Philosophy and Religion / Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Chapter X. The Meditation in Solitude

Telling of hew Jetsün entered into Solitary Meditation in the Mountain Solitudes; of the Outer Experiences, and of the Psycho-physical Results which Ensued; and of his Songs Recording each Event.

Rechung then asked Jetsün in what places he had meditated and practised penance and devotion.

In reply, Jetsün said: ‘The next morning, my teacher's son provided me with a bag of flour and some seasoning of butter and cheese and other provisions, saying, “Let these serve thee as food during thy devotional seclusion, and pray for us, too.” Provided with these, I started forth, and went and sat in meditation in a spacious cave which existed in the hill-side behind mine own house. The provisions being used rather sparingly - only as an admixture - my constitution became exhausted and very weak, but I made great progress in my devotions. Thus the food lasted for some months. When it was all exhausted, I was unable to go on long provisionless. So I thought that I should go and beg some butter and cheese and other provisions from the herdsmen who dwelt on the upper parts of the hills, and some grain or flour from the cultivators who lived on the lower parts. Thus I should not have to starve altogether, and could go on meditating.

‘On going to the herdsmen to beg, I came to the entrance of one of those yak-hair tents, and begged the inmates to grant alms of seasoning, butter, and cheese to a devotee. As ill luck would have it, this turned out to be the tent of mine aunt, who at once recognized me. In displeasure, she let loose her dogs, which I kept off with a stick, pelting them with stones. Thereupon, she issued out herself (armed with a tent-pole, crying, “O thou disgrace to a noble father! Thou seller of thy kindred's lives! Thou destroyer of thine own country! Why dost thou come here? To think that thy noble father should have begotten a son like thee!” Saying this, she belaboured me as hard as she could. I turned back in flight, but, weak from want of food, I stumbled against a stone and fell into a pool of water, and nearly died. She, however, continued raging. I got up as best I could, and, leaning my body against my staff, sang the following song to mine aunt:

“At the Feet of my Kind Father Marpa I bow down!

In the unhappy home, amid the melancholy nook of Tsa,
We three unfortunates -a saddened mother and two orphans -
Were scattered far, as peas are by a staff,
Were ye or were ye not the cause of this,
Bethink yourselves, O ye aunt and uncle?

Whilst I, as mendicant, was wandering afar,
My mother died, by poverty's keen sword;
And, begging food and cloth, my sister strayed.
Unable to destroy the longing to behold them,
Unto this prison, mine own native land, I've come again.

Forever severed from me hath my loving mother been;
Because of sorrows hath my sister wandered off;
So was my heart with deepest anguish pierced.
These miseries and sorrows which we three endured -
Were they not due to you, our relatives?

These sufferings unbearable have led me to the life religious;
Yet whilst I meditated, in the solitudes of lonely hills,
Upon the Sacred Teachings of my Gracious Marpa,
My provisions grown exhausted, no food had I to keep alive this transient form,
And thus went forth to beg for alms.

Like a dying insect attracted to the entrance of an ant-hill,
Here have I come, before mine aunt's door-way;
And thou dost set ferocious dogs against my weak, impoverished body,
And dost thyself join in the fierce attack.

By thy rude curses and thy threats,
The grief, deep in my heart, thou stirrest anew;
By thy repeated strokes, made with thy tent-pole,
Thou fillest my poor body full of pains and bruises,
And hast almost deprived me of my life.

Good cause have I for anger 'gainst thee,
But the commandments of my Guru I'm fulfilling;
Be not so vengeful, O mine aunt,
And food for my devotions give to me.

O Marpa, Lord! O Thou the Merciful!
By the power of Thy Grace, cool down Thy suppliant's wrath!”

'On my singing this, half in song and half in weeping tones, a girl who had come behind mine aunt could not refrain from shedding tears. Mine aunt also was struck with remorse and shame, and she went inside and sent me a roll of butter and some powdered cheese-flour by the girl.

'Going round to the other tents to beg, I could not recognize any of the occupants, but they all seemed to recognize me. Staring hard at me, they each gave me a handsome quantity of alms, with which I returned to my cave. From mine aunt's behaviour I could judge what would be mine uncle's,¹ so I resolved that I would not go in his direction on any account. But happening to go to beg from the cultivators of the upper Tsa Valley, I chanced to come right on the door of mine uncle's new house, whither he had removed [after his disaster]. He, knowing me, rushed upon me, crying, “Though I be like an old corpse, yet thou art the very man I have wanted to meet.” With deadly purpose, he flung at me a stone which nearly hit me. I turned and fled, but he flung at me as many stones as he could, with whatever strength he possessed. I continued my flight, but he came out armed with a bow and arrows, saying, “Thou trafficker in lives! Thou traitor!² Hast thou not destroyed this country? O neighbours, countrymen, we have now got hold of our enemy; come out quickly!” With that he began shooting at me, while some of the youths of the place began to pelt me with stones. I, on my part, was afraid that I might fall a victim to their wrath and vengeance as a retribution for having employed black magic against them. So intending to intimidate them with my black-magical power, I cried out loudly: “O my Father, and ye Gurus of the Kargyütpa Sect! O ye myriads of blood-drinking and faith-guarding Deities! I, a devotee, am pursued by enemies. Help me and avenge me. Although I may die, ye Deities are immortal.”

'Thereupon, all of them were terror-stricken; and they caught hold of mine uncle, some who sympathized with me intervening and acting as mediators, while those who had stoned me asked my forgiveness. Mine uncle alone would not consent to give me any alms, but the rest gave me each a handsome amount, with which I returned to the cave. I thought that if I remained there any longer I should only be stirring the anger of the people; so I resolved to go elsewhere. But that night I had a dream which directed me to stay there a few days more, and this I did.

'Zesay (to whom I had been betrothed in my childhood), hearing about my being there, came with some nice food and drink to meet me. She wept copiously and embraced me. When she had told me of the manner of my mother's death and about my sister's straying, I was greatly saddened, and wept bitterly. I said to her, “How constant thou art, that thou shouldst not have married yet.” She said, “People were so afraid of thy Deities that no one dared to ask my hand in marriage, nor would I have married even had any one proposed to me. That thou hast taken to this religious life is admirable; but what dost thou intend doing with thy house and field” I understood her desire, and thinking that since, by the grace of my Guru [Marpa the Translator], I had given up worldly life altogether, praying for her might suffice from a religious point of view, but that I should say something to her which might settle her doubts from a worldly standpoint. So I said to her, “If thou meet my sister, give them to her; until she cometh, thou mayst enjoy the field thyself; and, if my sister be dead, then thou canst have both the house and the field for thine own.” She asked me, “Dost thou not want them thyself?” And I replied, “I shall find my food as the mice and birds do theirs, or I shall fast and starve, therefore I need not the field; and, as I shall dwell only in caves and lonely solitudes, I have no need of a house. I realize that even though I should possess the whole world, at my death I should have to give up every thing; and so it will confer happiness in this and the next life if I give up everything now. I am thus pursuing a life which is quite opposite to that followed by the people of the world. Give up thinking of me as a living person.”

'She then asked me, “Is thy practice also opposed to that of all other religious persons?” And I replied, “I am of course opposed to those hypocrites who have assumed a religious garb only for the sake of the honour attending it, and - their aim being merely the acquisition of wealth, fame, and greatness - have succeeded in getting by heart the contents of a volume or two; and who, having strong party feelings, strive for victory for their own party and defeat for the opposite party. But as for those who are sincere devotees, although they be of different sects and creeds, if their principle be not like the one mentioned above, then there cannot be much disagreement between the aim of the one or the other, so I cannot be opposed to any of them. On the whole, if they are not as sincere as myself, then they must, of course, be opposed to my creed.”

‘On this, she said, “Then how is it that thy practice is so poor and miserable - much worse than that of the meanest beggar? I have never seen anyone like this before. To what particular doctrine of the Mahāyāna Sect dost thou belong?” I told her that it was the highest creed of the Mahāyāna; that it was called the Path of Total Self-Abnegation, for the purpose of attaining Buddhahood in one lifetime; ³ and that to attain Buddhahood thus we must scatter this life's aims and objects to the wind.

'She said, "Indeed, I see that the practice of thy doctrine and theirs is quite opposite; and from what I hear and see of thee it appeareth that the practice of the Dharma is not altogether a very easy matter; theirs would have been an easier path to tread.” I replied, “The yogī who still retaineth a love of the world would not attain to mine ideal of a sincere devotee. I am of opinion that even those sincere Truth-seekers who still cling to the yellow robe retain a little love of worldly fame and honour; and even though they do not retain it, yet am I convinced that there is [between me and them] a vast difference in regard to the speed and efficacy of attaining Buddhahood. This, however, thou wilt not comprehend just now. So, if thou think thou canst, thou shouldst devote thyself to a religious life; but if thou feel unequal to the task, then thou canst enjoy the house and field as I have already said, and hadst better go home.” She replied, “I cannot accept thy house and field which thou shouldst give to thy sister. I should like to be a devotee, but such a devotee as thou art I cannot be.” Having said this she went away.

'Mine aunt, coming to learn that I did not care about my house and field, after a while began to think that since I professed a determination to adhere to my Guru’s command, she might perhaps be able to obtain them for herself. So she visited me, bringing with her a quantity of barley-flour, butter, chhang, and other food, and said, “Some time ago I treated thee unkindly, being steeped in ignorance; but as thou, my nephew, art a religious person, thou must pardon me. If thou wilt allow me, I will cultivate thy field, and supply thee with food.” To this I agreed, saying, “So be it; please supply me with the flour of twenty measures of barley per month; the rest thou canst enjoy; thou mayst cultivate the field.” She went away delighted with the bargain. For two months she supplied the flour as agreed; then she came again and said, “People say that if I cultivate thy field perhaps thy Tutelary Deities may injure me because of thy magical power.” When I satisfied her, saying, “Why should I practise sorcery now? Rather wilt thou be acquiring merit if thou continue to cultivate the field and supply me as thou art doing,” she at once said, “In that case, wilt thou kindly reassure me by taking an oath that thou wilt not practise sorcery any more. Thou canst have no objection to doing so.” I was not sure what she intended doing; but, as I considered it consistent with my calling to please others, I reassured her by taking the oath in accordance with her wish, at which she went away quite pleased.

