo Lharje, which means "the Physician from Dagpo"

in Tibetan.
Gampopa combined the teachings of the Kadampa tradition,
which was one of the eight lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, with
the teachings ofMilarepa. So Gampopa's lineage, called the Dhagpo
Kagyu, contains both an introductory path for beginners and the
profound path of the Mahamudra and the Six Yo gas of Naropa.
From this lineage of vast and profound instructions there have
been many exceptional siddhas.
From about the age of fifteen Gampopa learned many
practices. As his father was a doctor, he also studied medicine.
He married a very beautiful woman, but she became very sick.
Even though his examination of her indicated that her vital
physical elements were exhausted, she still did not die, but clung
onto life. Gampopa decided that she must be clinging onto life
simply out of attachment to something and said to her, "There
is nowhere that is free of death. Give up your attachment to this
life. If you are attached to the land, I will offer it to a temple. If
you are attached to possessions, I will use them to sponsor
• ' 0 0 • ,,
vutuous act1v1t1es.
She answered, "I don't have any attachment to land or
possessions, as the things of samsara have no essence, but I want
you to practice the dharma well." l}e promised her that he would.
Then his wife died, and in accordance with his promise, he left
home in order to follow the dharma.
He went to Penpo, a place to the east of Lhasa, where there
were many masters of the Kadampa tradition. There he took
monastic ordination and received the name Sonam Rinchen
(meaning precious merit). He studied many sutra teachings, such
as the Sutralamkara and the Prajnaparamita. He also studied
many tantras such as the Guhyasamaja. He received the general
82
The Story ofGampopa
Kadampa teachings on impermanence, bodhichitta, sending and

taking practice (Tib. tong len), and many other instructions from
numerous lamas.
He practiced these instructions and developed great wisdom,
compassion, faith and diligence. He diminished his defilements
and became an excellent monk. During the day he received
teachings and contemplated them and during the night he
meditated, attaining many good signs. For example, he had no
insects on his body, and he could pass four or five days in a state
of bliss in which he did not eat but felt no hunger.
One day Gampopa had a vision in his meditation of a dark-
skinned58 yogin dressed in a cotton robe who put his hand on his
head and spat upon him, and then his meditation and insight
improved. He told the other monks of his experience but they
said, "You are a good monk, so a vision of a yogin must be the
manifestation of a Gyalpo spirit. 59 You must go to the abbot and
request the empowerment of the protector Acala60 so that its
blessing will remove this obstacle to your practice." Gampopa did
as his friends advised and recited mantras and prayers, but
nevertheless the visions of the yogin became more frequent.
Gampopa thought, "Surely this can't be a delusion caused
by demons."
At that time Milarepa was teaching his pupils in the Boto
Chipuk cave at Tramar. His older pupils said, "You are now quite
old. If you leave us for another Buddha realm, we will need a
regent to remove our obstacles, to make our practice progress,
and have someone to whom patrons can make offerings so that
they can accumulate merit. We need someone to whom you have
transmitted the entirety of your instructions. Otherwise our lineage
will have no future."
83
Milarepa answered, "I will examine my dreams tonight and

tomorrow morning you should all assemble here." The next
morning Milarepa told them, "There is an exceptional disciple
who can take care of my pupils and spread the Buddha's teachings.
He is a Kadampa monk who is coming from the west. I dreamt
last night that this pupil brought an empty crystal vase and that I
filled it with the entire contents of a golden vase, filling it to the
brim. This is a good dream foretelling the future growth of the
Buddha's teachings." Then Milarepa sang a song, which contains
many poetical images, but the principal meaning is as follows:
We practice the teachings of Naropa and Maitripa.

You all know that they are very profound. If they are
not meditated upon, there will be no profound result.
But if we do meditate upon them, we can gain the
full profound result.
These profound instructions were obtained in
India by my root guru, Marpa Lotsawa. They are the
instructions that Milarepa practices. In the future I
will transmit these to one who is worthy.
Meanwhile, one day when Gampopa was circumambulating

he saw three beggars, who were in fact emanations of Milarepa.
While Gampopa was wondering whether to speak to them or not,
he heard one say, "If only we had good clothes and good food so
that our stomachs were completely stuffed, we would be so happy."
Another of the beggars said, "It's not good to wish for food. If
I could have a wish fulfilled, I would become like the Lord of
yogins, Milarepa, whose food is meditation, whose clothing is a
single cotton robe and the heat of tummo, and who meditates day
and night in the Mahamudra state. When he wants to go
84
The Story ofGampopa
somewhere, he just flies through the sky. I wish I could be with

him, abandoning all care for this life, practicing as he does. And if
that i~ not possible, I would wish to just see him sometimes to
practice the dharma under him. That is the kind of wish you
should make."
On hearing this, Gampopa felt overwhelming faith in Milarepa
and thought about him well into the night. When he woke up the
next morning, he prostrated himself in the direction of Milarepa
and prayed to him. He then invited the beggars into his room and
gave them good clothes, food, and drink. He said to them,
"Yesterday you were talking about someone named Milarepa. If
you can take me to him, I will give you half of all I own. And if
you practice the dharma it will be very beneficial for you."
Two of the beggars said that they did not know where Milarepa
was, but the older beggar said, "I know where he is. I can take you
there." Gampopa made offerings and recited prayers, and when
he slept that night, he dreamed that he was blowing a long horn
very loudly, so that many humans and animals gathered around
him. Then a woman came to him, carrying a drum and a bowl of
milk. She said, "Beat this drum for the humans and give this milk
to the animals." When Gampopa wondered, "How can I give
milk to all these animals when I only have one bowl?" the woman
said, "If you drink the. milk, all these animals will obtain milk in
the future."
The humans in the dream were the followers of the Hinayana
who could not practice one-pointedly. Therefore their minds must
be trained through the gradual path of the Kadampas. The animals
were the practitioners to whom he could transmit Milarepa's
instructions on Mahamudra. In order to do so, he would have to
first practice these instructions himself and then he would be able
to transmit them to others, greatly benefiting beings.
85
Gampopa, with the old beggar as his guide, set off to find
Milarepa, but halfway through their journey the beggar fell ill
and said, "I can go no further. I don't know exactly where Milarepa
is anyway. Carry on by yourself and you are sure to find someone
who will take you to him." Gampopa continued on his own, but
when he had nearly reached his destination he became too weak
to go any further due to a lack of food. He could only pray, "May
I meet Milarepa, if not in this life, then in the next!"
That day a Kadampa monk happened to come along and came
to Gampopa's aid. The monk asked him where he was going and
Gampopa said, ''I'm going to see Milarepa." The monk said, ''I'm
going to see him too." So they travelled on together and reached
the area where Milarepa was staying.
Gampopa met one ofMilarepa's female patrons. She said to
him, "You mu'st have come from central Tibet to meet Milarepa,
I know because Milarepa has already said that you are coming."
Gampopa thought, "I must be a worthy pupil if he knows that I
am coming," and became somewhat proud. But then Milarepa
refused to see Gampopa for two weeks to eliminate that pride.
At least, that is what is described in the text, but since Gampopa
was a special being who was prophesied in the sutras by the
Buddha, it is not possible that he could have been subject to
pride. Gampopa must have manifested this pride in order to
demonstrate to future generations that pride is something to be
avoided on meeting the guru.
When Gampopa finally met Milarepa, Gampopa offered him
sixteen ounces of gold in a mandala offering. He also made a
request that Milarepa tell his life-story. Milarepa sat with his eyes
half-closed for a little while and then took a pinch of gold from
the center of the mandala offering and scattere~ it into the air,
saying, "I offer this to you, Marpa Lotsawa." Milarepa had been
86
The Story of Gampopa
drinking beer from a skull bowl. He handed this to Gampopa,

saying, "Drink this." Gampopa hesitated, 61 but Milarepa said,
"Don't think so much, drink!"
Gampopa thought, "This lama is omniscient. He knows
whatever is in my mind. So this must be a very auspicious thing
to do," and he drank the beer to the last drop, which was indeed
very auspicious. Milarepa said, "That you had faith in me and
have come here is a wonderful thing, so I shall tell you the story of
my life." Milarepa then sang a song:
Naropa and Maitripa's instructions contain all that is

taught by the Buddhas in the three times. Marpa
Lotsawa possessed these instructions. I felt faith in
him on just hearing his name and I received all these
instructions from him.
Marpa Lotsawa told me, "This is the age of
degeneration; life is short and uncertain. There are
many causes of death, therefore do not make the error
in believing the instructions are the mere acquisition
of knowledge because practice is their essence." Due
to the kindness of the guru, that has been my view. I
meditated upon the fear of death; I meditated with
diligence in caves; my meditation transformed my
thoughts and wrong views into merit.
The three poisons of anger, desire, and ignorance
appear"to be the powerful causes of the accumulation
of negative karma. But when their essence is seen to
be emptiness, those poisons are recognized to be the
dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya.
The blessings, experiences and realizations of
Naropa and Maitripa are transmitted through the
87
lineage to the worthy pupil. I shall give their profound

instructions to you. Practice them correctly, and spread
the Buddha's teachings for the benefit of beings.
I have no need for the gold you have offered me.
Gold does not agree with this old man. If you want
to practice the dharma properly, observe my conduct
and my practice, and do as I do.
The monk who had come with Gampopa came to receive a

blessing from Milarepa. Milarepa asked the monk to offer him
everything that he had in order to receive a blessing. The monk
said that he didn't have anything to give. But Milarepa said,
"You have a lot of gold concealed about your body, so your
statement that you don't have anything is truly wonderful. If
you have no faith you are incapable of receiving a blessing. If
you have no faith, the instructions that you receive will not
benefit you. Your inner thoughts are of going to Nepal to do
business, so that is the best thing for you to do. I will pray that
you meet no obstacles."
Gampopa thought, "This lama knows what people think. It
is impossible to deceive him. I will have good control over my
mind and think carefully before I ask him anything. He truly is
a Buddha."
Milarepa asked Gampopa, "Have you received any
empowerments? What instructions have you been given? What
practices have you done?" Gampopa answered Milarepa's questions
and described his success in meditation, but Milarepa just laughed
and said, "You can't get oil by grinding sand, you have to use
mustard seeds. These empowerments you have received are useless
for seeing the true nature of your mind. If you meditate on my
tummo instructions you will see the true nature of your mind."
88
Milarepa then gave Gampopa the Vajravarahi empowerment, using

a sindhura62 mandala. Then he gave Gampopa the instructions
and Gampopa put them into practice.
Gampopa had good experiences and realizations, and had many
thoughts on view, meditation, and conduct. He asked Milarepa
to explain them, and in answer, Milarepa sang a spiritual song
describing the view, meditation, conduct, commitment and result,
in terms of the true nature as the basis of the path:
The ultimate view is to look at your own mind.
What does Milarepa mean by that line? If one has never

practiced that may seem a simple thing to do, but this is the
ultimate view in Vajrayana practice. The sutra tradition teaches
emptiness and selflessness which are to be understood through
analysis by searching vainly for the self from the crown of the
head to one's toenails. Deduction brings conviction that the body
and all phenomena have no reality. This is the understanding of
emptiness. Meditation upon this conviction will then lead to the
ultimate goal. The sutra path is therefore called "the path of
deduction." The Vajrayana, however, does not use deduction, but
uses the direct perception of emptiness, of the true nature of
phenomena. So it is called "the path of direct experience."
The true nature cannot be seen directly in outer phenomena,
but, by looking into one's own mind and seeing that the mind
cannot be found. 63 The mind is the embodiment of emptiness,
the essence of emptiness, but throughout beginningless time we
have never looked at our own mind. The emptiness of the mind is
not a vacuity but a clarity. 64 It is a mistake to try and find emptiness
other than in the mind.
89
To illustrate this there is a story of a man who had a jewel

iqset into his forehead. Whenever he was tired the skin on his
head sagged. One day when he was very exhausted and the skin
sagged and covered the jewel completely. The man felt his forehead
and thought he had lost the jewel, and ran around anxiously trying
to find it, only becoming more tired in the process, so that the
jewel was more deeply hidden.
In the same way, Milarepa says, "to search for the true nature
anywhere other than our own mind, is like a blind monster looking
for gold."
Milarepa then described meditation to Gampopa in a single
line of song:
The ultimate practice is not to consider lethargy and

excitability as faults.
A beginner of meditation, of course, does need to work on

eliminating lethargy and excitability in meditation, but the nature
of lethargy and excitability is the nature of the mind and this
nature never changes. If you see these two qualities of mind as
obstacles or faults, you will not be able to see the essence of the
.mind. Therefore you should not attempt to eliminate them, which
would as Milarepa says "be as pointless as lighting a candle in the
daylight." Next, Milarepa described conduct:
The ultimate action is to cease to accept and reject.
The usual Buddhist practice is to accept what is positive and

to reject what is 'negative. In terms of the true nature there should
be no adoption of good actions or abandonment of negative actions.
90
Whatever arises in the mind has the ultimate nature of the

clarity and emptiness of the mind, so we should not think, "this is
good and has to be cultivated or this is bad and has to be rejected."
If we attempt to adopt and reject, we will be like a fly struggling
in a cobweb, which only binds itself tighter the more it does.
Next Milarepa describes commitment:
The ultimate discipline is to rest in the ultimate view.
Discipline is usually made by promising to keep all our

commitments and vows. But remaining in the realization of the
true nature of our mind is truly keeping the commitment. If we
strive to maintain a commitment that is other than the mind, we
will always fail. It is just as Milarepa says, "we can't stop water's
natural propensity to flow downward." Next Milarepa describes
the accomplishment or result of our practice:
The ultimate accomplishment is full conviction in

