milarepa meets paldarbum | the story of sale öo | the story of sukhasiddhi
Namo Guru. Milarepa was accompanied by his attendant and Heart Son, Rechungpa. At the area of the Five Small Lakes, at the edge of the Drik region, they were begging for alms and benefiting sentient beings. At that time, word of their arrival spread and people were saying, "The noble one and his son are meditating in the area of the snow mountain Kailash and Lake Ma Pam!" The people of Choro, at the Drik border, hearing of their fame, were convinced that they must be marvelous and wonderful. Devotion awakened within them, and they said, "Since this siddha and his disciple have come here, we should take advantage of it and go and meet them in person." Taking with them ample offerings, they went to meet Milarepa and his son.
Among the villagers was a girl, an emanation of the wisdom dakini, who, having heard the life story of the noble one, had developed undivided faith in him. She was gifted with great faith, diligence, intelligence and compassion. She was born into a good family and fortunate circumstances. She came on this day, bringing four young women. In order to test the meditation experience of Milarepa and his son, and verify their reputation, these women challenged them by offering this song in unison:
We take refuge in the divine Three Jewels.
Bless us with your compassion.
The fame of you two noble transcendent repas
Has been rumored far and wide.
All you faithful men and women assembled here,
Stop talking and listen for a moment.
We young women from good families
Make this offering of music, a harmonious song.
By joining these words together,
Illustration is made through parables.
Take its meaning to heart.
This is offered for you two.
That which is called the white snow mountain of Kailash--
Its fame, before it is seen, is heard from afar.
People say, "It is like a stupa of snow crystal."
Once you arrive at its base, you see nothing wonderful about it--
A mountain peak wrapped in snow,
With sides draped with more snow
And surrounded by prairie and other mountains.
What is so wonderful about that?
That which is called the Turquoise Lake of Ma Pam,
When you have not seen it, is famous.
It is said, "The lake is like a mandala of turquoise."
But once you get there, you see there is nothing spectacular about it.
It is filled with green, stagnant water,
With streams trickling from it,
Surrounded by meadows and boulders.
What is so wonderful about that?
The height of Red Rock is renowned from afar.
Before you have seen it, you hear,
"The rock is like a heap of precious jewels!"
But once you get there, you see there is nothing spectacular about it.
It is a rocky mountain jutting out of a plain,
With a forest growing on it,
Surrounded by streams.
What is so wonderful about that?
You are known as the great repa and the little repa.
Before we saw you we heard great things about you.
People say, "They are accomplished yogins."
But now that we are here, we are unimpressed.
We see only an uninteresting old man and youth,
Lying around naked and shameless,
Mumbling little songs,
Living in an unscrupulous manner.
Two bodies clad in cotton cloth,
Two beggars living off alms,
Doing whatever they feel like.
What is so wonderful about that?
To us sisters who are not inexperienced pilgrims,
This morning's pilgrimage was insignificant.
To us sisters who are not unseasoned travelers,
This morning's venture has left us footsore.
To us sisters who have not seen a little,
Today all we have seen is an old and a young man.
To us sisters who have not heard a little,
Today we have heard just idle chitchat.
You two are either Buddhist imposters
Or the obstacles of Mara;
There's no other possibility than these two.
We conclude you are demonic hindrances.
If you understand this song, answer us.
If you do not, yogins, pray go away and leave us alone.
After hearing this contentious song, Milarepa turned to Rechungpa and said, "Rechungpa, this snow mountain and its three lakes are meditation places prophesied by the Bhagavat. If we do not answer those who disparage them, these people will accumulate negative karma, and the magnificence of these meditation places will be misconstrued. Since we—the yogins who maintain the uncontrived conduct of body, speech and mind—have also become objects of contempt, let us answer from within the yogic nature and reveal as positive qualities those things they perceive as faults. Join in with your father to sing to these women this song of reply:
You faithful patrons assembled here,
Young ones skilled in harmonious song,
You five eloquent maidens,
And especially your leader, who gave your song its meaning,
Listen well.
