The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

by Tsangnyon Heruka

  NAMO GURU

  When the Jetsun Milarepa was staying in Chuwar, for several days he was invisible. Some individuals could see his form but did not see him eating or doing any other kind of activity. Then, everyone saw the Jetsun sitting there, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing.

  When this happened, Shiwa Ö asked him, “Jetsun, since yesterday you have been both visible and invisible. The people who saw you saw you only sitting in samadhi. Why was that? Today, what was the reason for sometimes crying and sometimes laughing?”

  Milarepa replied, “Since yesterday, there have been many people here listening to my dharma teachings. Seeing their joys, I laughed, and seeing their sufferings, I cried.”

  “Please tell the reason why this was,” he asked.

  “Very well, first offer a mandala!” Accordingly, Shiwa Ö then offered a mandala.

  “Yesterday, I went to teach the dharma for all the six different classes of beings. When I thought of the bliss of the devas and humans and of those who do virtue, I laughed. When I saw the sufferings of the three lower realms and of those who accumulate negative karma, I cried.”

  Then Shiwa Ö asked, “What are the joys and sufferings of the six realms like? In particular, what is the bliss of the devas like?”

  “Do not put your trust in the bliss of the devas; those who live there are like this.” Then he sang this song of realization:

  I supplicate the lord who is so kind.

  May your blessings pervade all sentient beings.

  The bliss of humans and worldly devas,

  Such diversions are like the celestial yak.*1

  Though their voices are like the turquoise dragon’s roar,

  They are without any meaning at all.191

  In the four ayatanas of the formless devas,

  There is no recollection of good or bad.

  With discernments dulled, they are without sensations.

  It is like having one’s senses knocked out.

  Though many eons may elapse,

  They don’t realize a single moment has passed.

  This is without any meaning at all.

  When they fall, they fall giving rise to a malicious mind.

  The nature of the causes and conditions of that state,

  For them, such talk is empty and meaningless.

  Those in the seventeen levels of the form realms,*2 too—

  The five higher levels that are pure

  And the twelve lower levels with their faults—

  Until their merit based on cause and effect has been exhausted,

  Those causes and conditions then fully ripen.

  Those who have virtue with limited bias,

  Meditators who practice with desires and fears,

  And those who practice dharma with the eight concerns:

  Though they say they accept dharma, their minds are impure.

  Due to the remaining seeds, the latent tendencies,

  Once a long time has passed, the malevolent mind re-arises.

  When that malevolent mind arises, merit is exhausted.

  When their merit is exhausted, then they quickly fall.

  As for the sufferings of those devas who fall,

  If explained in detail, you’d be distressed.

  Understand this and prolong your meditation.

  Thus he sang. With a sense of deep disillusionment, the disciple-sons said, “Please tell us of the sufferings of the asuras.” In reply, Milarepa sang this song of realization:

  I supplicate the guru and the assembly of dakinis.

  Grant your blessing that bodhichitta may arise in my mind-stream.

  None are greater than the sufferings of asuras;

  Disturbed by their cruelty, they destroy self and other.

  Confused toward mind itself, they delude themselves.

  Because they’ve unpleasant feelings, their discernments are coarse.

  They take whatever appears as their foe,

  So they have not a single moment of pleasure.

  Without any concern for their lives, they commit negative actions.

  It is difficult for them to think of helping others.

  So agitated by their discordant activity,

  It’s as if they do not listen to anyone.

  To explain what such causes and conditions are:

  It is desire for one’s own happiness and others’ pain;

  Having love for close ones and hate for foes.

  With the conduct of pride and self-regard,

  By the power of karma, they take a bad birth.

  Taking a bad form, they delight in negativity.

  Due to negative karmic results, they’ve aggression toward beings.

  It’s difficult to help them by any means.192

  All you gathered here, meditate until death!

  Thus he sang. Then Shiwa Ö said, “Now please tell us of the sufferings of us humans.” Then Milarepa sang this song of realization in reply:

  Lord, hidden buddha in human form,

  I bow at the feet of Marpa from Lhodrak.

  We beings here with a human birth

  Have great power for both virtue and negativity.

  We have the power of all the six elements, complete.

  You young repas who desire to be scholars,

  If you don’t know the key and essential points,

  It’s improper to say you know a lot.

  If you don’t realize the root of mind,

  To say you’ve practiced many years is just a lie.

  If there’s no connection between the field of merit and your intention,

  Though you give many things, it’s all a waste.

  If you don’t benefit others without any bias,

  Whatever excellent help you offer is just hope for return.

  Honest speech with poor judgment, where

  You don’t know what’s appropriate, is the basis for downfalls.