one's mind.
The ultimate result is the true nature of the mind manifest. If

one seeks a result that does not already exist, that would be like as
Milarepa says, "a frog jumping up into the sky," which is inevitably
going to fall back onto the ground. The result can only be found
in the mind itsel£
The Buddha's wisdom is described as "the sudden result" even
in the sutra tradition, because the wisdom spontaneously appears
as soon as the defilements are eliminated without having to be
created. In the Vajrayana tradition, the result is described as the
manifestation of the true nature of one's mind. This nature is
91
The Life & Spiritual So1:1gs ofMilarepa
primordially present, but unrecognized, within all beings. Once

the nature of the mind is recognized, the ultimate result is attained.
In the next verse Milarepa describes the guru:
The ultimate guru is one's mind.
On the relative level one has a root guru whose instructions

one follows. On the ultimate level the guru is one's mind. If one
can look at and question one's own mind, the instructions of the
ultimate guru will be received. If one seeks a guru that is other
than the mind, it is as Milarepa says, "trying to leave one's mind"
which is impossible. All appearances are nothing other than one's
mind, so there is no gr1=ater guru than the true nature of the mind.
On hearing this song, Gampopa felt great faith. He then
meditated with diligence practicing the tummo meditation. On
the first night, his body filled with warmth and bliss. At dawn he
fell asleep briefly and when he woke up his body was cold as stone.
After seven days of meditation he had a vision of the five
Buddhas of the five Buddha families. He thought this was very
important and told Milarepa. Milarepa said, "If you press your
eyes you see an illusion of there being two moons. In the same
way, the particular movement of airs in your body caused your
experience, which was neither good nor bad. Just carry on with
your meditation.
92
11
Victory over the Four Maras
g will conclude this introduction to the songs of Milarepa

with this sixtieth chapter65 that describes victory over the
maras. This is very auspicious from the Tibetan point of
view. The Buddha taught that there were four maras: the divine
mara (Skt. devaputra-mara), the disturbing emotion mara (Skt.
klesha-mara), the aggregate mara (Skt. skandha-mara), and the
death mara (Skt. matyupati-mara). They cause obstacles, bring
suffering, and prevent the attainment of liberation.
The "divine mara'' is traditionally portrayed as a beautiful and
attractive being. This mara represents the attachment to the sensory
pleasures of samsara, which seems very beautiful at the time, but
from the ultimate point of view, these attachments lead people
astray and create an obstacle to liberation and omniscience.
Therefore it is called the "divine mara."
The "mara of defilement," or the disturbing emotion mara, is
the attachment to a self, which leads to the defilements of
ignorance, anger, and desire. They appear within our mind and
cause the accumulation of negative karma, which results in future
suffering. This mara is traditionally portrayed as an old, weak
Brahmin who doesn't have long to live because it is a delusion,
93
without any solid basis, and therefore easy to eliminate. As soon

as the truth is realized, delusion ceases to exist.
The "mara of the five aggregates" is next. When there are the
aggregates or skandhas (form, sensation, recognition, mental events
and consciousnesses), there is samsara. Until the true nature of
these aggregates is realized, there is suffering. This mara is
traditionally portrayed as a physically powerful being, because the
skandhas are an actual presence, and their true nature is more
difficult to realize than that of the defilements.
The "mara who is the Lord of Death" is death itsel£ At death
we must leave all the activities of our life, and we feel afraid. Death
will be a cause of suffering for as long as we remain in samsara.
This mara is traditionally portrayed as black and terrifying, because
it is brings impermanence and fear.
The way to eliminate these four maras is to practice the dharma
and to realize the true nature of phenomena.
In this chapter Milarepa sings of his own victory over the
maras, beginning with a song that describes the need to escape
from samsara. Later it is told that Milarepa was blown over a
precipice by a wind and was seen to be impaled upon a tree. His
students were mortified until Milarepa showed them his body to be
unharmed, without any wound at all. He then sang them a song:
The wind made me fall, and an inanimate tree

harmed my body causing me unendurable agony.
However, the dakinis healed me so that I was healed
from all injury.
Another time, Milarepa's students were with him on top of a

very high rock when he fell of£ They thought he must have died
and passed into nirvana and went down to recover his body. But
94
Victory Over the Four Maras
when they reached the bottom, Milarepa was still alive and laughed
at them. When they asked him what had happened, Milarepa
replied with a song:
The vulture of union spreads its wings. When the

vulture of the union of emptiness and clarity spreads
its wings, it does not fly using only one of them. When
we meditate, the wisdom of the emptiness of
phenomena alone is not enough, and the wisdom of
clarity alone is not enough to cause the realization of
the true nature of phenomena.
The essence of clarity is emptiness. Emptiness,
the unreality of phenomena, is not a voidness but has
clarity. This is "the union of space and wisdom." The
realization of this union will enable us to reach
liberation from samsara.
This is what Milarepa meant by "the vulture of union spreading

.Its wmgs.
. ,
The flight was from the peak of Tramar, 66 The

landing was in the ravine below. I played a joke upon
my followers.
Milarepa, through a miracle, flew from the top ofTramar and

then landed on the ground below. Then he explained:
There was a purpose to the joke: The wings of the

union of wisdom and emptiness realized the true
nature so that there is freedom from the obscurations
caused by the defilements and the obscurations to
95
knowledge. 67 Then liberation from both samsara and

nirvana is demonstrated. Then there is the peace of
emptiness united with perfect bliss.
Another time, Milarepa and his disciples were at the foot of a

rocky cliff. One of his disciples said to him, "You shouldn't stay
here, it's too dangerous." But he did and a little later there was a
rockslide. Milarepa stared and pointed at the falling rocks and
they immediately scattered into different directions, without
harming him. His students returned certain that Milarepa had
been injured. When they arrived, he sang them a song:
This yogin's body is like a flower. The avalanche of

rocks was like a murderer wanting to kill a flower. A
dakini appeared on my right and left so that the rocks
did not fall upon me. I am not afraid of the maras,
they could never cause an obstacle to me.
The students asked, "You have been in an avalanche, fallen

off a precipice, and been impaled upon a tree, without being
harmed. How is this possible?"
Milarepa answered, "My realization of the true nature of
phenomena has made my body as insubstantial as a rainbow and
it has transformed my defilements into wisdoms. My certain
knowledge that all phenomena are unborn has blown away the
eight worldly dharmas. 68 This is a sign that the four maras are
ashamed, have lost their confidence and are powerless.
His pupils then asked, "Does this mean that you have
conquered the four maras?" And Milarepa replied, "Yes, there
has been victory over the maras. For the next thirteen successions
96
Victory Over the Four Maras
of my lineage, the maras will not be able to cause any obstacles

to its practitioners."
A tantrika student arrived from central Tibet, and Sebenrepa
a$ked him what siddhas were in that region. The tantrika replied,
"There are many siddhas there, and they are served by non-
.
h uman bemgs. "
Milarepa said, "That doesn't make anyone a siddha." Sebenrepa
then asked Milarepa, "Do non-human beings serve you?" Milarepa
replied that they did and sang a song:
The food of samadhi that is served to me is

inexhaustible, like the treasury of space. I am free of
thoughts and feelings of hunger and thirst. This is a
service rendered to me by dakinis, but I do not think
of it as a siddhi. It is only an experience within
meditation, not the ultimate siddhi69 of realizing the
true nature of phenomena.
The tantrika said that there were masters in the central region
that had seen the face of the yidam. But Milarepa said, "Just seeing
the yidam's face is of no benefit." Then he sang:
Due to my meditation on the instructions I have

received from Marpa Lotsawa, I have seen the nature
of the mind. This dispelled the darkness of ignorance
from my mind. All the dakinis revealed their faces to
me, but there are no faces in the true nature, which
contains no objects of perception.
I have seen the yidam's face, but only the root
guru's teachings are important. I have attained the
97
general siddhis but the realization of the true nature

transcends them.
The tantrika then asked, "Can you give me an example of

what you mean by 'seeing, the nature of the mind'?" In answer
Milarepa sang a song:
The mind has no true reality and is therefore unborn

and unceasing. In every instant the mind gives birth
to thoughts. But if you see the nature of the mind,
you know that it has no reality, and has never been
born. You cannot find the mind's location and so it is
unborn.
There is no example that can be given to depict
the unborn mind, because nothing resembles it. It
has no birth or cessation. Only what is born comes to
an end. When you realize the nature of the mind you
know that nothing can serve as an example for it,
except for the mind itself Then the example and the
meaning will be the same.
You can't describe the nature of the mind in the
way that you can describe an outer object as white or
red. You can't say that the nature of the mind exists or
that it doesn't exist. The mind is inconceivable, beyond
deduction, beyond the scope of speech, but due to
the blessing of the root guru and the lineage gurus,
you can see it for yourself.
98
Notes
1. See L. P. Lhalungpa The Life ofMilarepa. Published by Shambhala
Publications, 1985.
2. For more information on Tsang Nyon Heruka see The Life ofMarpa
the Translator. Boston: Shambhala, 1986 pages xx-xxiv.
3. Tib. dbus. This is the region of central Tibet that had Lhasa as its
capital.
4. This is the region of central Tibet that had Gyantse as its capital.
5. In the Vajrayana, there are two paths- drollam and thap lam- that
are generally followed simultaneously or alternately by the
practitioner. Drollam, the path ofliberation, is what sometimes we
refer to as formless meditation and includes Mahamudra. In this
approach to meditation one relates to the mind in terms of the
awareness aspect of mind.
Thap lam, the path of means or method, includes all tantric
practices employing visualization, mantras, mandalas, yogas such
as the Six Dharmas ofNaropa or the Six Dharmas of Niguma, etc.
These practices relate to mind in terms of the energy aspect of
mind. By properly integrating the distorted karmic energies of one's
mind, one brings about the same enlightened awareness that is
reached as the fruition of the formless meditation approach of the
path of liberation. The virtue of the path of liberation is that it
tends to be smoother, while the path of means is that it tends to be
faster; therefore, they make a good complement to each other.
99
Neither path can be practiced properly- and in the case of the path
of means it would be dangerous to do so -without the guidance of
a qualified tantric master. - Lama Tashi Namgyal
6. These four thoughts also called the four ordinary foundations are
more fully explained in Thrangu Rinpoche's The Four Foundations
of Buddhist Practice. Namo Buddha Publications.
7. All meditation can be divided into the two categories of tranquillity
meditation (Shamatha) and insight meditation (Vipashyana).
Vipashyana in turn can be divided into the Vipashyana of the sutra
tradition and the Vipashyana of the Mahamudra tradition. In the
sutra tradition there is analytical Vipashyana and placement
meditation. In the Mahamudra or tantric tradition, Vipashyana is
based on the direct pointing out of the nature of mind and the
nature of things by a fully qualified and experienced holder of the
Mahamudra lineage.- Lama Tashi Namgyal
8. One of the greatest lamas of the nineteenth century (1820 - 1892)
and one of the most important tertons. He was considered to be a
body emanation of Jigme Lingpa. He was heavily involved in the
development of the non-sectarian Rime-movement. The goal of
which was for the practitioner to attain complete mastery of the
teachings of all the lineages, so as to then be able to give each of his
students the precise teaching to fit their individual needs.
9. Gampopa had previously been a great bodhisattva and at the time of
Shakyamuni Buddha had taken rebirth as a monk. At that time
Lord Shakyamuni in the King of Samadhi Sutra prophesied that
Gampopa would again take rebirth in a distant land as a monk
named Tzodzad. The name Tzodzad indicated that the monk would
be a doctor, so this prophecy can be seen to point to the case of
Gampopa, who was born in Tibet, became a doctor, and later took
monastic ordination at a Kadampa monastery. This prophecy of
the Buddha is more fully described in Thrangu Rinpoche's The
King ofSamadhi which is one of the few sutras which directly
discusses Mahamudra meditation. - Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
100
Notes
10. The lineage from Dorje Chang to Gampopa is referred to as the