Do you know who we are?
If you do not, we are the Great Repa and the Small Repa.
I, the old man singing on the right,
Am the yogin Mila.
He, the young one chanting on the left,
Is the Small Repa Dor Drak.
In order to elaborate on the melodious words and meaning just put forth,
I will express, through symbols, a true answer to your queries,
A song which falls from the depths of experience and realization.
Take its meaning to heart.
That which is called the White Snow Mount Kailash,
Before seeing it, you hear of its widespread fame.
People say, "It is like a white crystal stupa!"
When you get there you see
It is a peak covered with snow.
This snow-covered peak
Is a snow mountain prophesied by the previous Buddha.
It is the center of the world.
It is a place where white snow lions frolic.
This white crystal-like stupa
Is the palace of the glorious Chakrasamvara.
The snow mountains encircling it
Are the dwellings of five hundred arhats.
They are an offering support for all the eight classes.
The hills and turfs surrounding it
Are fragrant places,
Which produce medicinal nectar that heals terminal illnesses.
It is a great meditation place.
It is a place where non-deteriorating samadhi is discovered.
There is no place more wonderful than this.
There is no place more marvelous than this.
That which is called the turquoise lake of Ma Pam
Is famed from afar. Before you have seen it,
You hear, "This lake is like a wonderful mandala of turquoise."
When you get there, you see
A crater full of water.
This crater full of water
Is the "not warm lake" prophesied by the previous Sugata.
It is the source of four rivers,
A place where otters play.
This lake, which is like a turquoise mandala,
Is the palace of the eight great nagas.
The rivulets trickling from it
Are like streams of milky nectar.
It is the bathing place of one hundred offering deities.
Its water possesses eight special qualities.
The meadows and rocks encircling it
Are a treasury of the lesser nagas.
It is a place where the Zambutrisha tree grows,
From which the southern continent of Dzambuling derived its name.
There is no place more wonderful than this.
There is no place more marvelous than this.
The height of Red Rock
Is famous from afar. Before you have seen it,
You hear people say, "That rock is like a heap of jewels!"
When you get there, you see
A rock mountain jutting out of a plain.
That rock mountain jutting out of that plain
Is the Black Rock Bikje
Prophesied by the previous sugatas.
It is north of the forests of the Central Country.
It lies on the border of India and Tibet.
It is a place where striped Indian tigers roam.
There are forests growing on it,
Groves of medicinal sandalwood and
Green trees, sources of the six excellent medicines.
This rock, which is like a heap of jewels,
Is the palace of divine sages,
A solitary place, predicted by the dakinis,
A place where previous siddhas have lived.
Because it is surrounded by water,
It is difficult for just anyone to travel there.
There is no place more wonderful than this.
There is no place more marvelous than this.
We are known as the Great Repa and the Small Repa.
Those who have not seen us
Hear of our fame from afar.
People say, "They are siddha yogins!"
When you got here, you saw
An unimpressive old man and youth.
This old man and youth are unimpressive
Because they have exhausted the concepts of characteristics.
We lie around shameless and naked
Because we are rid of the clothing of perceived and perceiver.
We wear bizarre things
Because we have abandoned the embarrassment of contrivance.
We sing little songs
Because experience has arisen within us.
We wear cotton clothing
Because the bliss and warmth of Tummo are blazing.
We live off alms as beggars
Because we have suppressed craving for desirables.
We behave however we want
Because our six senses are relaxed.
We are lamas who guide fortunate ones.
The faithful request instruction from us.
You men and women patrons sponsor us.
The wise and learned consult us.
Great meditators offer their experience and realization to us.
Assumptions have been cut through within us.
We have resolved the basis, the nature of things.
We have actualized the unborn truth.
Natural mind has settled into its own place.
The signs of heat on the path have arisen in our continuum.
We have realized the Dharmakaya for our own benefit,
And have developed compassion for the benefit of others.
There is nothing more wonderful than this.
There is nothing more marvelous than this.