'All this while, in spite of mine unremitting perseverance in meditation, I was unable to obtain signs of any improvement or growth in my knowledge or experience of Ecstatic Warmth; and I was becoming anxious as to what I should do next. One night I dreamt that I was engaged in ploughing a very stiff and hardened plot of land, which defied all mine efforts; and, despairing of being able to plough it, was thinking of giving up the task. Thereupon, my beloved Guru Marpa appeared in the heavens and exhorted me, saying, “Son, put forth thine energy and persevere in the ploughing; thou art sure to succeed, despite the hardness of the soil.” Then Marpa himself guided the team; the soil was ploughed quite easily; and the field produced a rich harvest. The dream gave me great pleasure on my waking up.

'Thereby the thought arose in me that dreams, being illusory reproductions of one's own thoughts, are not regarded as real even by stupid and ignorant boors, and that when I thus allowed a dream to affect my temper I must be more silly than the greatest fool. But as it seemed to be a sign that if I continued to meditate with zeal and perseverance mine efforts would be crowned with success, I was filled with pleasure, and in that mood I sang this song to impress the true interpretation of the dream clearly on mine own memory:

“I pray to Thee, O Gracious Lord!
Grant that this mendicant may cling successfully to solitude.

I put upon the field of Tranquil Mind
The water and manure of a constant faith,
Then sow it with unblemished seed of a heart immaculate,
And over it, like pealing thunder, reverberateth sincere prayer;
Grace of itself upon it falleth, like a shower of rain.

Unto the oxen and the plough of Undistracted Thought
I add the ploughshare of [Right] Method and of Reason.
The oxen, guided by the undeluded person,
And with firm grasp of undivided purpose,
And by the whip of zeal and perseverance goaded on,
Break up the hardened soil of Ignorance, born of the Evil Passions Five,
And clear away the stones of the hardened, sin-filled nature,
And weed out all hypocrisies.

Then, with the sickle of the Truth of Karmic Laws,
The reaping of the Noble Life is practised.
The fruits, which are of Truths Sublime,
Are stored within the Granary to which no concepts can apply.

The gods engage in roasting and in grinding this most precious food,
Which then sustaineth my poor humble self
Whilst I for Truth am seeking.

The dream I thus interpret:
Words bring not forth True Fruit,
Mere expositions do not yield True Knowledge.
Yet those who would devote themselves unto the life religious,
In meditation must exert their utmost zeal and perseverance;
And if they will endure hardships and strive most zealously,
And seek with care, the Most Precious can be found.

May all who are sincerely seeking Truth
Untroubled be by obstacles and interruptions on the Path.”⁴

'Having sung this, I made up my mind to go and carry on my meditation in the Dragkar-Taso Cave. As I was about to start, mine aunt came up with sixty measures of barley-flour, a ragged dress of skins, one piece of good cloth, and some butter and grease mixed up into a ball, and said, “My nephew, these are in payment of thy field, which thus is disposed of. Take them and go away to a place far beyond my sight and hearing, for the neighbours are saying to me, 'Thöpaga hath wrought much mischief upon us before this; and if thou must still have dealings with him and serve him, we are certain that he will do us more harm and perhaps kill the remaining people of the place. Rather than this, we will kill both of you.' So it is safer for thee to flee away into some other country. If thou do not go, why should they sacrifice me? But there is not the least doubt that they will kill thee.”

‘I knew that the people would not speak in that fashion, and so I said to her, “If I were not faithful to my religious vows, I would not refrain from practising sorcery to regain possession of my field, especially as I have not sworn to refrain from doing so under these circumstances. Being possessed of such magical powers, I could with the greatest ease stretch thee out a pale corpse in an instant; yet I will not do so, for on whom should I practise my patience if not on those who have wronged me? If I should die to-night, what could I do with the field, or with these few articles themselves? Patience is said to be the shortest path to obtain Buddhahood, and thou mine aunt art the very person on whom I must practise my patience. Moreover, ye, mine aunt and mine uncle, have been the means of bringing me to this life [of renunciation]. I am sincerely grateful to both of you, and in return for these deeds of yours I will ever pray for you, that ye may obtain Buddhahood in your future lifetime. Not only can I give to thee the field, but the house, too.” Then I explained to her everything explicitly, and ended by saying, “As for me -whose life is devoted to the search for Truth - I require only my Guru’s instructions and nothing more; so thou art welcome to both the field and house.” And I sang to her the following song:

“O Lord, my Guru, by Thy Grace do I the life ascetic live;
My weal and woe are known to Thee!

The whole Saṃsāra, being e'er entangled in the Web of Karma,
Whoever holdeth fast to it severeth Salvation's Vital Cord.

In harvesting of evil deeds the human race is busy;
And the doing so is to taste the pangs of Hell.

The affectionate expressions of one's kith and kin are the Devil's Castle; ⁵
To build it is to fall into the Flames [of Anguish].

The piling up of wealth is the piling up of others' property;
What one thus storeth formeth but provisions for one's enemies.

Enjoying wine and tea in merriment is drinking juice of aconite;
To drink it is to drown Salvation's Vital-Cord.⁶

The price mine aunt brought for my field is things wrung out of avarice;
To eat them would entail a birth amongst the famished ghosts.⁷

The counsel of mine aunt is born of wrath and vengeance;
To utter it entaileth general disturbance and destruction.

Whatever I possess, both field and house,
Take all, O aunt, and therewith happy be.

I wash off human scandal by devotion true;
And by my zeal I satisfy the Deities.

By compassion I subdue the demons;
All blame I scatter to the wind,
And upward turn my face.

O Gracious One, Thou the Immutable,
Vouchsafe Thy Grace, that I may pass my life in solitude successfully.”

'On my singing this, mine aunt said, “A truly religious person should be like thee, my nephew; it is very praiseworthy.'' And she went away satisfied.

'This circumstance affected me very painfully; but, on the other hand, I felt relieved of the care of my field and house, of which I had thus disposed. I resolved to carry out immediately my plan of going to the Dragkar-Taso Cave to continue my meditation. As this cave had afforded me protection while I laid the foundation of Samādhi (the Quiescent State), it came to be called Kangtsu-Phug (i.e. the Cave wherein he [Milarepa] was set upon his feet in devotion, or laid the Foundation). The next morning, I set forth with the articles which mine aunt had brought me as the price of my field and the little remnants of the former provisions, and came to the Dragkar-Taso Cave, which I found to be very comfortable, and therein settled myself. Having provided myself with a hard mattress seat, and spreading my bedding on it, I took the vows of not descending to any village or human habitation:

“Until I have attained to Siddhi⁸, unto this solitude will I hold fast;
Of starvation though I die, I'll not go to seek alms given in faith or dedicated to the dead,
For that would be to choke myself with dust.⁹
E'en though of cold I die, I'll not descend to beg for garments.
E'en though of misery and sorrow I should die, I'll not descend to join in pleasures of the worldly life.
Though I fall ill, e'en unto death, I'll not descend to seek one dose of medicine.
And not one movement of my body will I give to any worldly purpose;
But body, speech, and heart I dedicate to winning Buddhahood.

May the Guru, Gods, and Ḍākinīs enable me to keep my vows,
And may they bless mine efforts;
May the Ḍākinīs and Faith Protecting Deities fulfil my wishes,
And render me all needed aid.”

[I added]: “Should I break these vows - seeing that it is better to die than to live a life without seeking to acquire Truth - may the Divine Beings, who protect the Faith, cut my life short immediately, and may my Guru’s and Devas’s grace combine in directing my next life to religious pursuits and endow it with the firmness and intellect necessary to enable it to surmount all obstacles [on the Path] and triumph over them.”

‘Having thus vowed, I sang this song, consecrating my vows:

“Offspring of Naropa and of the Saving Path,
May I, the hermit, cling successfully to solitude.

May pleasures of the world illusory not tempt me;
But may Tranquillity of Meditation be increased;

May I not lie steeped in Unconsciousness of Quietude; ¹⁰
But may the Blossom of the Superconsciousness bloom forth in me.

May various mind-created worldly thoughts not vex me;
But may the foliage luxuriant, of Uncreatedness, burst forth in me.

May I, in hermitage, be troubled not with mental conflicts;
But may I ripen fruit of Knowledge and Experience.

May Mārā and his hosts disturb me not;
But may I find self-satisfaction in the Knowledge of mine own [True] Mind.

May I doubt not the Path and Method I pursue;
But may I follow in the footsteps of my Father [Spiritual].

O Gracious Lord, Embodiment of the Immutable,
Thy Blessings grant, that I [the mendicant], may firmly hold to solitude.”

‘This prayer finished, I continued my meditations, living on just a little flour mixed up with whatever food came in my way. I mentally acquired knowledge of the Mahā-Mudrā (Great Symbol); but my body, being too weak, was unable to control the Airs (Psycho-Physical nervous Power, or Fluid)¹¹ of my system, so that I did not acquire the Ecstatic Internal Warmth, and continued to be very sensitive to the cold.

'I prayed earnestly to my Guru; and, one night, I had the following vivid dream, or rather vision in a superconscious state. A number of women came carrying all sorts of food with which they performed a pūjā (religious ceremony), saying that they had been sent by my Guru Marpa to instruct me in religious physical exercises.

'[Thus directed], I began to practise the three exercises of Physical, Vocal, and Mental Culture, and developed the Ecstatic Physical Warmth.¹² Thus a year went by, when, one day, I had a desire to go about for a little recreation. I was about to start forth, when I instantly recollected mine own vows, and sang to myself the following song of self-reproof:

“O Dorje-Chang Thyself, in Marpa's form!
Grant that this mendicant may cling to solitude.