"general" Kagyu lineage, because it is the source of all Kagyu
traditions. Dusum Khyenpa, founded the Kamtzang Karma Kagyu
tradition. Tsultrim Nyingpo received the lineage of Gampopa's
monastery, Daglha Gompa, and founded the tradition known as
the Tshelpa Kagyu through his disciple Tsondru Trakpa. Baram
Dharma Wangchuk travelled north to Baram, settled there his
tradition became known as the Baram Kagyupa. Khampa Dorgyal,
the most expansive teacher of the group, also went north, found a
place called Phagmodru in the forest of Samantabhadra, and built
a monastery there. He became known as Phagmo Drupa, named
from the place where he built his monastery. His tradition became
known as the Phagmodru Kagyupa.
The Kamtzang, Tshelpa, Baram, and Phagmodru subsects are
called the four "primary traditions" of the Kagyu because they
originated from the four main disciples of Gampopa.
Phagmo Drupa, from the vastness of the teachings he had collected,
gave different instructions to various and numerous disciples, and
in doing so gave rise to eight different traditions. These are the
Drigung, Taklung, Yabzang, Shugseb, Marpa, Yelpa, Throphupa
and the Drukpa Kagyu sects, which are collectively known as the
eight "secondary lineages." From all of these lineages came a large
number of siddhas and incarnated lamas.
Due primarily to the efforts of their early teachers, of the eight
"secondary traditions," three became especially prominent: Drigung
Kyobpa Jigten Gonpo's Drigung lineage; Taklung Thangpa Trashi
Pal's Taklungpa lineage; and the Drukpa Kagyupa lineage, which
took its name from the Namdruk Gon Monastery founded by
Tsangpa Gyarepa, a disciple of Lingchen Repa, and from which
came a great many siddhas. - Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
11. Garma Chang: The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa. Boston:
Shambhala Publications, 1962. Pages 1-10. In Garma Chang's book
this chapter is entitled The Tale ofRed Rock jewel Valley.
101
12. Blessing is. the process by which one individual introduces some of
their accumulated merit intQ another's "stream of being." The ability
to bestow blessing depends on the donor's degree of spiritual
attainment and on the recipient's faith. The donor is usually the
root-guru, whose blessing is said to contain that of all the sources
of refuge combined. Although future experiences are largely shaped
by present actions, the root-guru's blessing can partially modify
this. That is, it can create conditions favourable to the maturation
of any religious pre-dispositions our past actions may have generated,
giving us the inspiration and energy we require to begin practising.
In this way, unless our acts have been extremely unwholesome, the
guru's blessing can help us overcome conflicting emotions and other
obstacles. Thus the guru's blessing helps us realize the Buddha-
potential we all possess.
13. The word is derived from the Sanskrit acharya or a religious master.
14. The word deity is ofren used rather broadly, here it is referring to
beings that are not enlightened. Local deities are beings who inhabit
specific places, although they are not visible to most humans they
can be quite powerful and can cause harm or obstacles to one if
they are not respected; just as we would get upset and angry if
someone violated our home, we should consider and respect the
home or territory of others, even if we cannot visibly see them.
Therefore Buddhist practitioners often make offerings to local deities
for good circumstances.
15. In the Sanskrit bodhi means "awakened" or "enlightened" and chitta
means "mind," so bodhichitta means awakened mind. The
generation of bodhichitta is based on the altruistic wish to bring
about the welfare, and ultimately the total liberation, of all sentient
beings from all forms of suffering. What distinguishes bodhichitta
from the ordinary compassionate aspirations to benefit others shared
by all people of good will is the recognition that one cannot
ultimately fulfill these aspirations until one has attained the state of
men·tal purification and liberation of Buddhahood, which is the
102
Notes
source of all positive qualities, including the omniscience that can

see, individual by individual, the causes of suffering and the causes
and path of liberation &om suffering. This understanding gives
rise at some point to the initial generation of the aspiration to attain
the state of Buddhahood in order to liberate all sentient beings
&om suffering and to establish them all in states of happiness. This
is called bodhichitta of aspiration, which must be followed by what
is called the bodhichitta of application, which is the training in
loving-kindness, compassion, the six paramitas or transcendent
perfections, etc., which lead to the accomplishment ofBuddhahood.
Aspiration bodhichitta and application bodhichitta are both
included in the term relative bodhichitta. Ultimate bodhichitta is
direct insight into the ultimate nature. This st~te of primordial
awareness is compassion and loving-kindness and gives rise
spontaneously and without preconception to compassionate activity.
-Lama Tashi Namgyal
16. This is The Song ofRealization in Garma Chang's Hundre4 Thousand
Songs ofMilarepa, p. 6-7. Also in Rain ofWisdom, p. 202-204.
17. Garma Chang. The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa. Page
23-37.
18. Garma Chang. The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa. Pages
11-22.
19. Garma Chang translates this as eighteen days in The Hundred
Thousand Songs. The Tibetan is literally "eighteen days and nights"
which is explained later in the song as nine daytimes and nighttimes.
20. In Tibetan medicine and meditation the body contains numerous
subtle channels (Skt. nadi, Tib. tsa) which are not anatomical in
nature, but more like channels in acupuncture. There are
thousands of channels but the three main channels are the central
channel, which runs roughly along the spinal column and the left
and right channels either side of this. Prana is the energy, or
"wind," moving through the nadis. As is said, "Mind consciousness
rides the horse of prana on the pathways of the nadis. The bindu
is mind's nourishment."
103
Because of dualistic thinking, prana enters the left and right

channels. This divergence of energy in the subtle body corresponds
to the mental activity that falsely distinguishes between subject
and object and leads to karmically determined activity. Through
yogic practice, the pranas can be brought into the central channel
and therefore transformed into wisdom-prana. Then the mind
can recognize its fundamental nature, realizing all dharmas as
unborn [empty].
21. Kleshas, in Sanskrit means "pain, distress, and torment." This was
translated as "afflictions" which is the closest English word to what
causes distress. However, the Tibetan word for kleshas is nyon mong
and these almost always refer to passion, anger, ignorance, jealousy,
and pride which are actually negative or disturbing emotions so we
prefer the translation negative or disturbing emotion since
"afflictions" imply some kind of disability. The Great Tibetan
Dictionary for example defines nyon mong as, "mental events that
incite one to non-virtuous actions and cause one's being to be very
un peaceful."
22. Garma C. C. Chang: The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa:
"Challenge from a Wise Demoness," p. 38-57.
23. Tib. srin-mo. One of the many types of local Tibetan deities. In
translations from the Sanskrit they are equated with the Indian
rakshasa demons. A Rock-Sinmo, is described in Tibetan folklore
as the original female ancestor of the Tibetan race- the result of
her union with a monkey. These two ancestral creatures became
identified as emanations ofTara and Avalokiteshvara.
24. In Tibetan medicine madness is considered to be caused by an influx
of subtle airs into the heart. The application of a golden needle is a
Tibetan medical method, now very rarely used, which is analogous
to Chinese acupuncture.
25. Latencies (Skt. vasana, Tib. bakchak) These latent imprints that
enter the eighth (ground) consciousness come through the seventh
(afflicted) consciousness. These imprints are not apparently the
104
Notes
experience itself, but are described more like dormant seeds that are
away from soil, water, and sunlight. These imprints are either
positive, negative, or neutral depending upon whether they came
from a positive, negative, or neutral thought or action. These
imprints are then activated with experience and thus help create
our impression of the solidity of the world. There are actually several
kinds oflatencies: latencies which are associated with external sensory
experiences, latencies which give rise to the dualistic belief of "I"
and "other," and positive and negative latencies due to our actions
which cause us to continue to revolve around and around in samsara.
It should also be pointed out that different schools of Buddhism
treated these latencies differently.
26. With regard to the eight consciousnesses, the first five are called the
"consciousnesses of the five gates." The gates are the five senses: eye
ear, nose, tongue, and body. They are called gates because they
seem to be the gates by means of which your mind encounters that
which is outside your body. These five consciousnesses operating
through the five senses or five gates experience their objects directly.
The eye consciousness actually sees shapes and colors, the ear
consciousness actually detects or experiences sounds, and so on. It
is direct experience, thefefore these consciousnesses are non-
conceptual and do not generate any thoughts about the
characteristics of what they experience; they do not conceptually
recognize the things that they perceive or experience.
That which thinks about what is experienced by the five senses
and which conceptually recognizes them as such and such, and
conceives of them as good and bad, in short that which thinks
period, is the sixth consciousness, the mental consciousness. The
mental consciousness does not work with or appear on the basis of
a specific sense organ like the other five. It inhabits the body in a
general way and it is that which thinks. The fundamental distinction
between it and the others is that the five sense consciousnesses,
since they engage only in the direct experience of their objects, can
105
only experience the present. For example, the eye consciousness

only sees what is there now. It does not see what was there in the
past. It does not see what will be there in the future. This is also
true of the ear consciousness and so on. Not only can they not
think about the past or the future, they do not even conceptualise
or think about the present.
The sixth consciousness on the other hand can and does think
aboutthings. The sixth consciousness thinks of the past, both the
distant and recent past. But while it is capable of thinking it is not
capable of directly experiencing things the way that the sense
consciousnesses do. It generates a generality or abstraction on the
basis of the things that are experienced by the five sense
consciousnesses. This means that when the five sense consciousnesses
experience something, it becomes an object of thought for the sixth
consciousness, not in the form of what is actually experienced but
in the form. ofa conceptual generality or generalization or abstraction
that is created by the sixth consciousness as a duplicate or replica of
what was experienced by that particular sense consciousness. For
example, when I look at the glass that is on the table in front of me,
my eyes directly see that glass, but my sixth consciousness, my
mental consciousness does not directly see it. It generates a generality
or abstraction based upon what my eyes have seen, that it recognizes,
that it thinks about, thinks of as good or bad, or having such and
such shape and so on.
Those six consciousnesses are relatively easy to detect or observe
because they are vivid in their manifestation or function. The other
two consciousnesses are less easy to observe. For one thing the six
consciousnesses start and stop in their operation. They are generated
by certain conditions and when those conditions are no longer
present they temporarily stop functioning. Therefore the six
consciousnesses are called "inconstant" consciousnesses. They are
not constantly there. They are generated as they arise. The other
two consciousnesses are called "constant" consciousnesses. Not only
106
Notes
are they constant, which means that they are always operating, but
they are also much less observable.
The seventh consciousness is called the "afflicted consciousness."
This refers to the subtle or most basic level of mental affliction or
klesha. ·Specifically, the afflicted consciousness is the most subtle
level of fixation on a self that is unfluctuatingly present even when
one is asleep. When sometimes you have a sense of self and you
think "!," that is not an operation of the seventh consciousness.
That is the sixth consciousness thinking. The seventh consciousness
is present until you attain the first bodhisattva level and so on.
Although it is not directly observable itself, it is the basis for all
coarse fixation on a self and therefore for all coarse kleshas.
The eighth consciousness is called the "alaya vijnana'' or "ground
consciousness." It is called the ground because it is the basis for the
arising of all other types of consciousness. It is that fundamental
clarity of consciousness or cognitive lucidity of consciousness that
has been there from the beginning. Being the capacity for conscious
experience it is the ground for the arising of eye consciousness, ear
consciousness, etc. It is, like the seventh, constantly present,
constantly operating, and it persists until the attainment of final
awakening or Buddhahood.
Along with the eight consciousnesses there is something else that
is often mentioned. This is called the "immediate mind." The
immediate mind is not a separate consciousness. It is the function
of the impure mind that links the operations of one consciousness
to another. It is that impulse or force of habit that causes the six
consciousnesses to arise from the ground of the all basis and the
afflicted consciousness. It is that which causes the mental
consciousness to arise on the basis of a sense perception and so on.
It is an identifiable function of the impure mind, but is not in itself
a separate consciousness, therefore there are only eight types of
impure consciousness. It is not considered to be a ninth. - Khenchen
Thrangu Rinpoche
107
When we, as ordinary beings, hit a rock it is hard and hurts

because of our latencies. However, Milarepa as will be seen in later
stories has mastered or transformed the eight consciousness and its
latencies so he can put his hand right through a rock because it is
actually empty. This is much more fully explained in Thrangu
Rinpoche's Transcending Ego, Namo Buddha Publications.
27. This refers to things being empty of inherent nature or shunyata.
However, emptiness is inseparable from luminosity (Tib. salwa)
and therefore this is not a blank voidness like the complete absence
of something.
28. The failure of the mind to recognize its own true nature is what is
meant by the term ma rigpa, or ignorance, the first level of delusion,
obscuration or defilement in the mind. As a result of this ignorance,
there arises in the mind the imputation of an "I" and an "other,"
(the other being something that is conceived as) something that is
other than· the mind. This dualistic clinging, something that we
have had throughout beginningless time and that never stops (until
enlightenment), is the second level of obscuration, the obscuration
of habits (habitual tendency).
Based upon this dualistic clinging arise the three root mental
afflictions: mental darkness (variously rendered by translators as
ignorance, bewilderment, confusion, etc.), desire, and aggression.
Based upon these three afflictions there arise some 84,000 various
mental afflictions enumerated by the Buddha, all of which together
comprise the third level of obscuration, called the obscuration of
mental afflictions (variously rendered as klesha, emotional affliction,
conflicting emotions, etc). Under the influence of these, we perform
actions that are obscured in their nature, which result in the fourth
level of obscuration, called the obscuration of actions or karma. -
Khabje Kalu Rinpoche
29. Garma Chang. The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa. "The
Song of a Yogi's Joy," p. 74-87.
30. The first recognition of the nature of mind, which is brought about
108
Notes
in the student's experience through the intervention of the lama

whether during a teaching, a ritual ceremony, or guided meditation
becomes the basis for the student's subsequent practice of dharma,
the purpose of which is to enable the student to become accustomed
and habituated to experiencing the world in the manner first pointed
out. When through the practice of the path, the student's experience
reaches the ineffable fruition of Buddhahood, he or she is said to
have fully realized the nature of mind. - Lama Tashi Namgyal
31. Garma Chang. The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa. p. 136-
149.
32. When you talk about guru in the Mahamudra lineage, there is the
pure (dharmakaya) aspect of the guru, the distance lineage gurus,
and the close lineage gurus. The distance lineage gurus start with
the Lord Buddha and extend in a continuous, unbroken succession
of enlightened masters and students all the way down to the
Karmapa. We call that the distance lineage because it goes all the
way back to the Buddha Shakyamuni.
There is the close lineage of Mahamudra as well. That lineage
begins with the Buddha Vajradhara who bestowed Mahamudra
teachings on the Bodhisattva Lodro Rinchen, which teachings then
come down to Tilopa and Naropa. In the case of the great masters
who received Mahamudra lineage transmissions directly from the
Buddha Vajradhara, those transmissions happened a long time after
Prince Siddhartha's paranirvana. The physical Buddha, the historical
Buddha Shakyamuni, Prince Siddhartha, was at the time no longer
in physical Prince Siddhartha form. What happened was that first
these great masters received the teachings of the Buddha and the
Buddha's disciples through " distance lineages," and they practiced
them. Through their practice they attained realization. As part of
their realization the Buddha manifested to them, but not as Prince
Siddhartha, as Buddha Vajradhara. So, Buddha, the sambhogakaya
of the Buddha, and the nirmanakaya of the Buddha, which is Prince
Siddhartha in our case. The Buddha Vajradhara means all in one-
the ever present Buddha, the timeless Buddha.
109
Then the Buddha Vajradhara transmitted direcdy to certain great