You faithful people gathered here,
You who have been pilgrims far and wide,
Your previous pilgrimages exhausted you.
If you want to make a worthwhile pilgrimage, go to the exalted Wati.
You who have traveled much,
Your previous travels left you footsore.
If you must go somewhere, go to Bodhgaya.
You who have seen a lot,
Your previous sight-seeing was meaningless.
If you want to see something, see the emanations in Lhasa.
You who have heard everything,
What you heard before now was just chatter.
If you want to hear something worthwhile,
Listen to the oral instructions of the hearing lineage.
You who have relied on a lot,
Your previous supports were your relatives.
If you want to rely on someone,
Rely on a perfect lama.
You who have done a lot,
Your previous deeds were toil.
If you want to do something worthwhile,
Practice the Dharma.
This old man's answer, if reflected on and understood,
Contains instruction and advice.
If you do not understand this little song,
It is just a reflection of yogins doing whatever they please.
You patrons may go back home now.
Hearing this, Rechungma, who stood in the center of the group of women, felt extraordinary faith arise within her. Weeping, she took off the jewels from her belt and the ornaments from her head and offered them at Milarepa's feet. She then beseeched him, "Please introduce us five women to the Dharma. Please allow us to live in a mountain retreat, and compassionately grant us the profound instructions." So saying, she sang a song of supplication:
As one lamp is lit from another,
This lineage of compassion, experience and realization
Has been transmitted down from
Dharmakaya Great Dorje Chang.
The holders of this lineage--were they not Tilo and Naro?
The one who endured great hardship
To be in the presence of Tilo and Naro--
Was he not the translator Marpa?
The wonderful one who underwent hardship
To be in the presence of Marpa the translator--
Is he not the great yogin Repa?
His naked body is brilliant and majestic.
His speech reverberates with the melodies of Brahma.
His wise and loving mind is uninterrupted luminosity.
I bow down to the body, speech and mind of my father Repa.
We five girls who came to this meeting,
Because we have not previously accumulated merit,
Although we have obtained a human birth, we were born female.
We have no freedom to practice the Dharma.
Today, because of the noble one's blessing,
Faith arises within the depths of our hearts.
These precious jewels on my belt
And the ornaments on my head
I offer to you, Noble One.
Kindly please grant us teachings on the Dharma.
Venerable Great Repa, please share a little of your life story.
Thus they supplicated with the wish to enter the door of the Dharma. Milarepa replied, "I have no need for your jewels and ornaments. If you sincerely want to practice the Dharma, there are better lamas with more skill than I have. Go seek the Dharma elsewhere. Without attachment to food and clothing, I wander in empty and uninhabited lands. I do not know if you could endure the want of food and clothing. Please listen to my song:
The one blessed by Lord Dorje Chang,
Who underwent extraordinary hardships
For Tilo and Naro;
The bilingual father translator--
Is he not the interpreter Marpa?
I, Milarepa, was sustained by his compassion.
My father was Mila Sherab Gyaltsen
And my mother was Nyangtsa Kargyen.
I was called Tupa Ga.
Because the effects of previous causes infallibly occur,
And because our merit was small,
My father Mila passed away.
Whatever illusory food and wealth we had
Was stolen by my aunt and uncle.
My poor mother and I became their servants.
Our food was fit for dogs;
As clothes, we wore ragged capes;
We were left out, unprotected from the hail, wind and stormy weather.
My uncle beat us often.
My aunt displayed a moody temper.
We lived as lowly servants.
Misfortunes descended on us one after another.
Our suffering and despair were unbearable.
So, I went to the Lamas Yungtön and Rangtön Lhaga,
And fully trained in spells, weather control and witchcraft.
I brought ruin upon my aunt and uncle,
My countrymen and family.
Remembering this, I later felt remorse.
The one blessed by Lord Naropa and Maitripa
Was then rumored to be residing in the village of Puna, near South River.
I heard of the fame of the father translator from afar.
After an arduous journey, I arrived there.
For six years and eight months,
I, Milarepa, stayed with my kind father
and assiduously built
A nine-storied mansion with a courtyard for his son.