O thou strange fellow, Milarepa!
To thee I sing this song of self-counsel.

Aloof thou art from all of humankind
Who might with thee sweet converse hold.

Therefore thou feelest lonely and wouldst seek diversion;
No reason is there for thee thus to seek.

Excite not thus thy mind, but let it rest in peace;
If thoughts it harbour, 'twill hanker after numerous impieties.

To thy desire for these distractions give not way, but exert thine intellect;
If to temptation thou give way, scattered to the wind will thy devotion be.

Walk thou not forth, but rest content upon thy seat;
If forth thou walk, thy feet may strike 'gainst stones.

Raise not thy head, but bend it down;
If it be raised, 'twill seek for vain frivolities.

Sleep not, but continue thy devotions;
If thou fall asleep, the Poisons Five, of Ignorance, will subdue thee.”¹³

'Then, having sung this song of self-reproof, I continued unceasingly my meditations for over three years, both night and day, and I could feel my spiritual knowledge expanding and improving greatly. But now my stock of barley-flour was quite expended. I had resolved on the starvation diet of twenty measures of barley-flour per year, and now even that had run out. I might have died without being able to attain Buddhahood; this would have been a deplorable interruption in mine eternal career. I considered that worldly people rejoiced over the acquirement of a seeka (one four-anna weight) or two of gold and felt unhappy at losing the same. Compared to that, my life, devoted as it was to the attainment of Buddhahood, was infinitely more precious. Were the entire universe to be filled with gold, still the life devoted to the attainment of Buddhahood was infinitely more precious. At the same time, it would be preferable to die in the course of my devotional life rather than break my vows. What should I do? Then the thought came to me that if I started forth in search of some article of food to sustain my life, without descending to human habitations to beg, I should not be breaking my vows. Moreover, it would be in the interests of my devotion to do so. Accordingly, I strolled forth beyond the front of my Dragkar-Taso Cave; and there discovering a sunny spot with good springs of water, with plenty of nettles growing round about - a delightful spot, commanding extensive views - I removed to it.

'Living on nettle broth alone, I continued my meditations. I had no clothes on the outside of my body, nor any wholesome food inside. My body became shrunken to a mere skeleton; and it was greenish in hue, just like the nettle, and over it grew a covering of greenish hair.

'I used to regard the scroll, which my Guru had given me, with special veneration, sometimes putting it on my head, and touching it with fondness; and this had the effect of soothing my stomach, although I had nothing to eat. Sometimes I used even to have belchings [as if I had eaten my fill of food]. Once or twice I was on the point of opening and reading its contents; but I had some signs telling me that the time for doing so had not yet arrived; accordingly, I kept it by me.

'About a year after that, some hunters from the Kyeedrong mart chanced to come strolling my way, having failed to obtain any sport. At first they ran away, saying they had seen a bhuta (an evil spirit). On mine assuring them that I was a human being and a devotee, they said I did not look like one, but anyhow came to look well at me. They came up and pried into every nook and corner of my cave. At last, they said, “Where are thy food-stuffs? Let us borrow some, and we will repay it liberally; otherwise we will kill thee.” Thus they threatened me. I told them I had only nettles, and even if I had other things - seeing that they were rude enough to insult me by lifting me up - they should not obtain them by using force. They replied that they were not going to rob me; and, as for insulting me, what should they gain by it? I said that they might possibly acquire merit. Thereupon they said, “All right; we will lift thee up again.” And they picked me up and let me fall on the ground several times over. This filled my poor weakened body with much pain; but, in spite of it, I pitied them sincerely,¹⁴ and shed tears. One of them, who refrained from this heartless deed, said, “O ye fellows, this man seemeth to be a real Lāma, and even if he be not one, ye will not gain glory by ill-treating such a weak person. He hath not compelled us to be hungry. Do not act so.” And to me he said, “Hermit, it is admirable of thee to stand such ill-treatment. As for me, I have done nothing against thee; therefore remember me in thy prayers.” The others added, in fun, “As we have lifted thee up, remember to put us, too, under thy prayers' protection.” The other one said, "Ay, ay, that he will do, ye may be quite sure - only in a different way!” They went away laughing boisterously. I had no intention or thought of cursing them; but it seemeth that divine retribution overtook them, for I came to learn afterward that the hunters had been arrested by the Governor of the Province. The leader was killed, and all, except the person who refrained from offering indignities to me, had their eyes put out.

‘About a year after that, all my clothes were worn out, and only some rags of the cloth which mine aunt had given me as the price of my field, and the sack in which the flour had been supplied, remained. I once thought of sewing the rags together and making them into a sort of bedding; and then I thought that if I died that very night what would be the use of sewing; better far to go on with my meditation. So, spreading the tattered skin dress underneath as bedding, I made it serve as covering for the lower part of my body [by wrapping its ends round me] as well as it could; while I covered the upper part of my body with the ragged empty flour sack; and, with what remained of the rags of the cloth, I covered those parts of my body which required it most. At last, all these were far too worn to be of any use at all to serve as coverings. Finally, it seemed to me that this was too much of self-abnegation, and that I must sew the rags together, but I had no needle or thread, so I twined the rags about my body in three pieces, knotted in three places, and kept in position by ends of rope tied together to make a girdle. Under this, I passed the days as well as I could; and, at night, the ragged sack and the remains of the tattered skin dress afforded me some protection from cold.

'Thus I continued meditating for about another year, when one day there was a noise as of many people talking. On peeping out, I saw another party of hunters, carrying large quantities of meat, approach the entrance of my cave. On seeing me, those in the front cried out, “Oh, there is a bhūta!” and ran away; those in the rear said that it was not probable that there would be a bhūta about in broad daylight, and added, “Look again, and see whether the bhūta is there still.” On being told that there it was still, even those old hunters who had come last, in the rear, began to be afraid. I told them that I was not a bhūta, but a hermit, who was reduced to this plight for want of provisions. They wished to see for themselves, and ransacked the whole place, every nook and corner being pried into. But seeing nothing but nettles, all of them were moved to veneration. They left me the remainder of their provisions, and a large quantity of meat, saying respectfully, “It is praiseworthy of thee to practise such asceticism. Please pray for the absolution of the animals we have killed, and for our own sins in killing them.”

'I rejoiced at the prospect of having food such as ordinary human beings eat, and, on partaking of the food, I enjoyed a sense of bodily ease and comfort, and a cheerfulness of mind which tended to increase the zeal of my devotional exercises; and I experienced keen spiritual happiness such as transcended anything I had known before. I thought that the merit acquired by those who offer a few scraps of food to the lonely hermits in the solitudes would surely exceed that of the most munificent gifts to those who are enjoying plenty and living amidst human society in towns and villages. The meat I used sparingly, till at last it was full of maggots. I once thought of clearing it of the maggots and using it; but I considered that it was not intended for me to enjoy the meat, since I should have to dispute it with maggots, which would be robbery. And I thought that however nice it might be, it was not worth my while going to the length of committing robbery for a meal; so I allowed the maggots to take the meat for themselves, while I fell back upon mine own nettle broth.

‘One night, a person, believing that I possessed some wealth, came and, groping about, stealthily pried into every corner of my cave. Upon my observing this, I laughed outright, and said, “Try if thou canst find anything by night where I have failed by daylight.” The person himself could not help laughing, too; and then he went away.

‘About a year after that, some hunters of Tsa, having failed to secure any game, happened to come strolling by the cave. As I was sitting in Samādhi, wearing the above triple-knotted apology for clothing, they prodded me with the ends of their bows, being curious to know whether I was a man or a bhūta. Seeing the state of my body and clothes, they were more inclined to believe me a bhūta. While they were discussing this amongst themselves, I opened my mouth and spoke, saying, “Ye may be quite sure that I am a man.” They recognized me from seeing my teeth, and asked me whether I was Thöpaga. On my answering in the affirmative, they asked me for a loan of some food, promising to repay it handsomely. They said, “We heard that thou hadst come once to thy home many years ago. Hast thou been here all the while?” I replied, “Yes; but I cannot offer you any food which ye would be able to eat.” They said that whatever did for me would do for them. Then I told them to make fire and to boil nettles. They did so, but as they expected something to season the soup with, such as meat, bone, marrow, or fat, I said, “If I had that, I should then have food with palatable qualities; but I have not had that for years. Apply the nettles in place of the seasoning.” Then they asked for flour or grain to thicken the soup with. I told them if I had that, I should then have food with sustaining properties; but that I had done without that for some years, and told them to apply nettle tips instead. At last they asked for some salt, to which I again said that salt would have imparted taste to my food; but I had done without that also for years, and recommended the addition of more nettle tips in place of salt. They said, “Living upon such food, and wearing such garments as thou hast on now, it is no wonder that thy body hath been reduced to this miserable plight. Thine appearance becometh not a man. Why, even if thou should serve as a servant, thou wouldst have a bellyful of food and warm clothing. Thou art the most pitiable and miserable person in the whole world.” I said, “O my friends, do not say that. I am one of the most fortunate and best amongst all who have obtained the human life. I have met with Marpa the Translator, of Lhobrak, and obtained from him the Truth which conferreth Buddhahood in one lifetime; and now, having entirely given up all worldly thoughts, I am passing my life in strict asceticism and devotion in these solitudes, far away from human habitations. I am obtaining that which will avail me in Eternity. By denying myself the trivial pleasures to be derived from food, clothing, and fame, I am subduing the Enemy [Ignorance] in this very lifetime. Amongst the World's entire human population I am one of the most courageous, with the highest aspirations. But ye! - born in a country where the Noble Doctrine of the Buddha prevaileth, yet have not so much as listened to one religious discourse, let alone devoting your lives to it; but, on the other hand, ye are striving your utmost to gain the lowest depths and the longest terms of an existence in the Infernal Regions! Ye are accumulating sins by the pound and stone, and vying with each other in that! How foolish and perverted are your aims in life! I not only rejoice in the prospect of Eternal Bliss, but enjoy these things which give me contentment and self-approbation.”

