The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

by Tsangnyon Heruka

  Those who take the commitment without violating it

  And place their own minds as witnesses are very few.

  The fruition that comes from desire and longing,

  Though it’s called “fruition,” it’s just deception.

  Those who are conclusive about dharmata

  And take hold of the path are very few.

  The profound key instructions that are written on paper,

  Though they seem profound, they’re just sketches and notes.

  People have little perseverance,

  And those who have a dharma lineage are very few.

  The master who is taken and bound by this life,

  Though called a “master” is just very busy.

  People have very little devotion,

  And those who follow a qualified guru are few.

  Devotion that’s expressed with eyes half-closed,

  Though it’s called “devotion,” it’s merely fleeting.

  Those who completely turn their back on bad karma181

  And have the three types of disregard are very few.*7

  The small beautiful monasteries near the towns,

  Though they’re called “monasteries,” are part of the town.

  People who are without many distractions

  And roam in the mountains are very few.

  The young Kadampa monks with thick heads,182

  Though they’re called “young monks,” they’re just pretending.

  People who have great determination

  And keep true monastic discipline are very few.

  The students of Nyanang who are so charming,

  Though they’re called “benefactors,” they’re deceived by desire.

  The women are very timid,

  And those who give service and respect are very few.

  In general, laypeople say they have faith,

  But the faith of you students is in your private parts.

  This yogi’s faith is in his heart.

  When a rock grows old, it’s encrusted with dirt.

  When clean water gets old, it’s full of ripples.

  When trees get old, their dry leaves fall down.

  When mountain retreats get old, the wood and water get used up.

  When yogis get old, their realization is obscured.

  When students get old, their faith disappears.

  Students that are like peacocks look after their feathers.

  Students that are like parrots make useless chatter.

  Students that are like old cows look after their young.

  If you students want to go, then the time has come.

  Not only is it time, but the time has passed.

  Buried in a brass vessel in the cave below,

  The tsampa and butter are nibbled by mice.

  The butter has spilled over and is rolling around.

  The beer has been turned over by a fox.

  The meat is being eaten by the crows.

  Go on ahead, quickly now!

  You students go on with happy hearts,

  And aspire to meet again with me soon.

  Thus he sang. The group of students, all wide-eyed, looked at each other. They nudged each other with their elbows and went on their way feeling ashamed.

  Because of what the Jetsun had said to them, they all had deep faith and regret. They offered their leftovers to the Jetsun and said to him, “Please sing us a song of realization so that the notion of impermanence may take birth in our mind-streams.” The Jetsun, without accepting their offerings, sang this song of realization:

  Listen here, you miserly students:

  To accumulate merit for the sake of renown,

  Going for refuge to protect from the fears of this life,

  Giving things in hopes of returns,

  Making offerings for your own self-interests:

  These four things won’t last in the future.

  To hold ganachakras for the sake of nice food,

  Being expert in dharma to make a name for yourself,

  Distracting your mind with mundane songs and chatter,

  Bestowing abhishekas to show your own greatness:

  These four will not let the blessings enter.

  Teaching the dharma without the backing of scripture,

  Having pride while relishing prostrations and respect,

  Deception by accepting just anyone without examination,

  Teaching in order to get wealth and riches:

  These four won’t accomplish the benefit of beings.

  Not staying alone and preferring distractions,

  Unable to bear hardship and delighting in pleasantries,

  Just wanting to chat when put to meditation,

  Having great skill in engaging worldly affairs:

  With these four you will not attain liberation.

  This melody of these four sets of four,

  Students, commit to practicing these.

  Thus he sang. Drigom Repa interceded, and when Milarepa accepted his respect and service, he requested Milarepa to teach the dharma further. Then the Jetsun sang this song of realization:

  The sages above who have long life,

  Since they don’t know the essence of all that arises,

  Take spontaneously arisen awareness as a foe

  And love to be absorbed in thoughtless meditation.

  The lonely pretas that dwell below,

  Not knowing how to mix their minds,*8

  Have jealousy and avarice toward other beings.

  By the power of bad karma, they endure hunger and thirst.

  In this world, the middle, poor humans groan in misery.

  Not knowing that a treasure lies beneath the earth,

  They cheat and steal from neighbors and friends.

  With such lies and deceit, they make more misery for themselves.

  The students of Nyanang who are like monkeys

  Don’t wish to gain merit by way of the Jetsun

  But gain merit by giving to handsome repas.

  But offering to these repas just made you embarrassed.

  Now, don’t give to deceiving demonesses,

  But gather merit by offering to goddesses.

  Thus he sang. They all gave rise to great faith, making many prostrations and shedding tears. They said to Milarepa, “Jetsun, please remain in this place. We will offer our respect and service in accord with the dharma.”