Only after that, he accepted me with compassion,
Pointed out the profound true nature,
The ultimate view of Mahamudra,
Taught me the six yogas of Naropa,
And bestowed upon me the Four Empowerments of the Path of Ripening
And the personal oral instructions for the practices of Glorious Naropa.
Not giving in to laziness,
I cast aside the affairs of this life and meditated
Until the state of eternal happiness dawned.
This is the way I became a yogin.
Now you five girls be content and go home.
Hearing this, undivided faith in the story of Milarepa's liberation arose in them and they begged him to accept them as his attendants. Milarepa said, "You are rich, spoiled girls. If you were to come with me, you would not be able to stand the discomfort. If you practice Dharma, you must endure hardships such as these. I doubt if you can." Then he sang to them a song called "Assessing Your Enthusiasm:"
I bow down at the feet of Marpa the translator.
If you five young sisters assembled here
Really want to practice Dharma,
And insist on coming with me,
Think this song over carefully
And find your own answer.
Do you have the courage and a will strong enough
To persevere through great hardship and misery for the sake
Of practicing the Lama's instructions?
Though you may forever abandon your homeland,
The prison cell of Mara,
Can you survive in a rugged mountain retreat?
Though you may recognize your kinsman, the noose of Mara,
To be harmful,
Can you rely on a qualified guru?
Though you may consider food and wealth,
The temptation of Mara, to be like poison,
Can you stand to live in poverty?
Though you cast off your fine, soft woolens from Öo,
Can you produce the bliss and heat of Tummo?
Though you forsake your urban lovers,
Can you live alone in a no-man's land?
Though you reject the eight worldly dharmas,
Can you live simply and humbly?
Though you cease to consider this life permanent,
Do you realize you may die at any time?
If you can do all that, you may come with me.
Then, in keeping with the practice tradition of the Kagyu lamas,
In order to initiate you into the treasury of oral instructions
Of the Secret Mantra path of methods,
I would bestow upon you empowerment and blessing.
Hearing this song, the women were delighted. The main one among them said, "Because our elemental bodies were born in a female form, we are considered inferior. However, there is no distinction between male and female when it comes to the all-basis mind. When we consider the faults of samsara, how could we not practice according to the lama's instructions? So, please accept us as your attendants. Please do not worry about whether we are capable or not, and look after us." Then, in order to express her confidence in their ability to practice Milarepa's instructions and to request acceptance as his servant, she sang this song:
Father, precious qualified Lama,
Your naked body is magnificent.
Through unconventional conduct, you benefit others.
I bow down at the feet of Milarepa.
Although we five women who came here today
Were born this time in an inferior female form,
There is no "male" or "female" to Bodhicitta.
We have considered the faults of samsara.
Persevering through all hardships,
We will practice according to the Lama's instructions.
Forever abandoning our homeland, Mara's prison,
We will live in a mountain retreat.
Leaving behind our kin, the diversions of Mara,
We will rely on the Lama.
Giving up food and wealth, the temptations of Mara,
We will endure austerities.
Abandoning even our capes made of wool from Öo,
We will produce the bliss and warmth of Tummo.
Forsaking our urban lovers as well,
We will live in an uninhabited, empty country.
Rejecting the eight worldly dharmas,
We will live simply and humbly.
Ceasing to consider this life permanent,
We will meditate that the time of death is uncertain.
In brief, we will practice according to the Lama's instruction.
Qualified, precious Lama,
Please accept us five sisters
As your attendants and take us with you.
Kindly teach us the Dharma.
Milarepa realized they were well-destined disciples, so he took them as his attendants. At that time, Milarepa and his son-disciple were staying at the Five Small Lakes. There he gave empowerments and instructions to the women and set them to meditating. Rechungma developed qualities [in meditation], such as the bliss and warmth of Tummo, within three days.
Later, she became ill. In order to test her ability to remain in a hermitage and to assess the stability of her faith, Milarepa dismissed her, telling her to go wherever she pleased. Although she was ill, she continued to live in a mountain retreat and attained the confidence to withstand difficult conditions.