masters, but only as a result of the realization of the teachings they
had already received from their masters, whose teachings started
with the historical Buddha. In this way, the Mahamudra lineage
and many Vajrayana Buddhist lineages actually have distance lineage
as well as close lineage. - Tai Situ Rinpoche
33. Dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. Fully enlightened
beings, Buddhas, and their manifestations are often understood by
way of the. three kayas: The dharmakaya is enlightenment itself,
wisdom beyond any reference point which can only be perceived
by other enlightened beings; The sambhogakaya, often called the
enjoyment body, manifests in the pure lands which can only be
seen by advanced bodhisattvas; and the nirmanakaya which can be
seen by ordinary beings as in the case of the historical Buddha, but
this can also be any type of being or relative appearance to assist
ordinary beings.
34. Tib. cho (spelled gcod) Apparendy originally spelt spyod, as in this
verse and in Paldarbum's question, short spyod-yul as the translation
of the Sanskrit gocara.
35. This is commonly but not always pronounced "pai" in Tibet. "Phat"
practice, common in tantric incantations, for cutting ego, involves
saying the Sanskrit syllable Phat. It is used as a means of cutting
distracting thoughts and to arouse the consciousness from drowsiness
occurring in meditation. In applying it, the yogi first concentrates
on the thought-flow, drowsiness, apparitions, or whatever hindrances
appear, and then suddenly shouts "pai!" with all their strength. By
doing this the hindrances are eventually eliminated. - Carma Chang.
36. The point of direct arrival here is an aspect of that which distinguishes
between the Mahamudra approach and the approach using
inferential reasoning. Ifwe are attempting to use inferential reasoning
to uncover the ultimate nature of absolute truth, then there is no
direct arrival involved, because the process consists of considering
what there is and gradually generating confidence in its ultimate
110
Notes
nature as absolute truth. In the Mahamudra approach, however,

there is a direct arrival or leap. What we are leaping past is conceptual
consideration altogether, and what we are leaping into is the direct
experience of the nature of our own mind. So, there is no
consideration or analysis or labelling of substantiality,
insubstantiality and so forth- we are simply directly looking at the
nature of our mind, directly experiencing it, and thereby directly
meditating upon it. - Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
37. This refers to the shaving of one's hair when taking ordination.
38. The display of miracles, such as leaving imprints in rocks, arises
from the samadhi recognizing that all phenomena are uncreated
and are, in fact, illusory. Whatever is required to benefit beings can
be magically manifested out of the samadhi realizing this emptiness.
- Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
223.
40. Gandhamadana. Tib. spos ngad !dan meaning "aromatic" because
traditional Indian accounts describe a fragrant forest on its slopes.
It is described in the Abhidharma as being at the source of the
Ganges and Brahmaputra, and as the site of the wish-fUlfilling jambu
tree. Anavatapta. Tib. ma dros pa meaning "unwarmed" suggesting
a cold lake.
41. The Bonpo religion was present within Tibet before the introduction
of Buddhism, and has developed and continued up to the present
time.
42. Tib. bya rgod phung po'i ri which means "The Vulture-peak
Mountain" which is at the capital of Maghada where the Buddha
often resided and taught the Prajnaparamita sutras.
43. The Bon tradition circumambulates sacred places counter-clockwise,
while Buddhists always go clockwise.
44. Tib. rdzu-'phrul phug. A temple has been built around this rock
shelter. Zutrul Puki is on the southeastern side of Kailash on the
final stage of the usual circumambulation of the mountain.
111

295.
46. Tib. snyi shangs gur rta. Nyishang or Nyeshang is the area that is
now called Manang, which lies to the east of the Kaligandaki river,
to the west of the Maryadikola river, and south east of the Nepalese
kingdom of Mustang.
47. Man is a generic name used by Tibetans at that time for areas from
Lhahul in the west to Tawang in the east and inhabited by non-
Tibetan, Tibeto-burman peoples. It has also been used for Bhutan,
and the king of Bhaktapur and Patan is referred to in the chapter
heading as the king of Mon.
286.
49. The text has Yerang, the name for Patan at that time.
50. The text has Khakhom, the name of Bhatgaon i.e. Bhaktapur at
that time.
51. Tibetan aru and Sanskrit arura. The yellow or chebulic myrobalan
or Terminalia Chebula.
52. The Buddha's teachings occurred in three important phases, known
as the three dharmachakras or three turnings of the wheel of dharma.
The first turning includes the teachings common to all traditions,
those of the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-fold Path, selflessness
and impermanence, which can lead to liberation from suffering.
The second turning expanded on the first, the fruition of its
teachings on the emptiness of all phenomena and universal
compassion is Buddhahood. The teachings of the third turning are
those on the buddha potential and its inherent qualities. For a
detailed account of the three wheels of dharma see Thrangu
Rinpoche's The Three Vehicles of Buddhist Practice published by
Namo Buddha Publications.
53. Garma Chang. The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, pages
421-441.
54. Tib. sil ba'i tshal which means "The Cool Grove." It is described as
112
Notes
being just outside Rajghir, the then capital ofMaghada, but various
other locations are given, such as south-east of Bodhgaya.
55. Tilopa was the first to obtain the formless dakini teachings. Having
traveled to Uddiyana, he received them directly from the formless
wisdom dakini in a spiritual song. Basically, this song was comprised
of nine instructions: 1. Loosen the seal knot of mind as ripening
and freeing, 2. Look at the mirror of mind as samaya, 3. Slash
water with a sword as activity, 4. Sun yourself in realization as
samaya substance, 5. Look at the torch of wisdom as insight, 6.
Turn the wheel of the web of nadi and prana, 7. Look at the outer
mirror as equal taste, 8. Meditate on self-liberated Mahamudra, 9.
Hold the jewel of the great bliss teachings.
56. Garma Chang. The Hundred Thousand Songr ofMilarepa. Pages 463-
498.
57. Tib. snying-rje pad-ma dkar-po or the White Lotus of Compassion
Sutra.
58. Though the Tibetan is literally blue, this color/word is used for
animals and people to denote dark gray or dark skinned.
59. A particular kind of Tibetan spirit believed to particularly be
interested in influencing religious practitioners for its own ends.
60. Tib. mi-gyo-ba. The principal protector deity of the early Kadampas.
61. Gampopa was at this time .a monk and drinking alcohol would
have broken his vows.
62. A word based on a red sediment believed to be the menstrual blood
of dakinis at sacred places, or a red powder substitute.
63. The word "look" is used here, but clearly this has nothing to do
with sight. The word is used to contrast it with analyzing or
examining which has an analytical, cognitive component which
isn't present in "looking" at mind. So looking at mind implies direct
and non-conceptual examination.
64. This is the translation of the Tibetan word salwa which is also
translated variously as "brilliance," "luminous clarity," and
"luminosity." We must not make the mistake of thinking of this as
113
some kind oflight such as we get from a light bulb even though the
words suggest this. Rather it is simply that continuous awareness,
that knowing, that the mind always has.
65. Garma Chang. The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, "The
Evidence of Accomplishment." Pages 658-661.
66. Tib. bragdmarmeaning "Red-Rock." This mountain is the location
of the chapter's events.
67. The obscuration of defilements prevents liberation and the
obscuration of knowledge prevents omniscience.
68. The eight worldly dharmas are a concern with gain and loss,
happiness and suffering, praise and criticism, fame and obscurity.
69. The ultimate or supreme siddhi is the stable realization of the radiant
clarity or clear light nature of mind and all reality, which we know
as complete and perfect enlightenment or Buddhahood. The relative
siddhis are such qualities as loving kindness, compassion,
intelligenq:, the wisdom ofinsight, 'spiritual power, protection, the
removal of obstacles, good health, longevity, wealth and magnetism
etc. - Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
114
Glossary ofTerms
84,000 teachings. (Tib. cho kyi phung po gyad khri bzhi stong) 21,000
teachings on each of the Vinaya, Surra, Abhidharma, and their
combination. Their purpose is to eliminate the 84,000 different
types of disturbing emotions latent in one's mind.
Abhidharma. (Tib. cho ngon pa) The Buddhist teachings are often divided
into the Tripi taka: the sutras (teachings of the Buddha), the Vinaya
(teachings on conduct,) and the Abhidharma which are the analyses
of phenomena that exist primarily as a commentarial tradition to
the Buddhist teachings.
Afflicted comciousness. (Tib. nyon yid) The seventh consciousness. As
used here it has two aspects: the immediate consciousness which
monitors the other consciousnesses making them continuous and
the klesha consciousness which is the continuous presence of sel£
(see consciousnesses, eight)
Aggregates, five. (Skt. skandha, Tib. phung po nga) Literally, "heaps."
These are the five basic transformations that perceptions undergo
when an object is perceived. First is form, which includes all sounds,
smells, etc., everything that is not thought. The second and third
are sensations (pleasant and unpleasant, etc.) and their identification.
Fourth are mental events, which actually include the second and
third aggregates. The fifth is ordinary consciousness, such as the
sensory and mental consciousnesses.
Amitayus. Skt. (Tib. Tse pagme) The name means infinitive life., Buddha
115
of long life. Amitayus is the sambhogakaya form of Ami tab hand a

usually depicted with all the ornaments of a sambhogakaya Buddha.
Atisha. (982-1 055 C. E.) A Buddhist scholar at the Nalanda University
in India who came to Tibet at the invitation of the King to overcome
the damage done by Langdarma. He helped found the Kadampa
tradition.
Blessings. (Tib. chin lap) Splendour wave, conveying the sense of
atmosphere descending or coming toward the practitioner. One's
root guru and lineage are said to be the source of blessings. When
the student can open themselves with uncontrived devotion, the
grace of the lineage manifests as blessings, which dissolve into them
and awaken them to a sense of greater reality.
Bodhichitta. (Tib. chang chup chi sem) Literally, the mind of
enlightenment. There are two kinds of bodhichitta: absolute
bodhichitta, which is completely awakened mind that sees the
emptiness of plienomena, and relative bodhichitta which is the
aspiration to practice the six paramitas and free all beings from the
suffering of samsara. In regard to relative bodhichitta there is also
two kinds: aspiration bodhichitta and perseverance bodhichitta.
Bodhisattva. (Tib. chang chup sem pa) "Heroic mind." Bodhi means
blossomed or enlightened, and sattva means heroic mind. Literally,
one who exhibits the mind of enlightenment. Also an individual
who has committed him or herself to the Mahayana path of
compassion and the practice of the six paramitas to achieve
Buddhahood to free all beings from samsara. These are the heart or
mind disciples of the Buddha.
Bodhisattva levels. (Skt. bhumi, Tib. sa) The levels or stages a bodhisattva
goes through to reach enlightenment. These consist of ten levels in
the surra tradition and thirteen in the tantra tradition.
Buddha. (Tib. sang gye) An individual who attains, or the attainment
of, complete enlightenment, such as the historical Shakyamuni
Buddha.
Buddha Shakyamuni. (Tib. shakya tubpa) The Shakyamuni Buddha,
116
Glossary ofTerms
often called the Gautama Buddha, refers to the fourth Buddha of

this age, who lived between 563 and ·483 BCE.
Buddhafield. (Tib. sang gye kyi zhing) 1) One of the realms of the five
Buddha families, either as sambhogakaya or nirmanakaya. 2) Pure
personal experience.
Buddhahood. (Tib. sang gyas) The perfect and complete enlightenment
of dwelling in neither samsara nor nirvana. Expression of the
realization of perfect enlightenment, which characterizes a Buddha.
The attainment of Buddhahood is the birthright of all beings.
According to the teachings of Buddha, every sentient being has, or
better is already, buddha nature; thus Buddhahood cannot be
"attained." It is much more a matter of experiencing the primordial
perfection and realizing it in everyday life.
Buddha nature. (Tib. de shegs nyingpo) The essential nature of all sentient
beings. The potential for enlightenment.
Chakravartin. (Tib. koro gyur wa) Literally, the turner of the wheel and
also called a universal monarch. This is a king who propagates the
dharma and starts a new era.
Chakrasamvara. (Tib. korlo dompa) A meditational deity which belongs
to the Anuttarayoga tantra set of teachings. A main yidam or tantra
of the New Schools.
Chod. (Tib.) This is pronounced "cho" and literally means "to cut off"
and refers to a practice that is designed to cut off all ego involvement
and defilements. The mo chod (female chod) practice was founded
by the famous female saint Machig Labdron (1031 to 1129 C. E.).
Clarity. (Tib. salwa) Also translated as luminosity. The nature of mind
is that it is empty of inherent existence, but the mind is not just
voidness or completely empty because it has this clarity which is
awareness or the knowing of mind. So clarity is a characteristic of
emptiness (shunyata) of mind.
Completion stage. (Tib. dzo rim) In the Vajrayana there are two stages of
meditation: the creation/development stage and the completion
stage. Completion stage with marks is the six doctrines. Completion
117
stage without marks is the practice of essence Mahamudra, resting

