After that, she went to meditate in the island of Semodo in Precious Sky Lake*15 in the north, where she practiced in complete silence for eight years. By the end of this period, she actualized the ten signs of practice, the eight qualities, and the abandonments and realization of the paths and bhumis. In this life, she went to the pure land of the dakinis.
She was one of the four disciple-daughters of the Jetsun. This is the cycle of meeting Rechungma at the five small lakes at the border of Drik in Choro.
*1 Mapham Yutso (Invincible Turquoise Lake) is the Tibetan name for Lake Manasarovar.
*2 In Tibetan, Drakmar Poto (T: brag dmar spo mtho).
*3 The Buddha.
*4 “Dordrak” is a contraction of Dorje Drakpa, Rechungpa’s proper name.
*5 Riwo Gang Chen, another name for Mt. Kailash/Tisé (T: ri bo gangs can).
*6 Arhats are realized beings who have become completely liberated from the afflictions and suffering.
*7 The eight classes of devas and spirits are devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas (TDC).
*8 “Jambutrisha” is a modified transliteration of the Tibetan that appears in the original (shing ’dzam bu tri sha); it, in turn, is a Tibetanized transliteration of a Sanskrit word. “Jambu” is the name of a fruit (possibly Syzygium cumini).
*9 T: ri nag po ’bigs byed, pronounced “Ri Nakpo Bikche,” literally means “Black Mountain That Pierces.” The exact geographical reference of this name is uncertain. James Valby says that ’bigs yo is the Vindhya Range in India (JV). According to Hindu myth, the Vindhya Range once vied with Mount Meru in height but was subdued so that the trajectory of the sun would remain in relation only to Meru. There may be a correlation with this myth and the place mentioned in this song. There is also a reference to “Bikche” in the famous Praise to the Twenty-One Taras.
*10 The name for Northern India in classical Sanskrit literature (T: ’phags pa wa ti).
*11 “Inferior birth” (T: skye ba dman) is a reference to the fact that they were born as women, and should be taken to mean “disadvantaged,” particularly during the era and culture in which this takes place.
*12 Milarepa’s name as a youth (T: thos pa dga’) means “delightful to hear.”
*13 The young woman previously mentioned.
*14 This means she will not make up her own interpretations and will follow the teaching just as it is given.
*15 In Tibetan, Namtso Chukmo (T: gnam mtsho phyug mo).
26
Meeting Khyira Repa
NAMO GURU
The Jetsun Milarepa placed each of his heart-sons in their own retreat in the mountains and then went himself to an isolated place called Nyishang Gurta, a very high and rugged mountain along the border of Nepal and Tibet. It was covered in thick fog and clouds from which snow and rain continually fell. To the right were high rocky mountains with steep cliffs where howls of beasts resounded and vultures, the king of birds, would soar. To the left were soft hills with rich grass where grazing animals—deer, antelope, and wild sheep—would leisurely jump and play. In front was a beautiful forest with a variety of bright-colored flowers, where monkeys and langurs would train their skill. There, peacocks, nightingales, and many beautiful birds with lovely voices would sing their songs, tweeting and dancing to the sound with their wings. Below, in front of Milarepa’s retreat cave, was a brook that flowed unceasingly down from the snow and through the rocks, babbling pleasantly as it went.
The place where Milarepa stayed was remote and delightful. It was a solitary place that had all the conducive conditions for practice. It was known as Katya Cave. There, the virtuous spirits would pay him service as the Jetsun Milarepa remained in the samadhi of continual river flow.
One day, from above the site there came the clear sound of a dog barking, followed by a great crashing noise. The Jetsun thought, “Up until now, my meditative concentration has flourished greatly in this place. But now, has some kind of obstacle arisen?” He went outside the cave, and sitting on top of a large boulder, rested within a state of nonreferential great compassion.
Then, in front of him a deer approached. It was black and every hair in its fur had a silver tip. The deer moved as though it were terrified. Unbearable great compassion arose in the Jetsun’s mind, thinking, “It is by the power of previous bad karma that a body such as this is taken. He has not done anything wrong in this life, yet he must experience such unbearable suffering. What a pity! I will teach the dharma of the Mahayana and lead him to eternal happiness.” Then he sang this song of realization to the deer:
I bow at the feet of Marpa the Translator:
Grant your blessing that the suffering of beings be pacified.
You sentient being with a deer’s body and thorny head,
Listen here to Mila’s song!
Running away from appearances outside,
You’ll never be liberated from confused appearances of ignorance inside.
You cannot abandon your outer body or your mind;
The time has come to renounce confused appearances and ignorance.
The truth of karmic results is far too fast;
How could you escape outwardly with your illusory body?