  The Jetsun replied, “I will not stay here for long; I will go. May you students be without obstacles to your health. I make this auspicious aspiration that we meet again in conditions conducive to dharma.” Then he sang this song of realization:

  One, the blue sky of the morning before dawn;

  Two, the sun and moon that circle there;

  For only a brief time do they make a connection.

  May you, the blue sky, remain here happily.

  I, the sun and moon, will roam around the four continents.

  May you, the blue sky, be free from clouds.183

  I, the sun and moon, won’t be seized by planets.

  Again and again, make aspirations that we may meet.

  Make aspirations of auspiciousness in accord with the dharma.

  One, the lofty and spacious rock on high;

  Two, the vulture, king of birds, that circles it;

  For only a brief time do they make a connection.

  You, the high rock, may you remain here happily.

  I, the vulture, will soar through the heights.

  May you, the high rock, not be destroyed by lightning.

  And I, the vulture, won’t be caught in any traps.

  Again and again, make aspirations that we may meet.

  Make aspirations of auspiciousness in accord with the dharma.

  One, the long Brahmaputra that flows down below;

  Two, the golden spotted fish that swims there within;

  For only a brief time do they make a connection.

  You, the Brahmaputra, may you rema
in here happily.

  I, the fish, will swim to the River Ganges.

  May you, the Brahmaputra, not be drawn into canals.

  I, the fish, won’t get caught in any nets.

  Again and again, make aspirations that we may meet.

  Make aspirations of auspiciousness in accord with the dharma.

  One, lovely flowers within the garden;

  Two, a striped bee that circles around;

  For only a brief time do they make a connection.

  You, the flowers, may you remain here happily.

  While I, the bee, will circle the flowers of the Ganges.

  May you, the flowers, not be plucked and taken.

  I, the bee, won’t be blown by the wind.

  Again and again, make aspirations that we may meet.

  Make aspirations of auspiciousness in accord with the dharma.

  One, faithful students of Nyanang gathered together;

  Two, the yogi Milarepa whom they circle around;

  For only a brief time do they make a connection.

  You, the students, may you remain here happily.

  While I, the yogi, go to the rugged mountains.

  May you students not pass away

  While this yogi’s realization and experience flourishes.

  Again and again, make aspirations that we may meet.

  Make aspirations of auspiciousness in accord with the dharma.

  Thus he sang. Some of the students were very pleased and became his disciples. The others gave rise to boundless faith and went their own way.

  When Rechungpa arrived in Ü, after going to a Kadampa monastery in Jayul, he was appointed a khenpo at Mindroling Monastery. There he met a woman, but through the compassion of the Jetsun, he had shame and returned to his guru’s side. This story is told in detail in Rechungpa’s biography.

  This is the cycle of Rechungpa’s departure for Central Tibet.

  *1 Tradrug Temple in the Yarlung Valley is said to have been built by King Songtsen Gampo, renowned as the first dharma king of Tibet. Yoru is one of two early divisions of Ü (Central Tibet) where the temple is located.

  *2 The seat of Marpa and Lama Ngoktön Chödor (T: rngog ston chos rdor). Milarepa met Lama Ngok, who was a senior student of Marpa, while studying with his root guru (see The Life of Milarepa).

  *3 Tibetan-style books; they are loose leaf and usually held together with a cloth wrapping.

  *4 Milarepa is pointing out that without Rechungpa, when these students come together, it is merely an ordinary gathering of people. (TN)

  *5 A breed of horse from Amdo (T: ’do chen pho rta).

  *6 This is another name for Rechungpa, as his family name was Nyen (T: gnyan).

  *7 Disregard of food, clothing, and fame (T: lto gos gtam gsum). (DPR)

  *8 This seems to be a reference to the three types of mixing; see glossary. (DPR)

  53

  Tongla

  NAMO GURU

  When the Jetsun Milarepa was staying at the Nyanang Belly Cave, early one morning just before dawn, the Lion-Faced Dakini came to the Jetsun in person. She said to him, “Milarepa, Dampa Sangye from India has come to Tongla; will you not go to see him?”

  The Jetsun thought to himself, “I have no unsettling doubts that need to be resolved, but since he is a great siddha, there would be nothing wrong with going to meet him.” Then he bound his prana in a single breath, and off he went to Tongla in Nyanang.

  At the pass, Milarepa ran into several merchants who were on their way down. He asked them, “Has Dampa Sangye of India come here?”

  “We do not know who Dampa Sangye is,” they replied. “However, there is an old acharya*1 with a dark complexion who is sleeping at the inn.”

  “These people do not know who he is,” Milarepa thought. He went on to see for himself. He saw that Dampa Sangye, too, had been exhorted by the dakinis to meet the Jetsun, and he had gone to sleep at a charity hostel184 in Tongla. Milarepa thought, “It is said he has the genuine higher perceptions. I will test him.” So, emanating himself as a bunch of flowers, he waited by the side of the road. As Dampa Sangye walked past, Milarepa thought, “He did not see me, and has just walked past. It seems he does not have the unobstructed higher perceptions after all.”

