The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

by Tsangnyon Heruka

  *2 The “place between Drin and Dingma,” hereafter called as it is in Tibetan “Dingma Drin” (ding ma brin), is a location in Tibet at the border of Drin (brin spo) and the southern part of the region of Dingri.

  *3 “Divine Physician Auspicious Long Life Goddess” (T: lha sman bkra shis tshe ring ma). In Tibetan culture, mountains are often personified and themselves referred to as the deities that are associated with them. In this work, the name Tashi Tseringma refers, interchangeably, to both the mountain and the deity. The mountain is also known as Gaurishankar in Sanskrit.

  *4 This passage literally states, “in the center that was surrounded by the crystal snow mountain nyen deities” (T: gangs lha gnyan shel gyis bskor ba’i dbus). TDC defines “nyen” as “Local deities (sa bdag) that bring severe illness.” As an adjective, the word “nyen” can mean severe or powerful.

  *5 Chuwar (T: chu dbar) literally means “between the rivers,” thus the site of Chuwar lies on a small isthmus at the confluence of the two rivers, today marked by Chuwar Monastery. In this narrative, the rivers at this site are referred to as Mayang and Lohita (“Lohanta” in the Black Treasury). The names used at the site today are Rongshar Tsangpo (Mayang) and Tashi Oma (Lohita).

  *6 Dhatus here refer to prana. During yogic practice, when the pranas move and gather in the nadis, it causes various appearances to arise for the yogi.

  “Gathering the constituents [or dhatus] (khams ’dus pa) of vital energy refers to yogic energetic practices. Wherever visualization is focused, the vital energy gathers there. Through this kind of practice, the vital energy currents are said to gather and then enter, dwell, and finally dissolve in the particular chakra upon which one is focused. In ultimate yogic practice the energies enter and dissolve into the central channel, discursive thought is arrested, and the experience of nonconceptual bliss-emptiness occurs” (Kongtrul 2007: 391).

  *7 T: drang srong. This word typically translates the Sanskrit word rishi, an Indian ascetic seer or sage. In Tibetan it means someone who is “without deceit or hypocrisy in body, speech, and mind; and is honest and straightforward” (TDC).

  *8 Literally, “Divine Medicine Snow Mountain” (T: lha smen gangs). This is a reference to Tashi Tseringma (Mount Gaurishankar). “Petals” refers to the various peaks of the mountain.

  *9 “Lesser devas” refers to devas in the realm called “Controlling Others’ Emanations”; see note below in the next song.

  *10 Literally, “the northern cross” (T: byang khram kha). This reference is obscure; however, the north is sometimes associated with death and ill omens. (DPR)

  *11 “Yama” is another name for the Lord of Death.

  *12 “Yama of karma” (T: las kyi gshin rje) refers to one’s personal karma as the primary moving force at the time of death. Unless one has stability of mind, one has no control over where the mind-stream will go at the time of death.

  *13 T: ’pho. This is the same word as in the practice known as phowa and means to “transfer” or “move to another location.”

  *14 “Controlling Others’ Emanations” (T: gzhan ’phrul dbang byed; S: paranirmitavaśavartin) is the highest of the six deva abodes within the desire realm.

  *15 “Those hovering in space” (T: nam mkha’ lding) is a synonym for garuda.

  *16 From among the five types of phowa [or transference] (dharmakaya, sambhogaya, nirmanakaya, guru, and pure realm phowa), this passage is connected with dharmakaya phowa (DPR). “Our ordinary notion of phowa is that one ejects one’s consciousness out of the body to a pure or enlightened realm. However, once we have realized the nature of mind, we have accomplished the purpose of phowa. Mind is already in a state of perfect purity. Whatever state of mind we have—a discursive mind, a mind bound up in passion, anger or ignorance, or simply a mind engaged in the perception of an object—the moment we realize mind’s nature, consciousness is released from any obscuration or confusion and transformed right on the spot. That is dharmakaya phowa” (Dzogchen Ponlop 2006: 147–148).