in the unfabricated nature of mind.
Conventional level. There are two levels or truths: relative truth and
ultimate truth. Relative truth describes the superficial and apparent
mode of all things. Ultimate truth describes the true and unmistaken
mode of all things. These two are described differently in the different
schools, each progressively deeper leading closer to the way things
are.
Creation stage. (Skt. utpattikrama, Tib. che rim) In the Vajrayana there
are two stages of meditation: the development and the completion
stage. The creation stage is a method of tantric meditation that
involves the visualization and contetnplation of deities for the
purpose of purifying habitual tendencies and realizing the purity of
all phenomena. In this stage visualization of the deity is established
and maintained.
Daka. (Tib. khandro) A male counterpart to a dak.ini.
Dakini. (Tib. khandroma) A yogini who has attained high realizations
of the fully enlightened mind. She may be a human being who has
achieved such attainments or a non-human manifestation of the
enlightened mind of a meditational deity. A female aspect of the
protectors. It is feminine energy which has inner, outer and secret
meanings.
Definitive meaning. The Buddha's teachings that state the direct meaning
of dharma. They are not changed or simplified for the capacity of
the listener, in contrast to the provisional meaning.
Dharani. A particular type of mantra, usually quite long.
Dharma. (Tib. cho) This has two main meanings: first, any truth, such
as that the sky is blue; and secondly, the teachings of the Buddha
(also called "Buddha-dharma'').
Dharma protector. (Skt. dharmapala, Tib. cho kyong) A Buddha,
bodhisattva or powerful but ordinary being whose job is to remove
all interferences and bestow all necessary conditions for the practice
of pure dharma.
118
Glossary ofTerms
Dharmadhatu. (Tib. chii ying) The all-encompassing space, unoriginated

and without beginning, out of which all phenomena arises. The
Sanskrit means "the essence of phenomena" and the Tibetan means
"the expanse of phenomena," but it usually refers to the emptiness
that is the essence of phenomena.
Dharmakaya. (Tib. chii ku) One of the three bodies ofBuddhahood. It
is enlightenment itself, that is, wisdom beyond any point of reference.
(see kayas, three.)
Dharmata. (Tib. chii nyt) Dharmata is often translated as "suchness" or
"the true nature of things" or "things as they are." It is phenomena
as it really is or as seen by a completely enlightened being without
any distortion or obscuration, so one can say it is "reality." The
nature of phenomena and mind.
Disturbing emotions. (Skt. klesha, Tib. nyiin mong) Also called the
"afflictive emotions," these are the emotional afflictions or
obscurations (in contrast to intellectual obscurations) that disturb
the clarity of perception. These are also translated as "poisons."
They include any emotion that disturbs or distorts consciousness.
The main kleshas are desire, anger and ignorance.
Dzogchen. (Skt. mahasandhi) Literally "the great perfection" The
teachings beyond the vehicles of causation, first taught in the human
world by the great vidyadhara Garab Dorje.
Eight consciousnesses. The all-ground consciousness, mind-consciousness,
afflicted consciousness, and the five sense-consciousnesses. The
Hinayana sutras generally discuss mind in terms of six
consciousnesses, namely, the five sensory consciousnesses and the
sixth mental consciousness. The Mahayana Cittamatra school
(Mind-only) school talks about the eight consciousness in which
the first six are the same but has the seventh and eighth
consciousnesses added. In the Hinayana tradition the functions of
the seventh and eighth consciousness are subsumed in the sixth
mental consciousness.
Eight worldly concerns. (Tib. jik ten chii gysh) These keep one from the
path; they are attachment to gain, attachment to pleasure,
119
attachment to praise, attachment to fame, aversion to loss, aversion

to pain, aversion to blame and aversion to a bad reputation.
Emptiness. (Skt. shunyata, Tib. tong pa nyz) Also translated as voidness.
The Buddha taught in the second turning of the wheel of dharma
that external phenomena and the internal phenomena or concept
of self or "I" have no real existence and therefore are "empty."
Empowerment. (Tib. wang, Skt. abhiseka) The conferring of power or
authorization to practice the Vajrayana teachings, the
indispensable entrance door to tantric practice. To do a Vajrayana
practice one must receive the empowerment from a qualified
lama. One should also receive the practice instruction (Tib. trz)
and the textual reading (Tib. lung).
Enlightenment. (Tib. jang chub) The definition varies according to the
Buddhist tradition, usually the same as Buddhahood. The Hinayana
tradition defines liberation as the freedom from rebirth in samsara,
with mind free of ignorance and emotional conflict. The Mahayana
tradition holds that enlightenment is not complete without
development of compassion and commitment to use skilful means
to liberate all sentient beings. In the Vajrayana teachings, the
foregoing stages of enlightenment are necessary, but ultimate
enlightenment is a thorough purification of ego and concepts. The
final fruition of complete liberation transcends all duality and
conceptualization.
Essential drops. (Tib. tigle, Skt hindu) Vital essence drops or spheres of
psychic energy that are often visualized in Vajrayana practices.
Eternalism. (Tib. rtag Ita) The belief that there is a permanent and
causeless creator of everything; in particular, that one's identity or
consciousness has a concrete essence which is independent,
everlasting and singular.
Experience and realization. (Tib. nyam togs) An expression used for insight
and progress on the path. "Experience" refers to temporary
meditation experiences and "realization" to unchanging
understanding of the nature of things.
120
Glossary ofTerms
Five Buddha families. (Tib. rig nga) These are the Buddha1 Vajra, Ratna,
Padma and Karma families.
Five dhyani Buddhas. Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava,
Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi. They are the pure aspects of the five
elements and five emotions.
Five degeneration's. 1) of the times, meaning the outer events of the
world such as wars and social unrest are becoming worse, 2) of
beings, meaning their mind-streams are becoming coarser, 3) length
of life is becoming shorter, 4) increase in the emotional affiictions
of beings, causing instability in their minds, 5) and degeneration
of view, meaning people's understanding of reality is growing further
from the truth. Based on these five degenerations we are now living
in a dark age.
Five paths. (Tib. lam nga) According to the sutras there are five paths;
the path of accumulation, the path of integration/junction, the
path of seeing/insight, (attainment of the first bodhisattva level),
the path of meditation, and the path of no more learning
(Buddhahood). The five paths cover the entire process from
beginning dharma practice to complete enlightenment.
Five defilements. (Tib. !dug nga) Temporary mental states that inhibit
understanding: ignorance, pride, anger, desire, and jealousy. The
three root poisons are ignorance, desire and anger.
Five wisdoms. The dharmadhatu wisdom, mirror-like wisdom, wisdom
of equality, discriminating wisdom and all-accomplishing wisdom.
They should not be understood as separate entities but rather as
different functions of one's enlightened essence.
Four empowerments. (Tib. wang shz) The empowerments of vase, secret,
wisdom-knowledge and precious word.
Four extremes. (Tib. tha shz) Existence, non-existence, both and neither.
Four ways of changing the mind. The four foundations of meditation.
(Tib. tun mong gi ngon dro shz) These are the four thoughts that
turn the mind toward dharma. They are reflection on precious
human birth, impermanence and the inevitability of death, karma
and its effects, and the pervasiveness of suffering in samsara.
121
Four immeasurables. Love, compassion, emphatic joy, and impartiality.

Four seals. The four main principles of Buddhism: all compounded
phenomena are impermanent, everything defiled (with ego-clinging)
is suffering, all phenomena are empty and devoid of a self-entity,
and nirvana is perfect peace.
Four truths. The Buddha's first teachings. 1) All conditioned life is
suffering. 2) All suffering is caused by ignorance. 3) Suffering can
cease. 4) The eight-fold path leads to the end of suffering: right
understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort,
mindfulness and meditation.
Four Yogas ofMahamudra. (Tib. phyag chen gyi nal byor zht) Four stages
in Mahamudra practice: one-pointedness, simplicity, one taste and
non-meditation.
Gampopa. (1079-1153 C.E.) One of the main lineage holders of the
Kagyu lineage in Tibet. A student of Milarepa, he established the
first Kagyu.monastic monastery and is known also for writing the
jewel Ornament ofLiberation.
Gimacakra. (Tib. tog kyi kor lo) This is a ritual feast offering which is
part of a spiritual practice.
Gods. See six realms.
Ground consciousness. (Tib. kun shi nam she) According to the Cittamatra
school this is the eighth consciousness and is often called the alaya
consciousness or store-house consciousness. (See eight conscioumesses)
_Guru. (Tib. lama) A teacher in the Tibetan tradition who has reached
realization.
Guru yoga. (Tib. Lamay naljor) A practice of devotion to the guru
culminating in receiving his blessing and blending indivisibly with
his mind. Also refers to the fourth practice of the preliminary
practices of ngondro.
Guhyasamaja tantra. (Tib. sangpa dus pa) Literally, ''Assembly of Secrets."
One of the major tantras and yidams of the New School. This is
the "father tantra'' of the Anuttarayoga, which is the highest of the
four tantras. Guhyasamaja is the central deity of the vajra family.
Hevajra. (Tib. kye dorje) This is the "mother tantra'' of the Anuttarayoga
122
Glossary ofTerms
tantra, which is the highest of the four yogas. "He" is said to be an

exclamation of joy. Hevajra transforms sense pleasures into joy
through the realization of the identity of form and emptiness. He is
depicted in two, four, six, twelve, and sixteen-armed forms, dancing
in union with his consort, usually Nairatmya.
Hevajra tantra. (Tib. kye dorje) This is the "mother tantra'' of the
Anuttarayoga tantra, which is the highest of the four yogas.
Hinayana. (Tib. tek pa chungwa) Literally, the "lesser vehicle." The first
of the three yanas, or vehicles. The term refers to the first teachings
of the Buddha, which emphasized the careful examination of mind
and its confusion. It is the foundation of Buddhas teachings focusing
mainly on the four truths and the twelve interdependent links. The
fruit is liberation for oneself.
Hungry ghosts. (Tib. yid dvags) One of the six classes of sentient beings.
Such beings are tormented by their own impure karmic perception
causing them to suffer tremendously from craving, hunger and thirst.
It is said that even if they came upon a lake of pure fresh water, due
to their heavy karmic obscurations, they would see it as an
undrinkable pool of pus. Pretas are depicted with very large bodies
and very thin necks.
Illusory body. (Tib. gyu lu) The transformation of a practitioner's very
subtle energy body into a deathless miracle body of the deity during
the completion stages. When this is purified it becomes the form
body of the Buddha, one of the Six Yogas ofNaropa. (see Six Yogas
ofNaropa)
jealous gods. See six realms.
Kadampa. (Tib.) One of the major schools in Tibet, it was founded by
Atisha (993-1054 C.E.).
Kanjur. The preserved collection of the direct teaching of the Buddha.
Kagyu. (Tib.) Ka means oral and gyu means lineage; The lineage of oral
transmission. One of the four major schools of Buddhism in Tibet.
It was founded in Tibet by Marpa and is headed by His Holiness
Karmapa. The other three are the Nyingma, the Sakya and the
Gelugpa schools.
123
Karma. (Tib. lay) Literally "action." The unerring law of cause and
effect, e.g., positive actions bring happiness and negative actions
bring suffering. The actions of each sentient being are the causes
that create the conditions for rebirth and the circumstances in that
lifetime.
Karma Kagyu. (Tib:) One of the eight schools of the Kagyu lineage of
Tibetan Buddhism which is headed by His Holiness Karmapa.
Karmapa. The name means Buddha activities. The Karmapas are the
head of the Kagyu school of Buddhism and were the first to
implement the tradition of incarnate lamas. Karmapas are thought
to be an emanation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
Key instructions - a text's key instruction rests upon establishing the
line of reasoning in a teaching. Seeing this line of reasoning, we can
distingui~h between the form and the content of the teachings.
What key instructions do are wake a person up to the true nature
of the expe.rience that the teachings generate, such as the dissolving
of the objective form of the experience, which can be seen as it truly
is, appreciated as having no independent reality and hence no power,
as would be the case ifit existed independently. The key instruction
that, if acted upon, generates a liberating personality transformation,
is repeated at each level of the teachings.
Klesha. (Tib. nyon mong) Also called the "disturbing emotions," these
are the emotional afflictions or obscurations (in contrast to
intellectual obscurations) that disturb the clarity of perceptiori.. These
are also translated as "poisons." They include any emotion that
disturbs or distorts consciousness. The three main kleshas are desire,
anger and ignorance. The five kleshas are the three above plus pride
and envy/jealousy.
Lama. (Skt. guru) La nobody above himself or herself in spiritual
experience and ma expressing compassion like a mother. Thus the
union of wisdom and compassion, feminine and masculine qualities.
Lama is also a title given to a practitioner who has completed some
extended training.
124
Glossary ofTenns
Latencies. (Skt. vasana. Tib. bakchak) Patterns of conditional response

that exist as traces or tendencies stored in the alaya-vijnana, the
eighth consciousness sometimes called the store-house or all-base
consciousness. So called because it is a repository of all karmically
conditioned patterns. All dualistic or ego-oriented experiences leave
a residue, which is stored in the alaya-vijnana until a later time
when some conscious occurrence activates the habitual pattern. The
pattern then generates a response in the form of a perception or an
action. This response leaves its own karmic residue, stored again in
the unconscious repository, and thetycle continues. The explanation
of this system is a central tead).ing of the Cittamatrin tradition of
Mahayana Buddhism.
Liberation. (see enlightenment)
Lotsawa. Sanskrit for "translator."
Luminosity. (Tib. salwa) In the third turning of the wheel of dharma,
the Buddha taught that everything is void, but this voidness is not
completely empty because it has luminosity. Luminosity or clarity
allows all phenomena to appear and is a characteristic of and
inseparable from emptiness (Skt. shunyata).
Luminosity. (Tib. ose~ Literally "free from the darkness of unknowing
and endowed with the ability to cognize." The two aspects are "empty
luminosity," like a clear open sky; and "manifest luminosity," such
as colored light images, and so forth. Luminosity is the
uncompounded nature present throughout all of sarrisara and
nuvana.
Mahamudra. (Tib. cha ja chen po) Literally means "great seal" or "great
symbol" meaning that all phenomena are sealed by the primordially
perfect true nature. This form of meditation is traced back to Saraha
(1Oth century) and was passed down in the Kagyu school through
Marpa. This meditative transmission emphasizes perceiving mind
direcdy rather than through rational analysis. It also refers to the
experience of the practitioner where one attains the union of
emptiness and luminosity and also perceives the non-duality of the
125
phenomenal world and emptiness; also the name ofKagyupa lineage.