‘I then sang to them a song about my Five Comforts:

“Lord! Gracious Marpa! I bow down at Thy Feet!
Enable me to give up worldly aims.

Here in the Dragkar-Taso's Middle Cave,
On this the topmost summit of the Middle Cave,
I, the Yogi Tibetan called Repa,
Relinquishing all thoughts of what to eat or wear, and this life's aims,
Have settled down to win the perfect Buddhahood.

Comfortable is the hard mattress underneath me,
Comfortable is the Nepalese cotton-padded quilt above me,
Comfortable is the single meditation-band which holdeth up my knee,¹⁵
Comfortable is the body, to a diet temperate inured,
Comfortable is the Lucid Mind which discerneth present clingings and the Final Goal;
Nought is there uncomfortable; everything is comfortable.

If all of ye can do so, try to imitate me;
But if inspired ye be not with the aim of the ascetic life,
And to the error of the Ego Doctrine will hold fast,
I pray that ye spare me your misplaced pity;
For I a Yogī am, upon the Path of the Acquirement of Eternal Bliss.

The sun's last rays are passing o'er the mountain tops;
Return ye to your own abodes.
And as for me, who soon must die, uncertain of the hour of death,
With self-set task of winning perfect Buddhahood,
No time have I to waste on useless talk;
Therefore shall I into the State Quiescent of Samadhi enter now.”

'On hearing the song, they said, “Thou art singing of various comforts, yet, in fact, thou dost really possess a very nice voice. As for us, we cannot rough it as thou art doing.” Then they went off home.

'On the occasion of an annual feast-day in Kyanga-Tsa, they chanced to sing this song together. It happened that my sister Peta was also there, having gone to obtain some food and drink. She, upon hearing the song, said to them, “Sirs, the man who sang that must be a very Buddha himself.” One among the hunters said, “Ha! Ha! see how she praiseth her own brother”; and another said, “Whether he be Buddha or animal, it is thy half-starved brother's song; he is on the point of death from hunger.” On this, Peta said, “Oh! my parents are dead long a go; my relatives have become mine enemies; my brother hath roamed away, and I myself am reduced to a beggar's life: what is the need of gloating over my miseries?” And she burst out weeping, Zesay came up just then, and comforted her by saying, “Do not weep. It is quite possible that it is thy brother; I also met him some time ago. Go thou to the Dragkar-Taso Cave, and find out if he be there still. If he be, then both of us will go to see him.

'Thus being led to believe the statement, she came to me at the Dragkar-Taso Cave with a jugful of chhang and a small vessel full of flour. On first seeing me from the entrance of the cave, she was frightened. My body was emaciated by the privations and hardships; mine eyes were deeply sunken into the sockets; my bones showed prominently; my colour was of a bluish green; my muscles were all shrunken and shrivelled; a growth of bluish-green hair covered my skeleton-like form; the hairs of my head were stiff, and formed a formidable wig; and my limbs appeared as if they were about to break. Altogether, I was a sight which inspired her with such a dreadful fright that she took me to be a bhūta. But recollecting that she had heard that her brother was on the point of death from starvation, she half doubted whether it was really myself. At last she mustered up courage, and asked me, “Art thou a human being or a bhūta?” I answered, and said, “I am Mila Thöpaga.” She, recognizing my voice, came in and embraced me, crying, “Brother, brother!” and then fainted away for a while. I, too, knowing her to be Peta, felt both glad and sorry at the same time. Applying the best means of restoring her, I at last succeeded in doing so. But she put her head between my knees, and, covering her face with both her hands, gave way to another flood of tears, sobbing forth the following: “Our mother died in great trouble with a keen yearning to see thee. No one came near us; and I, being unable to bear the great privations and loneliness in our own house, left it to go a-begging in distant lands. I thought that thou wert also dead. I should, however, have expected that if thou were alive to have found thee in better circumstances than these. But, alas! thy circumstances are such. Thou seest what mine own destiny is! Could there be any one on the earth more wretched than ourselves!” Then she repeatedly called upon the names of our parents, and continued wailing bitterly. I tried my best to console her. At last, I, too, felt very sad, and sang this song to my sister:

''Obeisance to my Lords, the Gurus!
Grant that this Yogī may hold fast to solitude.

O sister, thou art filled with worldly sentiments and feelings;
[Know thou that worldly] joys and griefs are all impermanent.
But I, alone by taking on myself these hardships,
Am sure to win Eternal Happiness;
So harken thou unto thy brother's song:

“To repay the kindness of all sentient beings,
They having been our parents,¹⁶ to the life religious I did give myself.

Behold my lodgings; like those of jungle beasts are they;
Any other person would be timid in them.

Behold my food; 'tis like the food of dogs and pigs;
It would excite in others nausea.

Behold my body; 'tis like a skeleton;
Even an enemy would weep on seeing it.

In my behaviour, I am like a madman;
O sister, thou art moved thereby to disappointment and to sorrow;
Yet if thou could observe my mind, 'tis the Bodhi Mind itself;
The Conquerors rejoice at seeing it.

Sitting upon this cold rock underneath me, I meditate with zeal,
Enough to bear the tearing of my skin off or my flesh from off its bones;
My body, both inside and out, like nettles hath become;
A greenish hue, which changeth not, it hath assumed.

Here in this solitary rocky cave,
Though with no chance of driving melancholy from my mind,
Unchangedly I ever hold adoration and affection
For the Guru, True-Embodiment of the Eternal Buddhas.

Thus persevering in my meditation,
I doubtlessly shall gain Transcendent Knowledge and Experience;
And if, in this, I can succeed,
Prosperity and happiness is won within this lifetime, as I go along;
And, in my next birth, Buddhahood I'll win.

Therefore, my sister, Peta dear,
To woeful sorrows give not way,
But also give thyself to penances, for religion's sake.”

'When Peta had heard this, she said, “It would be admirable were it as thou sayest, but it is difficult to believe it true. For were it as thou representest it to be, other devotees would practise at least part of such hardships, even if they could not bear all that thou hast borne. But I have not seen even one who is undergoing such privations and penances." Saying this, she gave me the chhang and the food she had brought. I felt very much strengthened and refreshed by partaking of it, and my devotions during the night were more earnest and spiritual.

'The next morning, after Peta's departure, I experienced a sharp feeling of excitement and physical pain; and a variety of pious and impious ideas and thoughts sprang up in my mind. I tried mine utmost to concentrate my mind upon meditation, but it was of no avail. Some days after this, Zesay paid me a visit, bringing some well-cured and seasoned meat and butter, and a goodly supply of chhang and flour. She was accompanied by Peta. They met me while I was going to fetch water. I being stark naked (for I had no clothes), they were both ashamed; and yet, despite their bashfulness, they could not help weeping at mine utter poverty. They offered me the meat, butter, flour, and chhang. While I was drinking the chhang, Peta said, “O my brother, whichever way I observe thee, thou dost not look at all like a sane human being. Pray have recourse to soliciting of alms, and do partake of the food of men. I will try to find some cloth and bring it over to thee. Zesay added, “Do have recourse to alms, begging for your food, and I, also, will come to offer thee a cloth." But I said, “With the uncertainty of the time of death looming over me, I see not the use of going a-begging for food, nor could I afford to lose the time in doing so. Even if I were to die of the cold, it would be for the sake of Truth and Religion; and, therefore, I should have very little cause for regret. I could not be satisfied with that show of devotion which is practised amid a circle of merry relatives and friends, revelling in unlimited quantities of food and drink, and clothed in fine raiment - all obtained at the cost of real and sincere devotion. Nor do I need thy clothes and visits. I will not pay heed to thine advice of going a-begging for food.” Peta said, “How then, my brother, can thy heart be satisfied? It seemeth to me that something more wretched than this would satisfy thee, but even thine ingenuity seemeth to fail in devising anything more painful and abstemious.” I replied that the three Lower Lokas¹⁷ are much more miserable than this; yet most sentient beings are doing their best to obtain the miseries of these three states of existence. As for me, I am satisfied with these present afflictions. So saying, I sang the song of what would constitute my Satisfactions:

“Obeisance to the Body of my Lord, the Guru!
O grant that I may cling successfully to solitude.

My happiness unknown unto my relatives,
My sorrowing unknown unto mine enemies –
Could thus I die, amid this Solitude,
Contented would I be, I the devotee.

My growing old unknown unto my betrothed,
My falling ill unknown unto my sister –
Could thus I die, amid this Solitude,
Contented would I be, I the devotee.

My death unknown to any human being,
My rotting corpse unseen by birds ¹⁸ –
Could thus I die, amid this Solitude,
Contented would I be, I the devotee.

My putrid flesh sucked by the flies,
My dissolving muscles eaten by the worms –
Could thus I die, amid this Solitude,
Contented would I be, I the devotee.

With no human foot-print by my door,
With no mark of blood within [the Cave]¹⁹–
Could thus I die, amid this Solitude,
Contented would I be, I the devotee.

With none to crowd about my corpse [or bier],
With none to lament o'er my death –
Could thus I die, amid this Solitude,
Contented would I be, I the devotee.

With none to ask where I had gone,
And with no place which one might point to as my goal –
Could thus I die, amid this Solitude,
Contented would I be, I the devotee.

Thus, may this prayer about the manner of my death
Amid this uninhabited Solitude
Bear fruit, and, for all beings good, be granted as I wish;
Then satisfied I 'll die, I the devotee."