  *17 “Ransom” (T: glud) here has the sense of effigy. It is a common practice in Tibetan rituals to offer something up to demons or obstructing spirits to appease them.

  *18 The phrase “words of truth” (T: gsung bden pa’i tshig / gsung ngag bden pa) has the sense of making a powerful proclamation. Because the words spoken are true, particularly in relation to the Buddha’s teaching, they hold a special power to facilitate various ritual-like acts such as exorcism or consecration. (ATW)

  *19 A substantial cause (T: nye bar len pa’i rgyu) is defined as “that which primarily produces the continuum of its own substance as its specific result”; for example, a seed is the substantial cause for a sprout. Cooperating condition here means a condition necessary to assist the arising of its result. (TDC)

  *20 The “Realm of Brahma” (T: tshangs pa’i ’jig rten; S: brahmaloka) includes all of the six classes of the desire realm, up through the first level of the form realm. (TDC). Other sources say this includes the first three levels of the form realm or the entirety of the form and formless realms (Buswell 2014: 142).

  *21 In the craft of weaving, the weft thread is passed in between the warp threads, which are set in the loom, by means of a threaded hand-held shuttle.

  *22 The name “Gyimshang” (T: gyim shang) shows up in a number of unrelated contexts in Tibetan literature. In this context it seems to be a synonym for Mongolia. (DPR)

  *23 Gesar is a very well known mythical warrior-king of Tibet.

  *24 The Thayu (T: sta ru) are a people native to Nepal whose livelihood is centered around forest life.

  *25 Perpetuating skandhas are the five skandhas of form, feeling, perceptions, formations, and consciousness, which are perpetuated moment-to-moment, life-to-life, due to karma and afflictions.

  *26 Highest yoga tantra; one of the four classes of tantras, and the one most associated with Milarepa’s lineage.

  *27 The Black Treasury attributes this account to both Ngendzong Tönpa Bodhiraja and Repa Shiwa Ö.

  29

  The Five Tseringma Sisters’ Investigation

  Garland of the Light of Amrita

  NAMO GURU

  Emanation of the Sugata, ornament of my crown—

  Blessed by the amrita that flowed from the mouth

  Of the supreme among beings, Marpa Lotsawa,

  And by his wisdom, spontaneously arisen,

  That was born from the heart of the whispered lineage,

  He is the yogi whose name is renowned as Mila—

  To the father Repa, I prostrate with respect.

  On the wondrous border of the two countries, Nepal and Tibet; at the left slope of the Azure Queen Snow Mountain*1 enveloped in mist; beneath the thick91 floating golden-colored clouds; and in the center of a crystal fence that encircles the lower confluence of Dingri, there, on the banks of the Lohit, the river of siddhi, is a blessed site, the palace of Chuwar in Menlung Valley. There, the reality of the secret teaching, the supreme and unsurpassed yana, dawned in an unbiased way within the mind of the great Repa Lord, the one whose name is widely renowned as the yogi Milarepa.

  With immeasurable bodhichitta, for this being whose mind was completely trained and purified, with the four joys stabilized from below,*2 then ascending and reaching the throat-center, the place of enjoyment, a treasury of vajra songs burst forth by their own power. Because of the unbroken stream of blessings of the practice lineage, he realized the transformation of ordinary appearances into wisdom. Through the ascetic conduct of a madman, he was a great daka with the power to annihilate faithless demons and negative forces.

  Not wavering from the dharmata, the innate state, he sought after the benefit of others with great love. With the ayatana of the totality of the elements,*3 he could transform and overpower that which appeared, to become nonappearing. Displaying various miracles with his body, he benefited a number of humans and spirits who had faith in virtue and goodness.