Mahapandita. (Tib. pan di ta chen po) Maha means great and pandita
Buddhist scholar.
Mahasiddha. (Tib. drup thop chen po) A practitioner who has a great
deal of realization. Maha means great and siddha refers to an
accomplished practitioner. These were particularly Vajrayana
practitioners who lived in India between the eight and twelfth
century and practiced tantra. The biography of some of the most
famous is found in The Eighty-four Mahasiddhas.
Mahayana. (Tib. tek pa chen po) Literally, the "Great Vehicle." These
are the teachings of the second turning of the wheel of dharma,
which emphasize shunyata (see shunyata), compassion and universal
buddha nature. The purpose of enlightenment is to liberate all
sentient beings from suffering as well as oneself. Mahayana schools
of philosophy appeared several hundred years after the Buddha's
death, although the tradition is traced to a teaching he is said to
have given at Rajgriha, or Vulture Peak Mountain.
Maitripa - was a guru of Marpa, the Tibetan forefather of the Kagyu
lineage. Thus it is through Maitripa that Maitreya and Asanga's
crucial work on Buddha nature, the Uttaratantrasastra (Anuttara),
became widely followed in Tibet. It is said that he had been a student
ofNaropa when the latter was head ofNalanda monastic university.
Maitripa also transmitted to Marpa the esoteric aspect of Buddha
nature embodied in the Mahamudra teachings, which treat the
topic of mind in great detail and provide a wide range of progressive,
highly refined meditations. Maitripa was brought to enlightenment
through Mahamudra under his guru Savari, who received the
complete teachings of Mahamudra from Nagarjuna, who received
them from Sahara, whom Marpa encountered in his dream state.
Maitreya. The Loving Orie. The bodhisattva regent of Buddha
Shakyamuni, presently residing in the Tushita heaven until becoming
the fifth Buddha of this kalpa.
Mandala. (Tib. chi! kor) Literally "centre and surrounding" hut has
126
Glossary oJTenns
different contexts. A diagram used in various Vajrayana practices

that usually ~as a central deity and four directions.
Mantra. (Tib. ngags) I) A synonym for Vajrayana. 2) A particular
combination of sounds symbolizing the nature of a deity, for example
OM MAN! PEME HUNG (Tib. ngak). These are invocations to
various meditation deities which are recited in Sanskrit. These
Sanskrit syllables, representing various energies, are repeated in
different Vajrayana practices.
Mantrayana. Another term for the Vajrayana.
Mara. (Tib. du) Difficulties encountered by the practitioner. The Tibetan
word means heavy or thick. In Buddhism mara symbolizes the
passions that overwhelm human beings as well as everything that
hinders the arising of wholesome roots and progress on the path to
enlightenment. There are four kinds: skandha-mara, which is
incorrect view of self; klesha-mara, which is being overpowered by
negative emotions; matyu-mara, which is death and interrupts
spiritual practice; and devaputra-mara, which is becoming stuck in
the bliss that comes from meditation.
Marpa. (1012-1097 C.E.) Marpa was known for being a Tibetan who
made three trips to India and brought back many tantric texts,
including the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Guhyasamaja, and the
Chakrasamvara practices. His root teacher was Tilopa, the founder
of the Kagyu lineage and the teacher of Naropa. Marpa initiated
and founded the Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Mental consciousness. (Tib. yid kyi namshe) The sixth consciousness is
the faculty of thinking which produces thoughts based upon the
experiences of the five sense consciousnesses or its own previous
content. (see eight consciousnesses).
Mental factors. (Tib. sem yung) Mental factors are contrasted to mind in
that they are more long-term propensities of mind including eleven
virtuous factors such as faith, detachment, and equanimity, and
the six root defilements such as desire, anger, and pride, and the
twenty secondary defilements such as resentment, dishonesty,
harmfulness.
127
The Life dr Spiritual Songs ofMi1arepa
Milarepa. (1040-1123 C.E.) Milarepa was a student of Marpa who

attained enlightenment in one lifetime. Mila, named by the deities
and repa means white cotton. His student Gampopa established
the (Dagpo) Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Mind-only schooL Also called Cittamatra school. This is one of the major
schools in the Mahayana tradition founded in the fourth century
by Asanga that emphasized everything is mental events.
Mudra. (Tib. chak gya) In this book it is a "hand seal" or gesture that is
performed in specific tantric rituals to symbolize certain aspects of
the practice being done. Also can mean spiritual consort, or the
"bodily form" of a deity.
Nadi. The channels in the vajra body through which the winds flow.
Naropa. (956-1 040 C. E.) An Indian master best known for transmitting
many Vajrayana teachings to Marpa who took these back to Tibet
before the Moslem invasion oflndia.
Nihilism. (Tib . .chad ita) Literally, "the view of discontinuance." The
extreme view of nothingness: no rebirth or karmic effects, and the
non-existence of a mind after death.
Nirmanakaya. (Tib. tulku) There are three bodies of the Buddha and
the nirmanakaya or "emanation body'' manifests in the world and
in this context manifests as the Shakyamuni Buddha. (see kayas,
three.)
Nirvana. (Tib. nyangde) Literally, "extinguished." Individuals live in
samsara and with spiritual practice can attain a state of
enlightenment in which all false ideas and conflicting emotions
have been extinguished. This is called nirvana. The nirvana of a
Hinayana practitioner is freedom from cyclic existence, an arhat.
The nirvana of a Mahayana practitioner is Buddhahood, free from
extremes of dwelling in either samsara or the perfect peace of an
arhat.
Nondistraction. (Tib. yengs med) Not straying from the continuity of
the practice.
Nonfobrication. (Tib. zo med) The important key point in meditation
128
Glossary ofTerms
ofMahamudra and Dzogchen; that inate wakefulness is not created

through intellectual effort.
Nonmeditation. (Tib. gom med) The state of not holding on to an object
meditated upon nor a subject who meditates. Also refers to the
fourth stage of Mahamudra in which nothing further needs to be
meditated upon or cultivated.
Nonthought. (Tib. mi tog) A state in which conceptual thinking is absent.
Obscurations. There are two categories of obscurations or defilements
that cover one's buddha nature: the defilement of disturbing
emotions (see five poisons & afflictive obscurations) and the defilement
oflatent tendencies or sometimes called the obscuration of dualistic
perception, or the intellectual/cognitive obscurations. The first
category prevents sentient beings from freeing themselves from
samsara, while the second prevents them from gaining accurate
knowledge and realising truth.
Occurrence. (Tib. gyu ba) The period when thoughts are arising in the
mind. Compare with "stillnes~."
One-pointedness. (Tib. Tse cig) The first stage in the practice of
Mahamudra.
One tt/Ste, (Tib. ro cig) The third stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
Oral transmission. As opposed to the scholastic traditions, the oral
instructions of the Practice lineages are concise and pithy so they
can always be kept in mind; they are practical and to the point so
they are effective means to deal directly with the practice.
Pandita. A great scholar.
Paramita. "Transcendental" or "Perfection." Pure actions free from
dualistic concepts that liberate sentient beings from samsara. The
six paramitas are: generosity, diligence, patience, morality,
contemplation, and transcendental knowledge or insight.
Path ofLiberation. (Tib. drol lam) The path of Mahamudra practice.
Path ofMeans. (Tib. thab lam) R~fers to the Six Yogas ofNaropa as well
as to the stages of creation and completion with attributes.
Phowa. (Tib.) There are different kinds of phowa practice. The highest
129
result of dharmakaya phowa and sambhogakaya phowa is full

enlightenment. In this text, reference has primarily been to
nirmanakaya phowa, called "the phowa that one practices" and Kacho
Phowa, an advanced tantric practice of dream yoga and clear light
yoga concerned with the ejection of consciousness at death to a
favourable realm or rebirth.
Pointing-out instructions. (Tib. ngo sprod kyi gdampa) The direct
introduction to the nature of mind.
Prana. Life supporting energy. The "winds" or energy-currents of the
vajra body. .
Prajnaparamita. (Tib. she rab chi parol tu chinpa) Transcendent perfect
knowledge. The Tibetan literally means, "gone to the other side" or
"gone beyond" as expressed in the prajnaparamita mantra, "Om
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha." The realization of
emptiness in the Prajnaparamita Hridaya or Heart Sutra made
possible by the extraordinarily profound dharma of the birth of
Shakyamuni Buddha in the world and the practices that came from
it, such as the Vajrayana tantras, which make use of visualization
and the control of subtle physical energies.
Prajnaparamita sutras. Used to refer to a collection of about 40 Mahayana
sutras that all deal with the realization of prajna.
Pratyekabuddha. "Solitary Awakened One." These are the body disciples
of the Buddha. One who has attained awakening for himself, and
on his own, with no teacher in that life. Generally placed on a level
between arhat and Buddha. It is the fruition of the second level of
the Hinayana path through contemplation on the twelve
interdependent links in reverse order.
Provisional meaning. The teachings of the Buddha which have been
simplified or modified to the capabilities of the audience. This
contrasts with the definitive meaning.
Recognition. (Tib. ngo shes, ngo phrod) In this context it means
"recognizing the nature of mind."
Relative truth. (Tib. kunsop) There are two truths: relative and absolute
i30
Glossary ofTerms
or ultimate truth. Relative truth is the perception of an ordinary

(unenlightened) being who sees the world with all his or her
projections based on the false belief in "I" and "other."
Root guru. (Tib. tsa way lama) A practitioner of Vajrayana can have
several types of root guru: the vajra master who confers
empowerment, who bestows reading transmission, or. who explains
the meaning of the tantras. The ultimate root guru is the master
who gives the "pointing out instructions" so that one recognizes
the nature of mind.
Sacred outlook. (Tib. dag snang) Awareness and compassion lead the
practitioner to experience emptiness (shunyata). From that comes
luminosity manifesting as the purity and sacredness of the
phenomenal world. Since the sacredness comes out of the experience
of emptiness, the absence of preconceptions, it is neither a: religious
nor a secular vision: that is, spiritual and secular vision could meet.
Moreover, sacred outlook is not conferred by any god. Seen clearly,
the world is self-existingly sacred.
Sakya Pandita. A hereditary head of the Sakya lineage. A great scholar
(1181-1251 C.E.)
Samadhi. (Tib. tin ne zin) A state of meditation that is non-dualistic.
There is an absence of discrimination between self and other. Also
called meditative absorption or one-pointed meditation; this is the
highest form of meditation.
Samantabhadra. Samanta means all and bhadra means excellent. "He
who is All-pervadingly Good" or "He whose Beneficence is
Everywhere." There are two Samantabhadras, one is the dharmakaya
and the other is one of the eight main bodhisattvas, embodiment
ofall Buddhas aspirations. In the Vajrayana tradition Samantabhadra
is the primordial Buddha and representative of the experiential
content of the dharmakaya.
Samaya. (Tib. dam sig) The vows or commitments made in the Vajrayana
to a teacher or to a practice. Many details exist but essentially it
consists of outwardly, maintaining a harmonious relationship with
131
the vajra master and one's dharma friends and inwardly, not straying
from the continuity of the practice.
Sambhogakaya. (Tib. long cho dzok ku) There are three bodies of the
Buddha and the sambhogakaya, also called the "enjoyment body,"
is a realm of the dharmakaya that only manifests to bodhisattvas
(see kayas, three).
Samsara. (Tib. kor wa) "Cyclic existence." The conditioned existence of
ordinary life in which suffering occurs because one still possesses
attachment, aggression and ignorance. It is contrasted to nirvana.
Through the force of karma motivated by ignorance, desire and
anger one is forced to take on the impure aggregates and circle the
wheel of existence until liberation.
Sangha. (Tib. gen dun) "Virtuous One." Sang means intention or
motivation andgha means virtuous. One with virtuous motivation.
One of the three jewels. Generally refers to the followers of
Buddhism, and more specifically to the community of monks and
nuns. The exalted sangha is those who have attained a certain level
of realization of the Buddha's teachings.
Secret mantra. (Tib. sang ngak) A name for the Vajrayana.
Se'lj!essness. (Tib. dag me) Also called egolessness. In two of the Hinayana
schools (Vaibhashika and Sautrantika) this referred exclusively to
the fact that "a person" is not a real permanent self, but rather just
a collection of thoughts and feelings. In two of the Mahayana schools
(Cittamatra and Madhyamaka) this was extended to mean there
was no inherent existence to outside phenomena as well.
Sending and taking practice. (Tib. tong len) A meditation practice
promulgated by Atisha in which the practitioner takes on the
negative conditions of others and gives out all that is positive.
Sentient beings. With consciousness, an animated being as opposed to
an inanimate object. All beings with consciousness or mind who
have not attained the liberation ofBuddhahood. This includes those
individuals caught in the sufferings of samsara as well as those who
have attained the levels of a bodhisattva.
132
Glossary ofTenns
Shamatha. (Tib.) See tranquillity meditation.