'On hearing this, Zesay said, 'Thy first sayings and thy present actions agree. Therefore this song is worthy of admiration." Then Peta said, “Whatever thou mayst say, my brother, as for me, I cannot bear to see thee in such utter want of clothes and food. I will do my best to find a cloth for thee, and will come over with it. Thy devotion would not run away if thou shouldst have a sufficiency of good food and clothing; but seeing that thou wilt not go to beg for alms, it is probable that thou wilt die without any one near thee, in this solitude, of starvation and cold, just as thou desirest. Should I, however, find that thou art not dead, I will come to bring thee some sort of a cloth, which I will try to get." Having said this, they both went away.

'On my partaking of the good food, my physical pains and my mental, disturbances increased so much that I was unable to go on with my meditation. In this predicament, thinking that there could not be a greater danger than the inability to continue my meditation, I opened the scroll given me by my Guru. I found it to contain the manner of treating the present ailment, thus clearing the obstacles and dangers on the Path, and turning the Vice to Virtue, and increasing the Spiritual Earnestness and Energy. It was mentioned in the scroll that I should use good wholesome food at this time.²⁰ The perseverance with which I had meditated had prepared my nerves for an internal change in the whole nervous system, but this had been retarded by the poor quality of my food. Peta's chhang had somewhat excited the nerves, and Zesay's offerings had fully affected them. I now understood what was happening; and, on studying the contents of the scroll, I found it contained the accessory means and exercises [both physical and mental], which I at once began to practise. Thereupon, I saw that the minuter nerves of my system were being straightened out;²¹ even the knot of the Suṣumṇā-Nādi (median nerve) was loosening below the navel;²² and I experienced a state of supersensual calmness and clearness resembling the former states which I had experienced, but exceeding them in its depth and ecstatic intensity, and therein differing from them. Thus was a hitherto unknown and transcendent knowledge born in me. Soaring free above the obstacles, I knew that the very evil [or danger] had been turned to good. What till now had been regarded as objective discrimination shone forth as the Dharma-Kāya. I understood the Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa to be dependent and relative states;²³ and that the Universal Cause is Mind, which is distinct from the ideas of Interestedness or Partiality. This Universal Cause, when directed along the Path of Disbelief [or Selfishness], resulteth in the Saṃsāra; while if it be directed along the path of Altruism, it resulteth in Nirvāṇa. I was perfectly convinced that the real source of both Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa lay in the Voidness [of the Supra-mundane Mind]. The knowledge I now had obtained was born of my previous energetic devotions, which had served as its main cause; and it only awaited the accident, at the crisis, of the wholesome and nourishing food, and the timely prescription contained in the scroll, to bring it forth. My belief in the methods of the Mantrayānic doctrines, which teach that a real transcendent knowledge can be obtained by proper care of the body and without giving up nourishing food and comfortable clothing, was thus firmly established. I also saw that Peta and Zesay had greatly contributed to the final development of the hitherto latent qualities, and therefore mine obligation to them was great. So by way of proving my gratitude, and to consecrate their pious deeds to an Eternal and Inexhaustible Purpose, I sang this hymn [of prayer], which embodieth the Essence of the Dependence and Relativity of Facts: ²⁴

“Obeisance to the Feet of Marpa of Lhobrak!
Grant that this hermit may hold fast to Solitude successfully.

Upon the charity of righteous laymen,
Success for them and me dependeth;
This body, delicate and brittle, and difficult to gain,
By meeting food, is nourished and sustained.

The life-sustaining principle, upsprouting from the earth,
And ambrosial showers from the heavenly dome of blue,
Join together and confer a blessing on all sentient beings;
And in a life religious this is employed the best.²⁵

The transient body, nourished by one's parents,
And the Sacred Teaching of the Sacred Guru,
Join together and then favour the religious life;
Wherein, in Perseverance, lieth true success.

The rocky cave, amid the uninhabited solitude,
And devotion zealous and sincere,
Join together and bring forth the Issue of Success;
Of Knowledge Spiritual doth this consist.

In the stoical and patient fortitude of Milarepa's meditation,
And the faith of beings of the Lokas Three,
Lieth opportunity of Universal Usefulness;
Of this, the essence is Compassion.²⁶

The yogi who, in rocky caves, doth meditate,
And laymen who provide his sustenance,
Do each thus win the chance of gaining Buddhahood;
Of this, the essence is the Consecration.²⁷

In the Sacred Guru's grace,
And the active meditation of the zealous śiṣya,
Lieth opportunity to uphold the Truth [the Hierarchy];
Of this, the essence is the Purity of Faith.²⁸

In the Rites Initiatory, which confer and bless with Occult Power,
And in the prayer, earnest and sincere [of the devotee],
Lieth opportunity of meeting speedily [Spiritual Communion];
Of this, the essence is the Benediction.²⁹

Lord Dorje-Chang, O Thou the Immutable,
The weal and woe of this mendicant Thou knowest.”

‘This hymn having been sung, I zealously persevered in my meditations. A t last, I began to feel that I had obtained the power of transforming myself into any shape [desired], and of flying through the air. By day, I thus felt that I could exercise endless phenomenal powers; by night, in my dreams, I could traverse the universe in every direction unimpededly - from the summit of Mount Meru ³⁰ to its base - and I saw everything clearly [as I went]. Likewise [in my dreams] I could multiply myself into hundreds of personalities, all endued with the same powers as myself. Each of my multiplied forms could traverse space and go to some Buddha Heaven, listen to the Teachings there, and then come back and preach the Dharma to many persons. I could also transform my physical body into a blazing mass of fire, or into an expanse of flowing or calm water. Seeing that I had obtained infinite phenomenal powers [even though it be but in my dreams], I was filled with happiness and encouragement at mine own success.

'Thenceforth, I persevered in my devotions in a most joyous mood, until, finally, I actually could fly. Sometimes I flew over to the Min-khyüt-Dribma-Dzong (Castle lying in Shadows to the Eyebrows)³¹ to meditate; and there I obtained a far greater development of the Vital Warmth than ever before. Sometimes I flew back again to the Dragkar-Taso Cave.

'Once, while I was thus flying, I happened to pass over a small village, called Long-da, where a brother of mine uncle's deceased daughter-in-law happened to live. She had been one of those who had perished in the crashing of the house. He had also a son, and the father and son were engaged in ploughing a field [as I flew over]. The son was leading the team, while the father was guiding the ploughshare. The son saw me flying, and said, “See, a man is flying!” And he left his work to look at me. The father said, “What is there to marvel at or to be amused about in the sight? One Nyang-Tsa-Kargyen, a very mischievous woman, had a wicked son, named Mila. It is that good-for-nothing starveling. Move aside and do not allow his shadow to fall over thee, and go on leading the team.” The father himself was bending his body about so as to avoid falling under my shadow. But the son said, “If a man be able to fly, I do not mind his being a good-for-nothing person; there can be nothing more wonderful than a man flying.” So saying, he continued looking at me.

‘Now I thought that I could efficiently help all sentient beings if I liked, so I resolved to devote myself to helping others; but I had a direct command from my Tutelary Deity to go on devoting my whole life to meditation, as my Guru had commanded By that alone I should serve the Cause of the Buddhistic Faith; and, also, in serving all sentient beings thereby, I could do no better; such was the command I received. Thereupon, I thought that by dedicating my whole life to meditation, I should be setting an example to future devotees, who would thus be led to spend their life in devotion, after giving up all worldly aims and prospects; and that would conduce to the Cause of the Buddhistic Faith and to the benefit of all sentient beings. So I resolved to spend my whole life in meditation.

'Again, I thought that I had lived very long in the place, during which I had been seen by several persons to whom I had talked upon religious subjects; and now, that I had obtained transcendent knowledge and siddhi (super-normal powers), and had been seen flying by human beings, if I continued here, worldly folk would flock to me, praying for protection from harms and the fulfilment of selfish desires.³² This would be courting the temptations of the Son of the Celestials.³³ Worldly fame and prosperity might retard the progress of my devotion and obscure my spiritual knowledge; so I resolved to go and carry on my meditation in the solitudes of Lapchi-Chūbar (Between Rivers).³⁴ Accordingly, I started forth, carrying on my back from the Dragkar-Taso Cave the earthen vessel in which I had been cooking my nettle-food. But as I had been long practising meditation and living upon such poor food, and quite naked most of the time, my soles having become hardened, and horny scales being upon them, I slipped upon a stone just beside my cave and fell down. The handle of the earthen pot breaking, the pot itself rolled away and broke, despite mine attempts to catch it. From within the broken vessel there rolled a perfect green image of it, this being the hardened encrustation of the nettle broth which had assumed the shape of the outer vessel. The mishap vividly brought home to me the impermanent nature of all worldly things. I also understood it to be a sort of exhortation to persevere in my devotions. Feeling the whole occurrence to be very wonderful, I sang the following hymn in a spirit of deep faith:

“Even the earthen pot, by having once existed, and now by existing not,
Demonstrateth the nature of all things [component];
But more especially human life it symbolizeth.
Therefore do I, Mila the Devotee,
Resolve to persevere unwaveringly.
The earthen pot, which constituted my sole wealth,
By breaking, hath now become a Guru³⁵
For it preacheth unto me a wondrous sermon on Impermanence."