  On the eleventh night of the first summer month of t
he female water-snake year, five women, radiant and beautiful, came into his presence. They did many circumambulations around him and, all together, they did eight pairs of prostrations.92

  They offered him a sapphire ladleful of yogurt that was said to be made from gayal’s milk.*4 Then arranging themselves in a row on his left side, they made a request: “We five women here request the Jetsun to give us the vows of bodhichitta. Please consider us.”

  The Jetsun reflected, “I have never seen such a special and precious ladle. And the quality of this yogurt is truly excellent; I’ve never seen anything like it. Humans would not be able to find such a thing. Since they did their prostrations and circumambulations in the opposite way, they must be ghosts or devas.” Though he knew this to be so, in order to examine their conduct and to see whether they were speaking truthfully or not, he pretended to be ignorant.

  “Who are you? Where do you come from?” he asked. Then he inquired further with this poetic song of realization:

  Lord Vajradhara, essence of the four kayas,

  In this time of conflict and degeneration of the teachings,

  Seeking the benefit for a few fortunate ones,

  In this range of mountains covered in snow,

  The northern land of Bardhana,*5

  Here he emanated in a translator’s body.

  Supreme human, with the lion’s roar,

  He uttered the sound of the unsurpassed yana.

  By merely hearing the sound of that,

  It is said, one won’t fall to the lower realms.

  So, for that reason I have a request:

  I put my hope in you, Lord, to grant siddhi and blessing

  To those beings93 who rely on me.

  Father, through your hook of compassion

  I pray their minds are uncontrollably moved

  And the sprout of realization grows.

  Now, please listen further:

  Victors and your heirs who reside

  In the pure realm of the sky,

  Once I, a yogi of the Mahayana path,

  Have opened the lotus of those to be tamed,

  Deities, with your lattice of light rays

  That radiate from the sun of your compassion,

  Make the petals of intellect’s lotus flourish.

  On this very day, bring into being

  The cluster of stamens of the four immeasurables.

  You beautiful ones in rank on my left,

  Sisters, I have a question for you.

  There’s nothing special I wish to ask:

  Are you humans, ghosts, or devas? I cannot tell.

  You have such wondrous female forms:

  Five queens, like none I’ve ever seen,

  Five women, so radiant and beautiful,

  Five goddesses radiating light.

  At first, when I saw you from afar

  Like chameleons,94 you women were gathered in the market,

  Like mist that shrouds a place in darkness.

  Looking closely, what I saw was unclear and ephemeral,

  I could not be sure what I was seeing at all.

  Then when I came onto the road,

  I saw you there coming in a line

  Like pearls strung on a string;

  You noble women who abide with discipline,

  Walked gracefully smiling; such a display.

  Now that you’ve arrived at my side,

  You’re like the great star in the east before dawn*6

  Gradually fading and fading away.

  With the way you disperse and come together,95

  I thought, “Are these not worldly ghosts or devas?”

  When looked at, you cannot help but smile.

  You spirits glancing back and forth at each other,

  Are you tramen dakinis,*7 or what?

  A Buddhist circumambulation is to the right,

  You went to the left, the opposite way.

  By this too, I thought you were devas or ghosts.

  When you perform eye-prostration*8 you go to the right

  From this as well, I thought you were devas or ghosts.

  You did prostrations arranged in front

  And for each nine of them you asked of my well-being three times.

  You nod repeatedly when doing one eye-prostration.

  This is a queen’s way of doing eye-prostration.

  Though it’s similar, your way is not the same.

  Between each eight prostrations you ask of my well-being twice

  Your knees are planted upon the ground.

  This way of prostrating like a man,96

  It’s the prostration of devas and ghosts, it’s not like others’.

  This gift that you have given to me,

  A ladle that is made of sapphire

  Bedecked with a variety of jewels,

  It’s the wealth of devas and ghosts, never found by men.

  I’m an old man from a faraway land;

  Having seen, without bias, many different places,

  I could never tell of all the things I’ve heard

  Or of the many wondrous things I’ve seen.