  If you know the appropriate way to bring benefit,

  Then a wise one’s lie can be virtuous.

  To say “I am not affected by causes”

  Is the most deluded of the deluded and brings harm to all.

  When virtue dawns within the mind,

  Even earth, rocks, and plants are a cause for virtue.

  There is no one more relaxed than a conscientious person.

  There is nothing hungrier than a dog wanting to eat.

  If one is heedless, nothing is more frightful than the authorities.

  Rich people have the suffering of having everything.

  Poor ones have the suffering of having nothing.

  Having everything and having nothing, both are suffering.

  Son, if you can practice genuine dharma, you will meet with happiness.

  Understand this, and always meditate.

  Thus he sang. Then the disciples said, “This is, indeed, how humans suffer; it is just as the Jetsun said. Although to speak of the sufferings of the lower realms is unbearable, it is helpful for compelling suitable ones toward the dharma. Please tell us about such sufferings along with the causes for being reborn in the hell realms.” With that request, Milarepa sang this song of realization:

  I supplicate the protector gurus:

  Grant your blessing that fear of the lower realms may be dispelled.

  Those who take flesh and blood as food

  And have the karma of killing

  Are scorched in the eight hot hells.

  So, if you do not forget about virtue,

  Then it is possible to attain liberation.

  Those who eat food that is not to be eaten,

  Have excessive fixation upon what they eat,

  And through that, conquer, subdue, and steal

  Will be reborn in the eight cold hells.

  But if you don’t develop wrong views toward dharma,

  It’s taught you’ll have a chance for liberation.

  If it’s possible for you to remember the precious jewels,

  When they’re recal
led, you are shown liberation.

  Committing negative karma again and again,

  Under the power of the karma of negativity and wrong intention,

  Because they wish for their own happiness,

  They kill their master, father, and mother

  And steal others’ faith offerings to the three jewels.

  With their speech that compels others to do wrong,

  They say, “There’s nothing true about the dharma.”

  These are scorched in the hell of endless torment:

  It is very difficult to escape from this.

  Son, if you think of this, you will become depressed.

  Focus your mind on dharma and put effort into meditation.

  Thus he sang. Again the repas said, “If by merely hearing of them one has fear about these sufferings, what must it be like to actually experience them? Nevertheless, for the sake of sentient beings, please teach about the sufferings of the pretas.” In reply, Milarepa sang this song of realization:

  I prostrate to the guru lord.

  Please accept me with compassion to dispel the fear of the lower realms.

  Hell beings delight in killing themselves,

  But running away with fear won’t bring them any freedom.

  Since pretas take appearances as their foe,

  Where can they run? Where can they find refuge?

  Animals eat each other for food;

  Against whom can they retaliate? With whom can they fight?

  In particular, the pretas’ suffering

  Is brought through malevolence and avarice.

  When they are in such a state, they know no virtue.

  With such miserliness, they cannot bear to eat,

  And it is not possible for them to give to others.

  Obsessively on the lookout and hoarding things,

  Like a rat, they’re never satisfied.

  Then, what suffering they amass they inflict on others.

  When one dies with an attitude of avarice,

  In the bardo the perceptions of pretas arise;

  With the karma of wrong outlook, they have hunger and thirst.

  When they see the wealth and enjoyments of others,

  They develop a malicious and avaricious mind.

  With such karma they fall again and again.

  Myself, a meditator with perseverance,

  I sing in this melody here for you

  Of the sufferings, causes, and results of pretas.

  You repas here, my disciple-sons,

  Understand my words, and prolong your meditation!

  Thus he sang. Then Shiwa Ö said, “Please also tell us of the sufferings of animals.” Then Milarepa sang this song of realization:

  I prostrate to the guru lord.

  Please accept me with compassion to dispel the fear of the lower realms.

  Animals are stupid with ignorance.

  Stupidity is the cause for most of the animals.

  By the power of ignorance and negative karma,

  They do not realize dharma’s truth

  And do not distinguish between virtue and negativity.

  They exhaust their lives simply roaming about.

  They are unable to reason or discriminate;

  Like a stunned blind man they do everything out of ignorance.

  They do not understand virtue and nonvirtue.

  Like a crazy man, they do much wrong.

  Some mistakenly say it is good

  If one does not develop the faculty for finding relief.193

  Those with the negativity of killing mindlessly

  Take rebirth as carnivorous beasts.

  Those deluded about what is good and bad

  Take rebirth as ordinary animals.

  Those beings that have a dull, stupid mind

  In the end will be reborn as animals.

  Those who have the karmic result of being an animal,

  There’s no end to what can be said about it.

  Understand this well, and train your minds.