'While I was singing this, some hunters, who were coming towards my place for a meal, had heard it. They said, “O Hermit, thou possessest a very musical voice for singing. What art thou doing with the broken earthen pot and the inner pot of hardened encrustations of froth of nettle broth; and how cometh it that thou art so emaciated and greenish in appearance?” On mine explaining to them the reason of mine emaciation they were filled with wonder, and asked me to partake of their meal. While I was eating, one of the younger hunters said, “Why, thou seemest to be a powerfully built man. Instead of undergoing such troubles and privations, if thou should take to a worldly career, thou wouldst, if things went well, be riding a horse like a lion; and, accoutered in arms like a thorn-bush, thou wouldst be subduing thine enemies. By accumulating wealth thou wouldst be protecting thine affectionate kindred, and thou wouldst be happy. Or else thou couldst devote thyself to trade, in which line thou couldst earn sufficient to make thee happy. At the worst, thou couldst serve as a servant, and obtain good food and clothes; as regardeth thy body and mind, thou wouldst be far better off than this. Hitherto, thou dost not seem to have known of this; so set about it now.” One of the older hunters said, “He appeareth to me to be a very good devotee, and it is not likely that he will mind our worldly counsel; better keep quiet.” Then to me he said, “Thou possessest a very fine voice. Please sing us a song, which will do good to our minds." To which I replied, “Ye all seem to think me very miserable, but there is no one in the world who is so happy as myself, nor one who can boast of greater sense or a nobler and more successful life; but ye could not understand it. I enjoy the following things, which constitute my felicity, just as the best of you. Listen to me.” So saying, I sang them the hymn of a Yogī’s Race:

“I bow down at the Feet of my Gracious Father Marpa!
Within the Temple of the Bodhi Hill, my body,
Within my breast, wherein the Altar is,
Within the chamber topmost and triangular within my heart,
The Horse of Mind, moving like the wind, doth prance about.³⁶

What Lasso must be used to catch this Horse?
And to what Post must It be tied when caught?
What Food is to be given It when hungry?
What Drink is to be given It when thirsty?
In what Enclosure is It kept when cold?

To catch the Horse, use, as the Lasso, Singleness of Purpose;³⁷
It must be tied, when caught, to the Post of Meditation;
It must be fed, when hungry, with the Guru's Teachings;
It must be given to drink, when thirsty, of the Stream of Consciousness;
It must be kept, when cold, in the Enclosure of the Voidness.
For Saddle, use the Will, for Bridle, Intellect;
Attach to It, as Girths and Cruppers, Fixedness Immovable;
Around it pass, as Head-stall and as Nose-band, the Vital- Airs.

Its rider is the Youth of Intellect [Keen Watchfulness]:
The Helmet, which he weareth, is Mahāyānic Altruism;
His Coat of Mail is Learning, Thought, and Contemplation;
Upon his back he carrieth the Shield of Patience;
He holdeth, in his hand, the long Spear of Aspiration;
And, by his side, hangeth the Sword, Intelligence;
The smoothed Reed of Universal Mind [or Cause],
Made straight by lack of wrath or hatred,³⁸
Barbed with the Feathers of the Four Unlimited [Virtues],
Tipped with the Arrow-head of Intellect made keen,
Then placed within the pliant Bow of Wisdom Spiritual,
And fixed there, in the Aperture of the Wise Path and Right Method,
He draweth out to the full fathom of Communion Wide;
And shot forth thus, the arrows fall midst all the Nations.
They strike the Faithful Ones,
And slay the Sprite of Selfishness.³⁹
Thus are the Enemies, all Evil Passions, overcome;
And protected are our Kindred.⁴⁰

This Horse doth course along the widespread Plain of Happiness;
Its Goal is the attainment of the State of all the Conquerors⁴¹
Its Hind-part leaveth, in its rear, attachment to saṃsāric life;
Its Front-part goeth on to the safe place of Deliverance.

By running such a race, I 'm carried on to Buddhahood;
Judge if this be like your own conception of felicity:
Worldly Happiness I covet not.”

'On hearing this, they were moved with faith and went away in that mood.

'I then proceeded towards Chūbar, going through Palkhung; and, having arrived at Tingri, was lying on the road to enjoy a view of the place, when a party of maidens, rather gaily dressed, happened to pass by on their way to Snag-mo. Seeing my emaciated body, one of them said, “O see how miserable this man appeareth! Grant that I may never be born in such a shape!” to which another added, “How piteous! It maketh me quite nervous to see such a sight.” I thinking them to be poor ignorant creatures, pitied them, and, getting up, I said, “O ye girls, do not speak thus. Ye need not be anxious about that at all; ye would not be born such as I am even though ye were to wish and pray earnestly for it. It is praiseworthy to pity, but pity and self-conceit are opposed to each other, and so inconsistent. Listen to a song of mine.” With that, I sang them this song:

“At Thy Feet, O Gracious Guru, now I pray;
Grant me Thy Blessings and Thy Grace, O Marpa!

Those creatures, who in evil karma are immersed,
Contemptuously regard all others save themselves;
Women of evil karma think a married life the most desirable of things;
Their self-conceit doth burn as hot as fire:
Ah, pitiable it is to see these beings thus deluded!

In these dark days, of the Kali-Yuga,⁴²
Mischief-making knaves are worshipped as if gods,
And impostors are prized as if more precious e'en than gold;
True devotees are cast aside, like stones from off a path:
Oh, pity these poor ignorant beings!

Ye group of maiden sisters, gaily dressed,
And I, Milarepa of Gungthang,
Have mutual contempt for each other,
And mutual pity, too;
But in the lance-tilt of our mutual pity,
Let us see who winneth in the end.⁴³

This truthful sermon is by Milarepa preached,
In answer to the senseless talk of ignorant beings;
'Tis exchanging wine for water,
And returning Good for Evil.”

'Upon my finishing the song, the girl who had pitied me said, “This is the famous Gungthang-Milarepa, and we have uttered several foolish things in a spirit of self-conceit. Now let us ask his pardon”; and, with that, they all directed the girl who had uttered the speech to do so. She, too, was very sorry; and, producing seven shells, which were used as currency then, she offered them to me with prostrations, and prayed that I might be pleased to give them another sermon, so then I sang to them the following song:

“I supplicate my Gracious Lord!
A sermon brief, on Truth, I'm preaching.

In the Palaces Celestial of the Gahdan Gods,⁴⁴
Truths Spiritual are prized not, but Truths Scientific are;
In the Regions Lower, in the Nāga's Palaced City,
Truths Profound and Deep are prized not, but Riches are;⁴⁵
In this World of Human Beings,
The Wise and Learned are not prized, but Liars are.

In the Provinces of Ü and Tsang and the Four Districts,
Meditation is not prized, but Exposition is;
In the dreg-like remainder of these evil times [of Darkness],
Good men are not prized, but the wicked are.

In the eyes of gay young women,
Not the devotee, but the rake is prized;
Unto the ears of youthful maidens,
Prosaic sermons on religion sound not sweet, but love-songs do.

These are the truths in verse,
Sung in payment for the seven shells,
And as a joyful song betokening full pardon.”
On hearing this song they were moved to deep faith, and proceeded on their way.

'I also went on towards Brin (Drin), where I heard about both Lapchi-Chūbar (Mt. Everest?) and Kyit-Phug (Pleasant Cave), also known as Nyima-Dzong (Sunny Castle), of which I chose the latter. There I spent some months, and was progressing favourably in my devotion and meditation; but the people of Brin visited me, bringing gifts of provisions. Knowing that this would tend, to some extent, to the deterioration of my devotional practices, I thought that if I remained in this place any longer, popularity would only do harm to my meditative devotions. I had been here long enough, and, thus far, had gained by my stay. Now I must go to a most solitary region and seek a cave there. So, according to my Guru’s command, I resolved to go to Lapchi-Chūbar. While I was about to start on my way thither, my sister Peta came to offer me a piece of blanket-cloth, woven of wool which she had collected from the leavings of others. She had taken it to Dragkar-Taso, and, not finding me there, had come searching for me, inquiring from every one; and hearing, at Gungthang-Töt, that a hermit resembling a caterpillar which feedeth upon nettles had passed from Palkhung towards La-Töt-Lho (Upper Hills Facing South), she had come tracking my very footprints. At Tingri, she had seen Lāma Bari-Lotsawa (The Great Bari Translator) seated upon a high seat, with an umbrella over him, dressed in silks of five different colours, and surrounded by his disciples, some of whom blew conchs, cymbals, clarionets, and flutes, with a great crowd round about, all offering him tea and chhang. Upon seeing this, Peta thought, “Other devotees and religious folk enjoy these things, but my brother's religion is a source of misery and trouble to himself and shame to his relatives. If I now meet my brother, I shall try mine utmost to persuade him to become a disciple of this Lāma.” Thinking thus, she asked some among the assembly there whether they had heard or seen aught of me, and, being told that I was at Brin, she had come inquiring after me right up to Kyit-Phug, where I then was. Upon seeing me, she at once said, “O brother, it will never do to go on in this starving, naked condition, which thou sayest is thy mode of living a religious life. Thou art past shame and common decency! Make a lower garment of this blanket, and go to the Lāma Bari-Lotsawa, who is a Lāma indeed, but quite different in style and practice from thyself. He hath a throne under him, and an umbrella over him; he is clad in silken garments, and his lips are always dipped in tea and chhang. He is surrounded by his disciples and followers, who walk in front of him, blowing trumpets by pairs. He assembleth a crowd wherever he goeth, and collecteth their offerings in large quantities, thus benefiting his relatives; and is one who can be boasted of as a most eminent Lāma. I would have thee try to enter his service and follow him as his disciple. Even if thou be accepted as his meanest disciple, that would be better than this sort of life. Thy penurious devotion and my luckless life will scarcely do in this world. We cannot thus sustain life." And then she began to weep bitterly, deploring our lot.