Shamatha with support. (Tib. shinay ten cas) The practice of calming the
mind while using an object of concentration, material or mental,
or simply the breath.
Shamatha without support. (Tib. shinay ten med) The act of calming the
mind without any particular object, resting undistractedly. This
practice serves as a prelude for Mahamudra and should not be
mistaken for the ultimate result.
Shunyata. See emptiness.
Siddha. (Tib. drup top) An accomplished Buddhist practitioner.
Siddhi. (Tib. ngodrup) "Accomplishment." The spiritual
accomplishments of accomplished practitioners. Usually refers to
the "supreme siddhi" of complete enlightenment, but can also mean
the "common siddhis," eight mundane accomplishments.
Simplicity. (Tib. spros ra[) 1) The absence of creating mental constructs
or conceptual formations about the nature of things. 2) The second
stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
Six realms. (Tib. rikdruk) The realms of the six classes of beings: gods,
demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hell beings. These
are the possible types of rebirths for beings in samsara and are: the
god realm in which gods have great pride, the jealous god realm in
which the jealous gods try to maintain what they have, the human
realm which is the best realm because one has the possibility of
achieving enlightenment, the animal realm characterized by
stupidity, the hungry ghost realm characterized by great craving,
and the hell realm characterized by aggression.
Six Yogas ofNaropa. (Tib. naro chodruk) These six special yogic practices
were transmitted from Naropa to Marpa and consist of the subtle
heat practice, the illusory body practice, the dream yoga practice,
the luminosity practice, the ejection of consciousness practice and
the bardo practice.
Skandha. (Tib. pung pa) Literally "heaps." These are the five basic
transformations that perceptions undergo when an object is
133
perceived: form, feeling, perception, formation and consciousness.

First is form, which includes all sounds, smells, etc.; everything we
usually think of as outside the mind. The second and third are
sensations (pleasant and unpleasant, etc.) and their identification.
Fourth is mental events, which include the second and third
aggregates. The fifth is ordinary consciousness, such as the sensory
and mental consciousnesses.
Skilfol means. Ingenuity in application.
Spiritual song. (Skt. doha, Tib. gur) A religious song spontaneously
composed by a Vajrayana practitioner. It usually has nine syllables
per line.
Stillness. (Tib. gnas pa) Absence of thought activity and disturbing
emotions, but with subtle fixation on this stillness.
Subtle winds, channels, and essences. Prana, nadi, and hindu; the
constituents of the vajra body. These channels are not anatomical
structures, but more like meridians in acupuncture. There are
thousands of channels, but the three main channels that carry the
subtle energy are the right, left and central channel. The central
channel runs roughly along the spinal column while the right and
left are on the 'sides of the central channel.
According to the yogic teachings of the path of skilful means,
realization is attained through synchronization of body and mind.
This may be achieved through meditating on nadi (channels), prana
(energy), and hindu (drops)- the psychic components in the illusory
body. Prana is the energy, or "wind," moving through the nadis. As
is said, "Mind consciousness rides the horse of prana on the pathways
of the nadis. The hindu is mind's nourishment."
Because of dualistic thinking, prana enters the left and right
channels. This divergence of energy in the illusory body corresponds
to the mental activity that falsely distinguishes between subject and
object and leads to karmically determined activity. Through yogic
practice, the pranas can be brought into the central channel and
therefore transformed into wisdom-prana. Then the mind can
134
Glossary ofTerms
recognize its fundamental nature, realizing all dharm;t.S as unborn.

This belongs to advanced practice and can only be learned
through direct oral transmission from an accomplished guru. Once
the meditator is well established in the experience of the fundamental
nature of mind, they can meditate on it directly, dissolving the
nadi, prana, and hindu visualization. Meditation using the concept
of psychic channels is regarded as being the completion stage with
signs, and the formless practice which contemplates the nature of
mind directly is the completion stage without signs
Supreme siddhi. Another word for enlightenment.
Sutra. (Tib. do) Literally "Junction." The combination of the Hinayana
and Mahayana, or the combination of wisdom and compassion.
Texts in the Buddhist cannon attributed to the Buddha. They are
viewed as his recorded words, although they were not actually written
down until many years after his paranirvana. They are usually in
the form of dialogues between the Buddha and his disciples. These
are often contrasted with the tantras which are the Buddha's
Vajrayana teachings and the shastras which are commentaries on
the words of the Buddha.
Sutra Mahamudra. (Tib. mdo'i phyag chen) The Mahamudra system
based on the Prajnaparamita scriptures and emphasizing Shamatha
and Vipashyana and the progressive journey through the five paths
and ten bhumis.
Sutrayana. The sutra approach to achieving enlightenment which
includes the Hinayana and the Mahayana.
Svabhavakakaya. (Tib. ngo bo nyid kyi sku) The "essence body."
Sometimes counted as the fourth kaya, the unity of the first three.
Tantra. (Tib. gyu.) Literally, tantra means "continuity," and in Buddhism
it refers to two specific things: the texts {resultant texts, or those
that take the result as the path) that describe the practices leading
from ignorance to enlightenment, including commentaries by tantric
masters; and the way to enlightenment itself, encompassing the
ground, path, and fruition. One can divide Buddhism into the
135
The Life &.Spiritual Songs oJMilarepa
sutra tradition and the tantra tradition. The sutra tradition primarily
involves the academic study of the Mahayana sutras and the tantric
path primarily involves practicing the Vajrayana practices. The
tantras are primarily the texts of the Vajrayana practices.
Tantra Mahamudra. (Tib. sngags kyi phyag chen) The same as mantra
Mahamudra. The Mahamudra practice connected to the six dharmas
ofNaropa.
Tara. (Tib. drol ma) An emanation of Avalokiteshvara, she is said to
have arisen from one of his tears. She embodies the female aspect of
compassion and is a very popular deity in Tibet. Her two common
iconographic forms are white and green.
Three jewels. (Tib. kon chok sum) Literally "three precious ones." The
three essential components ofBuddhism: Buddha, dharma, sangha,
i.e., the Awakened One, the truth expounded by him, and the
followers living in accordance with this truth. Firm faith in the
three precio~s ones is the stage of"stream entry." The three precious
ones are objects of veneration and are considered "places of refuge."
The Buddhist takes refuge by pronouncing the threefold refuge
formula, thus acknowledging formally to be a Buddhist.
Three kayas. Dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. Fully
enlightened beings, Buddhas, and their manifestations are often
understood by way of the three kayas: The dharmakaya is
enlightenment itself, wisdom beyond any reference point which
can only be perceived by other enlightened beings; The
sambhogakaya, often called the enjoyment body, manifests in the
pure lands which can only be seen by advanced bodhisattvas; and
the nirmanakaya which can be seen by ordinary beings as in the
case of the historical Buddha, but this can also be any type of being
or relative appearance to assist ordinary beings.
Three realms. These are three categories of samsara. The desire realm
includes existences where beings are reborn with solid bodies due
to their karma ranging from the deva paradises to the hell realms.
The form realm is where beings are reborn due to the power of
136
Glossary ofTerms
meditation; and their bodies are of subtle form in this realm. These
are the meditation paradises. The formless realm is where beings
due to their meditation (samadhi), have entered a state of meditation
after death and tl1e processes of thought and perception have ceased.
Three roots. Guru, yidam and dakini. Guru is the root of blessings,
yidam of accomplishment and dakini of activity.
Three sufferings. These are the suffering of suffering, the suffering of
change, and pervasive suffering (meaning the inherent suffering in
all of samsara).
Three vehicles. Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
Tilopa. (928-1009 C.E.) One of the eighty-four mahasiddhas who
became the guru of Naropa who transmitted his teachings to the
Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Tong/en. Giving and taking. A bodhichitta practice of giving one's virtue
and happiness to others and taking their suffering and misdeeds
upon oneself
Torma. (Tib.) A sculpture made out of tsampa and moulded butter,
used as a shrine offering, a feast offering substance, or as a
representation of deities. There are traditional designs for each of
the many types of torma.
Tranquillity meditation. (Tib. Shinay, Skt. Shamatha) One of the two
main types of meditation, calm abiding, the meditative. practice of
calming the mind in order to rest free from the disturbance of
thought activity, the other is insight.
Tsampa (Tib.) Dried barley flour that Tibetans eat by mixing with
butter.
Tummo. (Tib.) An advanced Vajrayana practice for combining bliss and
emptiness which produces heat as a by product. This is one of the
Six Yogas of Naropa.
Two accumulations. (Tib. shogs nyis) The accumulation of merit with
concepts and the accumulation of wisdom beyond concepts.
Ultimate truth. (Tib. dondam) There are two truths or views of reality:
relative truth which is seeing things as ordinary beings do with th~
137
dualism' of "I" and "other" and ultimate truth, which transcends

duality and sees things as. they are.
Vajra posture. This refers to the full-lotus posture in which the legs are
interlocked. When one leg is placed before the other as many
Westerners sit it is called the half-lotus posture.
Vajradhara. (Tib. Dorje Chang) "Holder of the vajra." Vajra means
indestructible and dhara means holding, embracing or inseparable.
The central figure in the Kagyu refuge tree, and indicating the
transmission of the close lineage of the Mahamudra teachings to
Tilopa. Vajradhara symbolizes the primordial wisdom of the
dharmakaya and wears the ornaments of the sambhogakaya Buddha,
symbolizing its richness.
Vajravarahi. (Tib. Dorje Phagmo) A dakini who is the consort of
Chakrasamvara. She is the main yidam of the Kagyu lineage and
the embodiment of wisdom.
Vajrayogini. (Tib. Dorje Palma) A semi-wrathful yidam. Female.
Vajrayana. (Tib. dorje tek pa) Literally, "diamond-like" or "indestructible
capacity." Vajra here refers to method, so you can say the method
yana. There are three major traditions of Buddhism (Hinayana,
Mahayana, Vajrayana) The Vajrayana is based on the tantras and
emphasizes the clarity aspect of phenomena. A practitioner of the
method of taking the result as the path.
View, meditation, and action. (Tib. ta ba gom pa yodpa) The philosophical
orientation, the act of growing accustomed to that - usually in
sitting practice, and the implementation of that insight during the
activities of daily life. Each of the three vehicles has its particular
definition of view, meditation and action.
Vipashyana meditation. (Tib.lha tong) Sanskrit for "insight meditation."
This meditation develops insight into the nature of reality (Skt.
dharmata). One of the two main aspects of meditation practice,
the other being Shamatha.
Wheel of dharma. (Skt. dharmachakra) The Buddha's teachings
correspond to three levels which very briefly are: the first turning
138
Glossary ofTenns
was the teachings on the four noble truths and the teaching of the
egolessness of person; the second turning was the teachings on
emptiness and the emptiness of phenomena; the third turning was
the teachings on luminosity and buddha nature.
Whispered lineage. Instructions that concern emptiness and that come
from joana yoga dakinis.
Ytma. Means capacity. There are three yanas, narrow, (Hinayana) great
(Mahayana) and indestructible (Vajrayana).
Yidam. (Tib.) Yi means mind and dam means pure, or yi means your
mind and dam means inseparable. The yidam represents the
practitioner's awakened nature or pure appearance. A tantric deity
that embodies qualities of Buddhahood and is practiced in the
Vajrayana. Also called a tutelary deity.
Yidam meditation. (Tib.) Yidam meditation is the Vajrayana practice
that uses the visualization of a yidam.
Yoga. "Natural condition." A person who practices this is called a yogi,
characterized by leaving everything natural, just as it is, e.g. not
washing or cutting your hair and nails etc. A female practitioner is
called a yogini.
Yogatantra. (Tib. naljor gyi gyu) Literally, "union tantra' and refers to
a tantra that places emphasis on internal meditations.
Yogi. (Tib nal yor pa) Tantric practitioner.
Yogini. (Tib nal yor ma) Female tantric practitioner.
139
Glossary ofTibetan Terms
Pronounced Spelled in Tibetan English
bon bon Bon religion
ch ja chen po phyag rgya chen po Mahamudra
chang chup chi sem byang chub sems dpa bodhisattva
chin kor dkyil 'khor mandala
chod gcod cutting practice
cho chos dharma
cho ku chossku dharmakaya
cho ngon pa chos mngon pa Abhidharma
damsig dam tshig samaya
do mdo sutra
Dorje Chang rdo rje 'chang Vajradhara
Dorje Phagmo rdo rje phag mo Vajravarahi
drup top grub thob siddha
gom sgom meditate
gur mgur spiritual song
Kadampa bka' gdams pa Kadampa
Kagyu bka' brgyud Kagyu
khandroma mkha' 'gro rna dakini
korlo gyur wa 'khor lo sdom pa chakravartin
korwa 'khor ba samsara
kon chok sum dkon mchog gsum three jewels
ku sum sku gsum kayas, three
141
Kungdu Sangmo kun dga' bzong po Samantabhadra

lama blama guru
lay las karma
!hag tong !hag mthong Vipashyana
!hen chik kye pay yeshe !han cig skyes pa'i ye shes coemergent
wisdom
nam tar rnam thar spiritual biography
naro chodruk na ro chos drug Six Yogas of
Naropa
ngak sngags mantra
nyangde myang 'das nirvana
nyen gyu snyan rgyud whispered trans.
nyon mong nyon mongs klesha
phowa 'pho ba transfer of
conscious.
phung po nga pung po nga five aggregates
rang sang gye rang sangs rgyas pratyekabuddha
repa raspa tantric adept
sam ten bsam gtan dhyana
meditation
sherab shes rab prajfia
shine zhi gnas Shamatha
tan cho bstan bcos shastra
~ek pa chen po theg pa chan po Mahayana
thab lam thabs lam skilful means
tho pa thad pa skull cup
tigle thig le subtle drop
tin ne zin ring nge 'dzin samadhi
tong len glong len giving and taking
tong pa nyi strong pa nyid emptiness
torma gtor rna ritual cakes
tummo gtum mo subtle heat
wang dban'g empowerment
yeshe ye shes jfiaria
142
Bibliography
Mahamudra: The Ocean of Definitive Meaning.
Text by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje. Nitartha
Publications, 2001.
Pointing Out the Dharmakaya.