  Thus he sang. Then the repas said, “Did the Jetsun teach the dharma to the six classes of beings while seated in only one place, or did he go to each realm?”

  “I went to each of the realms taking a form in accord with the merit of each, and then taught them the dharma that was suitable for their minds.”

  All the people who had gathered there to listen to the dharma—the monks, disciple-sons, and lay students—developed fear of the lower realms. With their outlook turned toward the genuine dharma, they all made effort in the abandoning of nonvirtue and in the practicing of virtue.

  On another occasion, the Jetsun flew up into the sky and appeared with many different forms. Then all of them converged into one, and while invisible, he taught the dharma with a variety of voices. While he was displaying such inconceivable miracles, Seben Repa bound his prana. Although he tried to fly into the sky, he could do nothing but move about with his feet on the ground.

  Then the Jetsun said, “You do not have devotion toward the guru, revulsion toward samsara, compassion for sentient beings, pure vision toward dharma friends, and diligence in practice, like I do. Do not hope for signs of accomplishment without any effort. Furthermore, my disciple-sons, without having such virtuous causes, do not hope for the result of happiness.” Then he sang this song of realization:

  Don’t hope for enlightenment in a single life,

  Where your karma and many conditions haven’t come together.

  Don’t hope for the guru’s care

  Without placing your focus upon him.

  Don’t hope to be a master of others

  Without yourself becoming a disciple.

  Don’t hope to be someone on whom others can rely

  Without gaining mastery of your own mind.

  Don’t hope to gain signs of accomplishment and siddhis

  Without holding a genuine lineage.

  Don’t hope to attain the enlightenment that you aspire to

  Without being subdued through strong meditation and practice.

  Don’t hope to have bias-free compassion

  Without being free of the bonds of your own attachment.

  Don’t hope to have the view free of extremes

  Without being free of the bonds of clinging to things as real.

  Don’t hope to see reality’s essence

  Without the pointing-out of seeing nakedly.

  Don’t hope to have unbroken meditation

  Without knowing the method for dispelling stains.

  Don’t hope for the sixfold collection to be relaxed

  Without cutting the fetters from within.

  Don’t hope to experience the great all-pervading essence*3

  Without clear resolve in the experience of samadhi.

  Don’t hope to have the fruition of the three kayas

  Without cutting through all subtle hopes and fears.

  Don’t hope to have the result of temporary happiness

  Without regarding the nature of cause and effect.

  Don’t hope to attain the supreme goal of buddhahood

  Without gathering the two accumulations to their highest point.

  Don’t hope to please your brothers and sisters

  Without acting in accord with the [guru’s] commands.

  Don’t hope to be free of devas and ghosts

  Without perfect mastery of self-awareness.

  Don’t hope to overcome samsara’s three levels

  Without perfect mastery over appearances.

  Don’t hope to be free of virtuous and negative karma

  Without elevating your mind beyond the ordinary state.

  Don’t hope for your mind to be free of pure and impure

  If you’re a practitioner who keeps to monasteries.

  Don’t hope to elucidate for suitable ones

  Without knowing the experiences and signs of accomplishment.

  Don’t hope to have liberation in the bardo

  Without being trai
ned in the key instructions.

  Don’t hope for your aspiration to come to fruition

  Without keeping the trainings and vows appropriately.

  Don’t hope for the dakinis and dharmapalas to be pleased

  Without keeping your samaya pure.

  Do not cross over the river of conventional terms

  Without having scripture, logic, and the key instructions.

  Do not speak of others outside

  Without having the five higher perceptions.

  Do not let your mind-stream go vagrant194

  Without realizing meditation that’s without distraction.

  Thus he sang.

  On another occasion, whichever monk came into the Jetsun’s presence, his body remained invisible to them. Some saw a light, some saw a butter lamp, some saw a rainbow, some saw water, some saw a bar of gold, some saw moving wind, and some saw nothing at all.

  Then Repa Shiwa Ö said, “What is the reason for this occurrence?”

  Milarepa replied, “It’s like this.” Then he sang this song of realization:

  I supplicate the guru lord,

  Grant your blessing that I may emanate many forms.

  Listen, my son, you attractive young repa.

  I have gained mastery over the element of earth;

  Thus, earth too is my very nature.

  I have gained mastery over the element of water;

  Thus, water too is my very nature.

  I have gained mastery over the element of fire;

  Thus, fire too is my very nature.

  I have gained mastery over the element of wind;

  Thus, wind too is my very nature.

  Because I am trained in the emptiness of space,

  All phenomenal existence is mixed, inseparable, with me.

  Having mastery over appearances of mind and body,

  I can emanate as anything.

  Toward whatever form this miraculous body takes,