'I tried to console her by saying, “Peta, do not speak in that fashion. Thou regardest my naked condition with shame, because I have cast aside clothing and coverings. I am proud that I have obtained the Truth through my being a man; and there is no shame in that. I was born thus; therefore there is no shame in it. But those who knowing certain acts to be sinful commit them, thereby breaking their parents' hearts, and those coveting property dedicated to Guru’s and the Trinity, committing various acts of deception and meanness to attain their selfish aims, cause pain and suffering to other beings, and hurt themselves in the end. They are objects of loathing and abhorrence to every righteous being among gods and men; and they alone should feel shame. But if thou speak of shame at seeing my body, then thou especially shouldst feel shame because thy breasts, which did not exist at the time of thy birth, have developed so prominently. Moreover, if thou think that I am meditating in this penurious condition just because I cannot earn or obtain food and clothing, thou art quite mistaken. I am frightened at the pains and tribulations of this Saṃsāra. I feel them as keenly as though I had been cast alive into flames. Worldly acquisitions of wealth and the need of clinging to them, as well as the pursuit of the Eight Worldly Aims,⁴⁶ I regard with as much loathing and disgust as a man who is suffering from biliousness regardeth the sight of rich food. Nay, I regard them as if they were the murderers of my father; therefore is it that I am assuming this beggarly and penurious mode of life. Moreover, my Guru, Marpa the Translator, bade me to give up all worldly concerns, aims, and objects; to bear the loss of food, clothing, and name; to live in various solitary places [not fixing myself to one place permanently]; and to carry on my devotions most energetically, giving up all prospects in this life. Such being my Guru's commandments, I am fulfilling them. By thus obeying my Guru's commandments, I shall not only be able to confer temporal ease and comfort on those who are my followers, but I shall earn eternal happiness for every sentient being, including myself. I gave up all thoughts of this life, because I saw that there is no certainty as to when death may come upon me. If I were to think of acquiring wealth and ease, I should be able to acquire as much as Lāma Bari-Lotsawa himself is acquiring; so what need is there to speak of his meanest follower! But I desire Buddhahood in this very lifetime; therefore am I devoting myself to devotion and meditation in such an energetic way. Peta, do thou also give up all worldly aims, and come with thy brother, who is older, to pass thy life in meditation at Lapchi-Kang.⁴⁷ If thou can give up worldly thoughts and come to pass thy life in meditative devotions, the sun of thy temporal and eternal happiness will thus shine in full splendour. Give ear to thy brother's song." Then I sang this song:

“O Lord, Protector of all Sentient Beings, Thou the Eternal Buddha!
Since Thou, by worldliness unsullied hath remained,
And blessed Thy Śiṣyas with Thy Grace,
I bow down at Thy Feet, O Marpa the Translator!

My sister Peta, listen unto me,
Immersed in worldly wishes as thou art.

The pinnacle of gold, placed on an umbrella, at the top, for one;
The fringe of Chinese silk, arranged in tasteful folds, below, for two;
The ribs outspread, like a peacock's gorgeous feathers, in between, for three;
The polished handle of red teak-wood, at the bottom, for four:
These four, if needed, thine elder brother could procure.

[A Chorus, the five verses which follow, accompanies this stanza and each of the five following stanzas, as indicated.]

But these are worldly things, and I've eschewed them,
And, by 'my thus eschewing worldliness, my Sun of Happiness shineth gloriously.
Likewise, do thou, O Peta, all worldliness eschew,
And come to meditate in Lapchi-Kang:
Let us together go to Lapchi-Kang, to meditate.

The white conch-shell's far-sounding note, for one;
The practised blower's full and potent breath, for two;
The silken ribbons [on the conch], plaited in fine plaits, for three;
The vast assembly of celibate priests [summoned thus], for four:
These four, if needed, thine elder brother could procure.

[Chorus]

'The charming, pretty little temple, just above a village placed, for one;
The fluent speech, of youthful novices, for two;
The splendid kitchen, well arranged, with goodly stock of Chinese tea, for three;
The busy hands, of many youthful novices, for four:
These four, if needed, thine elder brother could procure.

[Chorus]

The well-liked trade, in necromantic seership, and in astrology, for one;
The correctness and the modesty of a pastor's acts, for two;
The performance of the pūjās, for enjoying them, for three;
The psalms melodious, sung with a view to turn the heads of the laity, for four:
These four, if needed, thine elder brother could procure.

[Chorus]

A building, massive, beautiful, and tall, of brick, for one;
A field, extensive and fertile, for two;
A well-stocked store, of food and wealth, for three;
A numerous retinue, and crowd of servitors, for four:
These four, if needed, thine elder brother could procure.

[Chorus]

The proud, tall crest of a powerful horse, for one;
A saddle, jewel-bedecked and gold-inlaid, for two;
An armed escort, splendidly accoutred, for three;
And vigilance unceasing, in conquering enemies and protecting friends, for four:
These four, if needed, thine elder brother could procure.

[Chorus]

But if thou can not give up worldliness,
And can not come to Lapchi-Kang,
No liking have I for thy sentimental, sisterly affection.
These talks of worldly things disturb my meditation.
I being born, know I must die; uncertain of the hour of death,
No time have I to postpone my devotion;
Uninterruptedly will I devote myself to meditation.
The teachings of my Guru-Father are beneficial to the mind;
Thus, contemplating that which bringeth benefit,
I'll earn the Great Happiness of Deliverance;
Therefore to Lapchi-Kang I'm going.

Do thou, my sister, cling to worldliness,
Acquire sins by the pound and stone,
Strive to remain, for all the time thou canst, in the Saṃsāra,
And strive to win thyself a birth in the Three Lower Worlds.

Yet if thou fear the Saṃsāra in the least,
Renounce, in this life now, the Eight Saṃsāric Aims,
And let us go together, unto Lapchi-Kang,
Let us, the twain, brother and sister, be high-destined ones,
And go together to the Ranges of the Lapchi-Kang.”

'On my singing thus, Peta said, “I see that thou meanest ease and comfort by worldliness, my brother. As for that, both of us have so little to give up. All these fine-sounding truths and sermons are merely excuses to cloak thine inability to be as well off as Lāma Bari-Lotsawa; but, as for me, I will not go to Lapchi-Kang, where I shall have nothing to eat, nor anything to wear: it would be unendurable misery, which I need not go to seek at Lapchi. I do not even know where it is; and I would entreat thee, my brother, to remain permanently in one place, instead of rushing about and clinging to uninhabited cliffs and rocks, like an animal pursued by dogs. I could find thee more easily then. The people of this place seem disposed to regard thee with veneration, so it would be best if thou remain here permanently. But, in any case, at least stay on for some days more. Please sew thyself an undergarment from this blanket; I will return in a few days." I consented to remain there for a few days, as she requested. Then she went towards Tingri side, on a begging errand.

'Meanwhile, I cut up the blanket which she had brought me, and sewed myself a cape to cover my head entirely; next, I sewed a cover for each of my fingers and a pair of coverings for my feet, as well as a cover for my nakedness; and kept them ready. A few days later, my sister came back; and, upon her asking me whether I had sewn the blanket into a dress, I said that I had; and putting on the coverings, one by one, I showed her what I had done. Upon this, she said, “O brother! thou art no longer a human being! Thou art not only devoid of the sense of shame, but thou hast spoilt the blanket which I prepared with so much trouble. At times, thou appearest to have no time to spare for anything save devotion; and, then, at other times, thou seemest to have ample leisure." I replied, “I am the worthiest of human beings, for I am engaged in turning to the best account the precious boon of a blessed human life. Knowing what is really shameful, I have devoted myself to a religious life, and kept my vows rigidly. But as thou appearest to feel shame at seeing my natural shape, and as I could not afford to cut off the part which thou lookest upon as shameful, I have been at the pains to sew this covering for it, at the cost of my time for devotions, as thou sayest; and, since mine other limbs are also organs of this same body, I thought a covering for each of them would be required similarly, and so I have made these coverings. Thy blanket hath not been wasted, but made to serve the ends for which thou didst intend it, for I have thus prepared a covering for the organ of shame. As thou seemest to be so prudish and more sensitive to the feeling of shame than myself, I must tell thee that if I should feel shame thou shouldst feel more shame. Seeing that it is better to do away with an object of shame than to keep it on, please do away with thine own as quickly as thou canst." When I said this, she kept quiet, and her face was sullen. Then I said, “Worldly folk regard with shame that which involveth no shame. But that which is really shameful is evil deeds and wily deception; and these they do not feel shame in committing. They do not know what really is shameful and what is not. Therefore listen to this song of mine." With that I sang to her the song which showeth clearly what is shameful and what is not:

“To all the Lineal Gurus I bow down!
Grant me knowledge of what is really shameful.

O Peta dear, held fast with prudish shame,
Give ear awhile unto thy brother's song:

Thy shame is born of ignorant conventionalities;
Shame thou feelest where for shame there is no cause.
To me, the devotee, who knoweth what shame truly is,
In showing in its natural shape my threefold personality,⁴⁸
What shame can be attached thereby?
When 'tis known that human beings are born, each of a certain sex,
Tis known, too, that each possesseth certain organs.

The most of worldly folk heed not
Those acts which truly are either mean or shameful:
The Daughter of Shame is bought with wealth;
The Child of Shame is dandled on the lap;
Covetous and harmful thoughts,⁴⁹ begot of unbelief,
Evil deeds, vile frauds, thefts, and robberies,
Deceiving friends and kindred who confide in one –
These, indeed, are acts filled full of shame and meanness; yet few refrain from them.

Those hermits who have given up the worldly life
And taken to the practice of the Spiritual Truths,
Found in the Sacred Teachings of the Mystic Path,
They who have vowed to pass their life in meditation,
See not the need to hold to codes of shame conventional.
Therefore, do not, O Peta, seek to add unto thy present miseries,
But let thine understanding flow within its natural channels."

'When I had sung this song, she sullenly handed over to me the provisions, butter, and grease, which she had obtained by begging, saying, “It is quite clear that thou wilt not do anything such as I wish thee to do, yet I cannot give thee up. So please use these; and I will do what I can to obtain more." Having said this, she was about to go away. I, however, wishing to turn her heart towards religion, induced her to remain as long as the provisions might last, so that even though she did not earn merit by practising devotion, she would for that much time, at least, be free from committing sin. As long as she thus lived with me, I talked to her about religious subjects and about the Law of Karma. At last, I succeeded in turning her heart towards the Faith, to some extent.