  Dampa Sangye then turned around and kicked the bunch of flowers. “Hey! Milarepa, you can’t stay there emanating your body as a bunch of flowers. Get up! You have been all along taking the dakinis’ life-force making them into songs. To punish you for putting such things to melody, the flesh-eating dakinis have taken your life-force breath and your heart and organs dripping with blood. Last night, we held a ganachakra feast where we ate them. So, you will not live beyond this evening. Do you have confidence in facing death joyfully?” The Jetsun suddenly resumed his usual form and sang this song of realization on the six kinds of confidence in facing death joyfully:

  The lion of the great freedom from extremes

  Bares his fangs without despair.

  He lies in the snow without fear or arrogance.

  That is what this yogi’s confidence in view is like.

  With this view, I have delight in death.

  When I die, I will travel liberation’s path.

  The stag that is free of any movement,

  His many antlers grow in single taste.

  He sleeps in the meadow of great bliss and luminosity.

  That is what this yogi’s confidence in meditation is like.

  With this meditation, I have delight in death.

  When I die, I will travel liberation’s path.

  The fish that is free of the ten nonvirtuous deeds,

  With golden spots, never separate from the ten virtues,

  Swims in the great river of experience’s continual flow.

  That is what this yogi’s confidence in conduct is like.

  With this conduct, I have delight in death.

  When I die, I will travel liberation’s path.

  The tigress whose witness is her own mind,

  With the bright stripes of spontaneously benefiting others,

  Roams in the forest without being too tight or too loose.

  That is what this yogi’s confidence in samaya is like.

  With this samaya, I have delight in death.

  When I die, I will travel liberation’s path.

  On the paper of appearances, white and red,

  Awareness writes the letters of the mind.

  I realize the view that is free of duality.

  That is what this yogi’s confidence in the dharma is like.

  With this dharma, I have delight in death.

  When I die, I will travel liberation’s path.

  The great garuda that flashes with a bright glow

  Stretches his wings of means and wisdom

  And flies within the unconditioned sky.

  That is what this yogi’s confidence in fruition is like.

  With this fruition, I have delight in death.

  When I die, I will travel liberation’s path.

  Thus he sang. Then Dampa Sangye said, “You don’t have any reason at all to be like that. Just giving outer examples does not do any good. If you are a genuine yogi, you must have resolve about this very present moment of awareness.” Then the Jetsun sang this song of realization on the six happy ways of being resolved:

  In solitary places where dakinis naturally gather

  I contemplate dharma alone, as I please.

  I prostrate to the daka that cuts ego by the root.

  Deathlessness soars in the birthless state of mind.

  The signs of birth and death are freed in their own place.

  When the view is resolved, my mind is blissful.

  If you want such happiness, Dampa, you should do it too!

  In the state of nonmeditation, meditation soars with nondistraction.

  Signs of meditation and postmeditation are freed in their own place.

  When meditation is resolved, the mind is blissful.

>   If you want such happiness, Dampa, you should do it too!

  In the state of effortless conduct, conduct soars unimpeded.

  All signs of hypocrisy are freed in their own place.

  When conduct is resolved, the mind is blissful.

  If you want such happiness, Dampa, you should do it too!

  In the state of abhishekas not bestowed soars nonattainment.

  The signs of the deity’s form are freed in their own place.

  When abhishekas are resolved, the mind is blissful.

  If you want such happiness, Dampa, you should do it too!

  In the state without keeping samaya soars the immaculate.

  Signs of vows to keep are freed in their own place.

  When samaya’s resolved, the mind is blissful.

  If you want such happiness, Dampa, you should do it too!

  Without hope of fruition, fearlessness soars.

  Signs of hope and fear are freed in their own place.

  When fruition is resolved, the mind is blissful.

  If you want such happiness, Dampa, you should do it too!

  Thus he sang. Then Dampa Sangye said, “I have already experienced all that you have just said. Of the dharma practitioners of Tibet, you don’t need any correcting! Even in India, it is rare to find a practitioner such as you. I do not need you, and you do not need me.”

  Saying this happily, he turned and was about to leave when the Jetsun took hold of his clothes and said, “Dampa Sangye, it is said that you have a practice called ‘The Dharma of Pacifying Suffering’*2 that one practices by turning inward, in which one spontaneously realizes the Buddha’s intention. Please sing a song of realization about this practice.”

  Dampa Sangye replied, “Has anyone ever heard of me singing a song before? I will not sing a song now. Now, let me go.”

  But when the Jetsun insistently made his request, Dampa Sangye sang this song of realization:

  As for this Dharma of Pacifying Suffering,