If you want to escape, escape with the inner mind itself.
Let mind itself escape to the land of enlightenment.
Other means of escape are only confusion.
To destroy mind’s confusion, stay right here.
With the outlook that you have right now,
Dying seems completely unbearable.
You hope that on the mountain’s far side you’ll be free;
And fear that on this side you will be caught.
With hopes and fears, you wander in samsara.
I’ll teach you the Six Dharmas of Naropa
And the meditation of Mahamudra.
Thus, he sang this song of realization with a voice and melody like Brahma’s, so pleasing and beautiful to hear. Anyone who heard it would have been completely captivated. By the compassion of the Jetsun, the deer’s fear and suffering were pacified. With tears streaming from his eyes, he relaxed with the Jetsun, licked his clothes, and went to sleep on Milarepa’s left side.
The Jetsun thought, “The barking I heard before must have been a ferocious dog that wanted to harm this deer. I wonder what it is like.” Then a female dog appeared, red in color with a black tail and a cord around its neck. All four of her claws were shredded from running on rock, and her tongue was flapping from her mouth like a banner.
“This dog that barks ferociously with great aggression and malevolent mind, and that runs, shooting through space like lightning, is who was chasing the deer and wanted to do it harm,” Milarepa thought. “Whatever outer-appearing things this dog sees, she takes them as enemies. She’s never free of such aggression; how good it would be if I could pacify her anger.” Then he sang this song of realization to the dog with a heart of great sorrow and compassion for her:
I bow at the feet of Lord Marpa from Lhodrak:
Grant your blessing that the aggression of beings be pacified.
You sentient being with a dog’s body and the face of a wolf,
Listen here to Mila’s song!
Whatever appearances there are, you take as your enemy;
Aggression and malevolence agitate your mind.
Through negativity, you were born with the body of a dog
And remain in a state of suffering with hunger.
There’s no chance for relief from the painful afflictions.
If you don’t capture your own mind inside,
How can capturing others’ bodies outside be of any help?
If you want to catch something, it’s time to catch your own mind.
Abandon your aggression, and stay right here.
With the outlook that you have right now,
The affliction of aggression is so unbearable.
On the other side of the mountain, you fear you’ll lose yo
ur prey.
And on this side of the mountain, you hope you will catch it.
With hope and fear you wander in samsara.
I’ll teach you the Six Dharmas of Naropa
And the meditation of Mahamudra.
This dharma, which the Jetsun taught with great compassion and with a melody like Brahma’s, pacified the dog’s aggression. The dog then whimpered and wagged her tail at the Jetsun. Making bowing gestures and licking his clothes, she lay down on his right side, tucking her snout between her two paws. With tears trickling down her face, she and the deer lay there sleeping like a mother and her child.
The Jetsun thought, “There must be a bad man following these two animals, and if he tracks them down, he will come here.”
After a little while, a man with dark complexion and angry eyes, with his hair tied at the top of his head, arrived. He held up the bottom of his chuba*1 on both the right and left. He wore an antelope-skin hunting coat with a lasso slung over his shoulder, and carried arrows and a bow in his hands. He was breathing heavily, with his head so covered in sweat that it gleamed as if it were blood.
When he reached the Jetsun, he saw the deer and the dog lying at the Jetsun’s side like mother and son. He thought, “Did this meditator do something bad to them?”
He became angry and shouted, “These repas and yogis go all over the place! They’re up into the high snow mountains when you go to kill game, they’re down at the lakes when you try to catch fish and otters; and in between, they’re in the villages when you’re trying to make a profit or fight. If one or two died, there would be no fault with that! You may be able to take my deer and dog, but now let’s see if your cotton cloth can take my arrow.”
He took an arrow, fitted its notch in his bow, and went up to the Jetsun. The Jetsun thought, “If I can teach dharma to these animals who are naturally ignorant and they understand, then if I teach dharma to this human, he will too.”
Then he said, “Human, there is plenty of time to shoot arrows, so take your time and listen to my song.” Then, abiding within a state of wisdom, love, and power, and with a melody like Brahma’s, he sang this song of realization to Khyirawa*2 Gönpo Dorje:
I supplicate you, Siddha Lord:
Grant your blessing that the five poisons be pacified.
You sentient being with human body and face of a demon,
Listen here to Mila’s song!
It’s said human bodies are precious and rare,
But to look at you, there’s nothing rare at all.
You’ve the body of a demon with much negativity.
You disregard the sufferings of the lower realms.
You work for the desires of this life.
But you won’t get what you want through negativity.
If you give up attachment within, you’ll attain siddhi.
You’ll never be able to tame outer appearances.
The time has come to tame your own mind.
Killing this deer will not content you.
If you kill the inner five poisons, you’ll get what you wish.