One day, Rechungma went to see Milarepa where he was staying in another part of the country, and met him among a crowd of patrons. In order to see whether her faith had wavered or not, Milarepa sang to the patrons this song with a hidden meaning:
I pray to the Lord Lamas.
I take refuge in the yidam deity.
All you faithful patrons assembled here,
Unless you have renounced the eight worldly dharmas,
Do not say you are faithful followers.
Your faith will change under adverse conditions.
Unless you shun the ten unvirtuous actions,
Do not claim you are morally disciplined,
Or you may risk falling into lower existences.
Unless you have stopped deceiving yourself,
Do not declare you are guarding samaya,
Or you risk going to vajra hell.
Do not disparage other religious traditions,
Since you have not thoroughly studied and contemplated them yourself,
Or you risk losing the Dharma and burning your own mind.
If you have not realized all things to be like an illusion,
Do not stop distinguishing between good and evil,
Lest you fall to the three lower realms.
Since you do not know the minds of others,
Do not slander them or their beliefs,
Or you will be damaged by your own conceit.
Unless your mind has been mixed with Dharmata,
Do not say you have had good experiences,
Or the obstacles of Mara may block your way.
If you have not arrived at the meaning of the inexpressible,
Do not claim to have great understanding,
Or the fruition will be nothing but wishful thinking.
Unless spontaneity has arisen within,
Do not glance about and do whatever you please,
Or the stone you throw may rebound on your own head.
Hold the Dharma I have taught here in your mind.
Consider the meaning and comprehend it clearly!
From among the audience, only Rechungma fully understood. She rose up from the crowd and said, "Regarding the conduct of the Lama Siddha, I have never had a single moment of doubt." Whereupon she sang a reply called "The Fifteen Resolutions:"
I prostrate to the venerable lamas.
I will not break the continuum of faith and devotion toward
The noble lord lama, the single father.
I will not use the single refuge, the Three Jewels,
As a crutch to accept and reject.
I will not affix the patch of conventional terms
To the hearing lineage instructions of the lama.
I will not neglect the yoga of four sessions
Of the yidam, noble lady Vajrayogini.
I will not reinforce the habit of clinging to the materiality
Of appearances, which are the nature of illusion.
I will not sully the nature of the mind itself, luminosity,
With the alloy of conceptuality.
I will not obscure the true nature of all objects of knowledge
With the stain of perceived and perceiver.
I will not make the essence of natural mind
A basis for habitual patterns.
I will not defile the nature of mind, Dharmakaya, emptiness,
With the stain of characteristics.
I will not blame affliction with sickness in this four-element body
On others, my companions.
I will not, due to wrong views, perform divinations
About demons and impediments, assistants in virtuous practice.
I will not grasp the confused habitual appearances of dreams
With thoughts which cling to true existence.
I will not harbor thoughts of revenge
Toward angry enemies, the teachers of patience.
I will not misinterpret through examination
The lama's conduct of a siddha.
I will not look for fruition anywhere else but
In the self-arisen, spontaneous Buddha.
Venerable holy Lama, kind one,
Please do not break the stream of compassion
For your followers, worthy disciples.
Please guide me, your ignorant student.
Please hold me with the hook of your compassion.
Milarepa was very pleased. He decided she was a qualified yogini, fit to be a companion in [Tantric] conduct, so he imparted to her the oral instructions without reservation. He then said to Rechungpa, "You are good at taking care of disciples--so look after her." And he gave her to Rechungpa, who took her for awhile as his samaya companion.
After that, she went to Semodo near the Precious Sky Lake in the North and meditated for eight years, keeping complete silence. During this time, she actualized the purifications and realizations of the paths and bhumis, such as the ten signs of practice and the eight qualities. In this life, she went to the celestial realm. This is the story of Milarepa meeting Rechungma, one of his eight foremost female disciples, at the Five Small Lakes of Choro Driktsam.