Text by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje, commentary by
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. Auckland: Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal
Publications, 2002.
The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa.

Chang, Garma C. C. Boston and London: Shambhala: Publications,
1999.
The Life ofMarpa the Translator.

Nalanda Translation Committee. Boston and London: Shambhala,
1986.
The Life ofMilarepa.

Lhalungpa, Lobsang P. Boston and London: Shambhala, 1985.
The Mahamudra Which Eliminates the Darkness of Ignorance.

Text by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje, commentary Beru
143
Khyentse Rinpoche. New Delhi: Library of Tibetan Works and

Archives, 1978.
The Rain ofWisdom.

Nalanda Translation Committee. Boston and London: Shambhala,
1999.
144
Index
A Commitment 21 22 24 39 64
' ' ' ' ,
Abhidharma 57, 111
89,91
Compassion 3, 9, 13-15,46, 5i,
Afflicted consciousness 33, 107
64,83, 102,103,112-114
Altruism 3
Atasaras, 14 D
B Dagmema 11
Dakas 13
Blessing 12, 13, 32, 39, 48, 60,
Dakini 13, 19, 22, 76, 77, 80,
74,83,87,88,98, 102
Bodhichitta 15, 25, 28, 83, 102,
94, 96, 97, 113
Defilement 31, 32, 35, 38, 41,
103
43,63, 71,76,83,91,93-
Bodhisattva 107
Buddhahood 9-11, 14, 23, 28,
96, 108, 114
Five defilements 76
38,42,43,46,53, 70, 71,
Definitive meaning 4
102, 103, 107, 109, 112, 114
Deity 14, 18, 27, 48, 59, 61, 77,
c 102, 113
Central channel 25, 103, 104 Delusion 29, 35, 42, 63, 64, 83,
Chakravartin 70 93,94,108
Cho 49, 110 Devotion 1, 2, 9, 10-13, 40, 68,
Clarity 21, 23, 25, 29, 34, 35, 70,73
41, 42, 47, 52, 89, 91, 95, Dhagpo Kagyu 82
107, 113, 114 Dharmakaya 4, 6, 22, 41, 46,
145
47,60,87, 109,110 Gocara 49, 110

Dharmata 34 Gods 23
Diligence 1, 2, 6, 7, 12-14, 17, Ground consciousness 33, 107
21,43,49,53,64,65, 71, Guru 3, 5, 6, 9-13, 15, 17, 24,
87,92,97 39,43,45-48,57, 58,64,
Disturbing emotions 39, 93, 104 73, 74,76-78,80, 84,86,
Klesha 24, 34, 93, 104, 107, 87,92,97,98, 102,109
108
H
E
Hinayana 32, 71, 85
Eight worldly dharmas 96, 114 Hungry ghosts 23
Emanation 4, 19, 59, 84, 100,
I
104
Empowerment 10-14,48, 83, Impermanence 2, 83, 94, 112
88,89
1
Emptiness 29, 30, 35, 38,41-
43,51, 55,87,89,91,95, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo 5
96, 108, 111, 112 Jealous god 23
Enlightenment 3, 6, 7, 40, 70, K
108, 110, 114
Kadampa 7, 82-86, 100, 113
Essential drops 25
Kagyu 4, 5
Eternalism 30
Karma 6, 13, 30, 38, 46, 87, 93,
F 108
Faith 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 20, Karma Kagyu 4, 5, 101
24, 30,31,38,40,43,45, Karmapa 4
46, 51,53,54,68,69, 70,
73,83,85,87,88,92, 102 L
Five Buddha families 92
Lachi mountain 18
G Lama 6, 17, 46, 68, 69, 70, 73,
Gampopa 5, 7, 8, 73, 81-92, 74, 78,83,87,88, 100,
100, 101, 113 101, 103, 109
Ganachakra 19, 78 Latencies, 33
146
Index
Liberation 2, 4, 23, 24, 34, 64, Oral transmission 39

93,95,96,99, 102,103, p
112,114
Lineage 4, 5, 8, 18, 20, 46, 47, Pandita 60
81-83,88,97,98,100,101, Path of liberation 4
109, 110 Path of means 4, 25, 39, 99, 100
Local deities 14, 37, 57, 102 Prajnaparamita 82, 111
Pratyekabuddha 71
M
Provisional meaning 32
Mahamudra 4, 7-9, 50, 82, 84,
R
85,99, 100,109-111,113
Mahayana 7, 71, 81 Realization 4, 6-8, 12, 13, 15,
Maitripa 5, 84, 87 21,35,38,39,42,49,51,
Mandala 40,86,89,99 57,60,64,87,89,91,95,
Mantra 15, 40-42, 75, 83, 99 96, 98, 109, 110, 113, 114
Mantrayana 40-42, 75 Rechungpa 7, 72-80
Mara 18, 74, 93-96, 97 Relative truth 70
Marpa 5-8, 10-13, 15, 18, 37, Conventional level 34
46,47, 57,58,60, 70, 74, Rootguru 47,80,84,92,97,98
81,84,86,87;97,99, 101 s
N Samadhi 97, 111
Naropa 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 39, 46, Sambhogakaya 46, 47, 87, 109,
60,80,82,84,87,99, 109 110
Nihilism 30 Samsara 2, 9, 20, 23, 24, 30, 35,
Nirmanakaya 32, 47, 60, 87, 42,43,63, 70,76,82,93-
109, 110 96, 105
Nirvana 42, 70, 94, 96, 109 Selflessness 71, 89, 112
Sending and taking 83
0 Shakya Guna 22
Obscurations 13, 95 Shakyamuni 7, 47, 60, 100, 109
Obstacle 30, 34, 37, 39, 41, 52, Shamatha 5, 100
53,65, 77, 83,88, 90,93, Siddha 4, 14, 20, 32, 68, 72, 82,
96, 97, 102, 114 97, 101
147
Siddhi 97, 98, 114 Tsang Nyon Heruka 4

Six realms 24, 28 Tummo 17, 25, 84, 88,92
Six Yo gas of Naropa 4, 11, 12,
u
39,80,82
Skandha 93, 94 Ultimate level 92
Subtle winds 19 Ultimate truth 33, 47
Sutra 41, 81, 82, 86, 89, 91, 100, y
111, 113
Sutra tradition 89, 91, 100 Vajra posture 67
Vajradhara 47, 60, 109, 110
T Vajravarahi 89
Three jewels 12 Vajrayana 8, 46, 89, 91, 99, 107,
Three kaya 46, 47, 110 110
Torma 14 Vajrayogini 81
Trong jug 74 View, meditation, and conduct
True nature 5, 6, 21, 25, 29, 32, 23, 40, 79, 89
34, 35, 39, 40, 41, 43, 47, Vipashyana 5, 100
49,50,63,64,88-92,94-98, y
108
True nature of phenomena 6, 25, Yidam 76,97
29,32,34,40,41,63,89, Yogi 6, 14, 15, 23, 31,45-51,
94-97 54, 65- 68, 72, 75, 76, 81,
True nature of the mind 21, 35, 83,84,96, 104,110
41,43,47,49,50,91,92
148
Other publications ftom
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal
A Guide to Shamatha Meditation
Buddhist Conduct: The Ten Virtuous Actions
The Life of the Buddha & The Four Noble Truths
The Twelve Links of Interdependent Origination
Teachings on the Practice ofMeditation
Four Foundations ofBuddhist Practice
The Three Vehicles ofBuddhist Practice
The Middle Wily Meditation Instructions
Ascertaining Certainty in the View
The Two Truths
Progressive Stages ofMeditation on Emptiness
Beautiful Song ofMarpa the Translator
Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom
An Introduction to Mahamudra Meditation
An Overview of the Bardo Teachings
The Five Buddha Families and the Eight Consciousnesses
The Four Dharmas of Gampopa
Aspirational Prayer for Mahamudra
Showing the Path ofLiberation
Medicine Buddha Teachings
journey of the Mind: teachings on the bardo
The Essence of Creation & Completion
Mahamudra Teachings
The Aspiration Prayer ofMahamudra
Pointing Out the Dharmakaya
The Life ofTilopa & The Ganges Mahamudra
A Spiritual Biography ofMarpa the Translator
Rechungpa, A Biography ofMilarepas Disciple
Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal
PO Box 6259, Wellesley St, Auckland, New Zealand
Email: [email protected] Website: www.greatliberation.org
149
Meditation Centre Information
For more information and instruction
please contact one of the following centres.
Rumtek Monastery
International Seat of His Holiness 17th Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje
Sikkim, INDIA
Sherab Ling Buddhist Institute: Seat of His Eminence Tai Situpa
Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, 176-125, INDIA
Ph: (01894) 63013/63757
New Zealand Australia
Karma Choeling Buddhist Monastery Kagyu Thigsum Chokyi Ghatsal

66 Bodhisattva Road PO Box 235, Newstead
RD I Kaukapakapa Tasmania
Ph: 09 420 5428 Ph/fax: 03 6334 9680
www.kagyu.org.nz
Karma Thigsum Choeling Karma Tashi Choling

PO Box 3160 P.O. Box 973
Christchurch Bega, NSW 2550
Ph: 03 384 4626 Ph: 02 6496 7169
Kagyu Samten Choling Kagyu E- Wzm Buddhist Institute
PO Box 917 673 Lygon Street,
Gisborne Carlton North, Vic. 3054
Ph: 06 867 1956 Ph: 03 9387 0422
For a list of Karma Kagyu Centres worldwide, contact:

Karma Triyana Dharmachakra
352 Meads Mt Rd, Woodstock, New York 12498
(914) 679-5906, email [email protected] www.kagyu.org
Kagyu Samye. Ling Monastery & Tibetan Centre

Eskdalemuir, Langholm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, DG13 OQL
(013) 873 73232, email [email protected]. www.samyeling.org
151
Care ofDharma Books
Dharma books contain the teachings of the Buddha. They have the power to
protect against lower rebirth and to point the way to Liberation. Therefore,
they should be treated with respect, kept off the floor and places where people
sit or walk, and not stepped over. They should be covered or protected for
transporting and kept in a high, clean place separate from more "ordinary"
things. If it is necessary to dispose of Dharma materials, they should be burned
with care and awareness rather than thrown in the trash. When burning
Dharma texts, it is considered skilful to first recite a prayer or mantra, such as
OM, AH, HUNG. Then you can visualize the letters of the text (to be burned)
being absorbed into the AH, and the AH being absorbed into you. After that
you can burn the texts.
These considerations may be also kept in mind for Dharma artwork, as well
as the written teachings and artwork of other religions.

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche - The Life & Spiritual Songs of Milarepa PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche - The Life & Spiritual Songs of Milarepa PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

May this supreme, peerless teaching,

The precious treasure ofthe Victorious Ones

Spread and extend throughout the world,

Like the sun shining in the sky.

comprise oral teachings by

They are reproduced through

These editiom are dedicated

Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust

ISBN Number: 1-877294-26-8

This publication is a joint venture between:

Namo Buddha Publications

Chap.] An lntro duction tothe -r.

2 Six Songs ofLongingfor the Guru 9

3 Songs ofthe Snow 17

4 The Rock Sinmo in the Lingpa Cave 27

5 Songs on Yolmo Snow-Mountain 37

6 The Story ofNyama Palderbum 45

Chap.7 The Encounter with Naro Bonchung 57

8 Invitation from the King ofKathmandu 67

9 Entering the l'ak Horn 73

10 The Story ofGampopa 81

11 Victory Over the Four Maras 93

methods of Vajrayana for transforming one's mind through

Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Trust

time of the Communist invasion. He was called to Rumtek,

to the way in which the song is translated here. This is why we

An Introduction to the Text

( 7 he text entitled The Life ofMilarepa 1could be termed a

qualities. It is true that there are few details in these biographies;

The Characteristics ofa Spiritual Biography

A spiritual biography can be said to have nine

The Hundred Thousand Songs ofMilarepa

The biography ofMilarepa (Tib. mila namtar) is dearly written

to the stages of tranquillity or Shamatha meditation and insight

A Prayer to Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa

First, I shall give a brief description of Milarepa, so that we

Great courage took you to India many times.

Marpa underwent considerable hardships to go to India three

The second verse is a prayer to Milarepa:

With great power, you destroyed your enemies.

Milarepa began by studying under a master of black magic

Milarepa, having received the instructions from Marpa, knew

The next verse is a prayer to Gampopa:

The Great Vehicle awakened your heritage.

Gampopa accomplished the ultimate realization of

Six Songs ofLonging for the Guru

accomplishes Buddhahood. Milarepa had an overriding desire

In the east there is a white cloud. Beneath that white

him. If I could see him now,. I would be so happy. I

The second verse describes Marpa's wife, Dagmema. She was

Dagmema showed more love to me than my own

Now Marpa is in Drowolung and will be giving the

the instructions of the profound Six Yogas ofNaropa.

When Milarepa had finished singing this song the cloud in

Therefore, practice the dharma well, preserve the teachings, and

I had sadness in my mind and so thinking of my guru's

empowerments and instructions that will enable me

Having prayed in that way Milarepa's mind was filled with

This is a place of solitude, an excellent place for the

I dwell here meditating on the bodhichitta of

Songs ofthe Snow

Milarepa's pupils made a request, saying, "Great lord, your

I am happy that today we have met here and all are