Though you tame outer enemies, there’ll only be more.
Tame your inner mind, and there’ll be no more foes.
Without wasting this human life doing negative deeds,
If you practice sublime genuine dharma, it would be excellent.
I’ll teach you the Six Dharmas of Naropa
And the meditation of Mahamudra.
The man sat quietly and listened as Milarepa sang. Then the man thought, “I can’t be completely certain about what he said. Before, the deer would be very frightened and the dog very aggressive. But I’ve never seen anything like this; today the two lie together on either side of this man like mother and child. As for me, I’ve never dropped an arrow even in the snowy white mountains of winter, but here I’ve helplessly dropped one. Either this man is a master of black magic or he is truly a special guru. I should look and see how he lives.”
Gönpo Dorje went into the retreat cave and saw that Milarepa had no provisions other than some roots and their leaves, and no other belongings at all were to be found. He staggered as faith arose within him. “Lama,” he asked, “who is your guru, and what is the dharma that you practice called? Where do you come from? Who is your companion and what do you own? If I am acceptable to you, I will offer you the life of this deer and follow you as an attendant.”
Then the Jetsun said, “My country and companions are just as you see. If you can follow me, then come on!” Then he sang this song of realization to Khyirawa Gönpo Dorje:
The gurus Tilopa, Naropa, and Marpa:
These three are Milarepa’s gurus.
If these three gurus are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
The guru, yidams, and dakinis:
These three are Mila’s objects of veneration.
If these objects of veneration are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
The Buddha, dharma, and sangha, these three:
These are the sources for Mila’s refuge.
If these sources are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
View, meditation, and conduct, these three:
These are Milarepa’s practice.
If these three practices are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Slate mountains, snow mountains, rock mountains, these three:
These are Mila’s places of practice.
If these places of practice are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Deer, antelope, and mountain sheep, these three:
These are Milarepa’s livestock.
If these livestock are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Lynx, coyotes, and wolves, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s guard dogs.
If these guard dogs are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Song birds, grouse, and vultures, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s house birds.
If these three house birds are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa.
The sun, moon, and stars, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s offerings.*3
If these offerings are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa.
Gods, ghosts, and rishis, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s neighbors.
If these neighbors are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Monkey, langurs, and bears, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s playmates.
If these three playmates are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Bliss, clarity, and nonthought, these three:
These three are the friends that cheer Milarepa up.
If these friends are okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Nettles, garlic, and leaves, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s diet.
If this diet is okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Water from mountains, snow, and earth, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s drinking water.
If this drinking water is okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
Nadi, prana, and bindu, these three:
These three are Milarepa’s clothing.
If this clothing is okay for you,
Then follow behind this repa!
When Milarepa had sung this, the hunter thought, “His actions are in harmony with his words,” and even more faith arose within him. Tears streamed from his eyes, and he prostrated, taking Milarepa’s feet to the crown of his head. He offered the precious Jetsun the deer, his dog, bow and arrow, his hunting coat of antelope skin, and lasso. Then he said, “I and this dog here have committed many grea
t negative deeds. From now on we will not commit any negativity. I beg you to guide my dog, Lokchang Marmo,*4 to the higher realms. Please lead this black deer to the path of great bliss. And I ask you to please teach me, Khyirawa Gönpo Dorje, the dharma and lead me on the path of liberation.” After he said that, he offered this song:
On my left sits a black deer ornamented with antlers.
If I kill him, for merely seven days my appetite would be satisfied.
This man doesn’t need that, so I offer it to you, Guru.
Please lead this black deer to the path of great bliss.
Please lead Lokchang Marmo to the path of awakening.
Please lead Gönpo Dorje to liberation.
This dog that sits to my right, Lokchang Marmo,
If let loose, she can capture any bird of the sky.
This man doesn’t need her, so I offer her to you, Guru.
Please lead this black deer to the path of great bliss.
Please lead Lokchang Marmo to the path of awakening.
Please lead Gönpo Dorje to liberation.
My black lasso that’s adorned with a noose,
If used, it can round up any yak of the northern plain.
This man doesn’t need it, so I offer it to you, Guru.
Please lead this black deer to the path of great bliss.
Please lead Lokchang Marmo to the path of awakening.
Please lead Gönpo Dorje to liberation.
This coat of antelope hide adorned with fur lining,
Wear it and you’ll stay warm in the snowy white peaks.
This man doesn’t need it, so I offer it to you, Guru.
Please lead this black deer to the path of great bliss.
Please lead Lokchang Marmo to the path of awakening.
Please lead Gönpo Dorje to liberation.
In my right hand, I hold an arrow.
It is ornamented with four red-colored feathers.
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa Page 32