  All the food that my palate has savored

  Is far more than any others have had;

  But in all I’ve experienced, this wild gayal’s yogurt

  Is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

  Here, I tasted a truly wondrous food,

  The food of devas and ghosts, something humans don’t have.

  If I told of it to another, they would be amazed.

  In particular, you said, “We request the bodhichitta vows.”

  You are spirits who pay heed to virtue,

  Faithful ones with great joy in the teachings.

  It’s certain you have tendencies from previous training.

  Delight and joy arose for me at this as well.

  Now keep listening, you lovely women,

  There’s more I don’t know and wish to ask.

  Tell me the truth untainted by lies.

  When you came this morning, from where did you come?

  In the evening then, where will you go?

  Where is the palace in which you reside?

  In which class or group do you belong?

  In what domain of activity do you engage?

  What siddhis do you have the power to bestow?

  Where have you met previously with me?

  Did you hear [of me] from elsewhere?

  How did you come to know of me?

  Tell me with dignified and honest speech.

  Thus he sang this song of realization. When he had asked these questions, the magical ladies again spoke in reply: “Jetsun, genuine being, by the power of the merit accumulated in your previous lives, this time you have met with an exceptional siddha-guru. The light rays of the nectar of speech have been transmitted to your mind. Therefore, you see all the eight worldly concerns and desirable objects as illusory. Through great love, you’ve mastered performing others’ benefit. Thus, you have committed to quickly cross the stormy waves of the great river of samsara. Because you have assiduously pursued accomplishment by undergoing many different hardships, you refined your skill in samadhi—inner awareness—and so have the higher perceptions on a vast scale. Therefore, you can see the hidden thoughts of others’ mind-streams like a reflection in a mirror. Though you already know our class, clan, family lineage, and so forth, pretending not to know, you have asked us these questions. Why should we keep silent? We will tell you everything just as it is. So, great Jetsun, please listen to us a little.” After explaining with these spoken words, the magical ladies, in single voice, sang this poetic song:

  In Tibet, the land of red-faced rakshasas,

  On the banks of Pakshu*9 in the Land of Snow,

  In this snowy range of malevolent yakshas,

  At this time of the five degenerations,

  A being, rare to be born, came to this place.

  Is he not the yogi, Lord Mila?

  Because of your previously accumulat
ed merit,

  At this time, a guru, a spiritual friend,

  And the lineage of siddhas accepted you.

  Because of the blessings—the flow of amrita—

  Your mind was moved toward the dawning of

  Sounds and appearances in your mind as illusions.

  You gave up the worldly, so difficult to renounce.

  With great perseverance in undergoing hardship

  You practiced without a moment’s distraction.

  Thus, now you’ve become a yogi of space;

  You dwell as the essence of dharmakaya—the ultimate.

  Without moving from the state free of fabrication,

  Through the ayatanas of the exhausted elements,

  You subdue appearances to make them invisible,

  You send out many emanations, and so forth.

  You have displayed these many miracles

  And all those beings who have faith in you

  Are full of joy and are awe-inspired,

  So their hairs stand on end and they shed many tears.

  Therefore, Jetsun, jewel of our crowns,

  You are worthy of respect and offering by all.

  Glorious Jetsun, protector of beings,

  Shepa,*10 son of the Victorious Ones,

  This is all we wish to say to you:

  We are ones of little merit.

  We are spirits who traverse the sky.

  By the power of your great love,

  From billowing, cooling clouds of compassion,

  The rain of the amrita of blessings falls

  Upon us five women sitting before you here.

  Having moistened and completely appeased

  The continuum of harsh afflictions difficult to subdue,

  Please make grow the precious sprout

  Of the unsurpassed vehicle’s supreme intention.

  Radiant lord of yogic conduct,

  Majestic lord over all the yogis,

  You’ve trained in awareness samadhi experience.

  Thus, you see the character and faculties of others’ mind-streams,

  Along with their class, clan, and family lineage, without any mistake;