'At about this time, mine aunt, having lost her brother, mine uncle, and bitterly, from the very core of her heart, repenting the wrong they had done me, also came in search of me, bringing a yak-load of things. She had been first to Brin. There she deposited the things, and the yak, and came with whatever she herself could carry, right up to the place where I was living. Peta having seen her coming from the hillock, and recognizing her, said, “This cruel aunt who hath caused us so much harm and misery we must not meet." Suiting her action to the words, she lifted away the little bridge which spanned the yawning chasm between the slope on the opposite side and the front of my cave. Our aunt, coming to the brink of the slope, on the side opposite to us, said, “Niece, do not lift up the bridge; thine aunt is coming over." To this, Peta answered, “It is for that very reason that I am lifting up the bridge.” “Niece, thou art quite right; but now I have come, bitterly repenting of my deeds, to meet both of you; so lower the bridge. Yet, if thou wilt not do this, then, at least, tell thy brother that I have come here,” pleaded our aunt.

'Just then, I arrived there, and seated myself on a little knoll on this side of the bridge. Mine aunt bowed down several times from the other side, and pleaded earnestly that she might be allowed to meet me. I thought that it would not become me, as a devotee, to refuse her the interview in the end, but I must first speak plainly to her about her cruelties and persecutions. So I said, “I have given up all attachment to relatives generally, but especially to you, mine aunt and uncle. Ye were not satisfied with greatly persecuting us in our childhood and youth, but even when I had taken to a religious career and happened to come to your door to beg, ye assaulted me so cruelly that I ceased to think of you at all as relatives. I will briefly recall those circumstances in this song, which thou wilt listen to." So saying, I sang to her a song recalling the cruelties and persecutions with which they had pursued me:

“O Kind and Gracious Father, compassionate to all,
O Marpa the Translator, I bow down at Thy Feet!
Be Thou a Kindred unto me, who am bereft of kindred!

O aunt, recallest thou all that thou hast done?
If thou can not, this song of mine will refresh thy memory;
Attentively give ear to it, and in repentance be sincere.

There in the wretched land of Kyanga-Tsa,
Our noble father dying, left us, the three, a widowed mother and two orphans;
Of all our wealth thou didst defraud us, and brought us unto misery.
And, as peas are by a staff, we were scattered then,
By thee, O aunt, and by our uncle, too.
So our attachment unto kith and kin was sundered.

Thereafter, when in distant lands I wandered long,
Anxious to behold my sister and my mother, I returned home,
And found my mother dead, and my sister gone.
With anguish pierced, I sought religion, and finding it my sole solace,
The life religious thenceforth chose.
Compelled by lack of food to seek for alms,
Before thy door, O aunt, I came to beg,
And thou, in recognizing me, the helpless devotee,
Didst burst forth in a storm of spiteful anger.
With cries of 'Cho! Cho!' thou didst set thy dogs upon me;
With thy tent-pole thou didst belabour me most heavily,
As though I were a sheaf of corn for threshing.
I fell face downward in a pool of water,
Wherein I almost lost my precious life.
Amidst thy fury, thou didst call me 'Trafficker in Lives';
And likewise, too, 'Disgrace unto my Clan’.
With these rude words my heart was wounded;
And, with despair and misery overwhelmed,
My breath was stopped and I was speechless.
And then, although I had no need of them,
Thou didst, by various wiles, defraud me of my house and field.
A demoness thou art, in the body of an aunt,
That sundered me from all my love for thee, O aunt.

Thereafter, when I reached mine uncle's door,
Malicious thoughts, injurious acts, vile words I met.
'The destroying demon of the country cometh,' was his cry;
He called the neighbours forth to help in killing me;
And, words abusive uttering,
He pelted me with showers of stones,
And sought to transfix me with a rain of small keen arrows;
With a malady incurable he filled my heart.
There, too, I almost lost my life.
O butcher's heart in an uncle's form!
All my respect for an uncle I lost then.

When I was poor and helpless, my kinsfolk were more cruel to me than enemies,
Thereafter, to the hill, where I was meditating,
My constant Zesay came to see me, out of love;
And she, with pleasant words, consoled me;
She comforted my sorrow-stricken heart;
She brought me nourishing and tasty food;
And from starvation saved me then.
Kind, indeed, is she, more kind than I can say;
Yet since e'en she is not devoted to religion,
Little need I see to meet her when she cometh;
And as for thee, mine aunt, far less I need to meet thee.
Return e'en now, in the manner thou hast come;
'Tis better to go early, while there is still the time."

'When I had sung thus, mine aunt shed many tears, and, bowing down several times, said, “Thou art right, O my nephew; thus far thou art right; but be patient, I pray thee.” Then she began to entreat me. I saw that she was really sincere in her repentance, and had come to ask my forgiveness. She said, “Not being able to overcome the desire to see thee, I have come here. Please grant me the interview which I seek, or I shall surely commit suicide.” Being unable to harden my heart any further, I was about to lower the bridge when my sister whispered many reasons to withhold me from doing so, I lowered it nevertheless. It is said to be undesirable to live in the same country or to drink of the same fountain [or well of water] with a person with whom a breach of faith hath taken place; and that, if we do so, some obscuration and defilement will occur; but the present case was not, however, a breach of faith in a spiritual matter. Besides, I myself being of the Religious Order, was bound to be forgiving; so I laid the bridge across, granted the desired interview, and preached several sermons on the Law of Karma. Mine aunt was thoroughly converted by the sermons; and, devoting herself to penance and meditation, eventually obtained Emancipation.'

Then Shiwa-wöd-Repa addressed Jetsün in these words: ‘O Jetsün, it is beyond our comprehension when we hear how constant in thy faith and purpose thou wert in obtaining the Truths from thy Guru; how meek and faithful throughout thy terrible ordeals; and how persevering and energetic in carrying on devotion and meditation in lonely hilly solitudes. When we think of those deeds, our devotion seemeth to be mere sport - done at leisure, by fits and starts; and such devotion [we fear], will not emancipate us from the Saṃsāra. What, then, are we to do?’ Having uttered these words, he wept bitterly.

Jetsün answered, ‘When we think of the pains and troubles endured in the Saṃsāra and in the Hell-Worlds, my faith and zeal do not really appear to have been so very great either. Thoughtful persons, once having heard about the Doctrine of Karma, and believing in it, will be able to put forth similar zeal and energy. But those who understand only the wordings of the Doctrine, not having realized the truth of it, are unable to renounce the Eight Worldly Aims and Objects. Therefore, it is of the highest importance to believe in the Doctrine of Karma. These [latter folk] always appear not to believe even in the simplest and most generally accepted [or self-evident] of karmic laws. Thus, although they devote themselves to various expositions of the Voidness (Śūnyata), as found in the Scriptures and Gospels, the Voidness, being more subtle and intricate, is far more difficult to comprehend, and believe in. But when once one believeth in the Voidness, its very self becometh manifest in the intricate workings of the Law of Karma; and a man who realizeth the nature of Voidness necessarily becometh more subtle, and distinguisheth the qualities of actions both good and bad with a much finer power of perception. In short, he becometh more strictly conscientious. All piety consisteth in observing and believing in the Law of Karma; therefore it is of the utmost importance to be very persevering in adopting pious acts and rejecting impious acts. I, at first, did not understand the nature of the Voidness, but I believed firmly in the Law of Karma; and, being conscious of having committed deep and heinous sins, I believed that I richly deserved to go to the three miserable states of Hell. So I entertained the deepest reverence for, and faith in, my Guru, and exerted the utmost energy and zeal during my meditation, as, indeed, I could not help doing. I exhort you all to pass your lives in strict asceticism, in deep solitudes, meditating upon the Sacred Mystic Truths, and carrying into practice the teachings of the Doctrine. If ye do so, I, the old man, assure you of emancipation from the Saṃsāra.’

Then Ngan-Dzong-Tönpa Budhi-Rāja addressed Jetsün in this eulogistic style: ‘O Jetsün Rinpoch'e,⁵⁰ thou must be the great Buddha Dorje-Chang Himself, come in human shape, to show those acts for the benefit of the sentient beings of this world. And if not that, then, at least, thou must have acquired much merit in countless Kalpas, and obtained the state of such a Great Being - one who will not return again to the Saṃsāra. Thou hast been ready to sacrifice life itself for religion, and persisted zealously in the pursuit of devotional meditation. All the signs of an Incarnate Buddha are to be found in thy life. For to beings like us, who live for the individual self, thy meekness and constant and unswerving faith during the time that thou wert under thy Guru, and the hardships which thou didst bear, appear quite incomprehensible, even to our hearts. It would be impossible for us to think of undergoing all those hardships for the sake of the Truth; who would be able to do so? And even if any one had the will and hardihood to attempt to do so, the physical frame would not be able to bear it. So it is quite certain that Jetsün must be, or must have been, either a Bodhisattva or a Buddha in the past; and we are blest in having seen thy face and heard thy voice. Those of us who have thus been favoured are sure of obtaining Deliverance, although we be not able to pursue our devotions so earnestly. Be pleased to reveal to us what Bodhisattva thou wert in the past.'

To this Jetsün replied: 'I myself am not sure whose incarnation I am; but even though I be an incarnation of a being formerly existing in one of the Three States of Misery,⁵¹ yet, if ye regard me as Dorje-Chang, or as any other Deity, ye will obtain the grace and blessing of such Deity, in virtue of your faith. Personal love and regard make ye think that I must be an Incarnation; but towards the Dharma ye commit the great sin of doubt and scepticism. This is because ye have not the power of earnest devotion. For it is by the great power of the Sacred Dharma alone that I have been able to attain such spiritual advancement as to be very near Perfect Buddhahood in the latter portion of my years, although I had been guilty of such heinous sins in my youth and early manhood. It was because I firmly believed in the reality of the Law of Karma that I applied myself zealously to the Truth, giving up all thoughts of this life and world. And, more especially, was I fortunate in being taken in hand by a perfected Guru, who was able to give me those very Truths and Texts which were most adapted to me, and which enabled me to follow the Short Path of the Mystic Mantrayāna. He gave me the Truths divested of all superfluous adornments and clothing,⁵² conferred on me the necessary Initiations, and empowered me to meditate on these Truths in the right way. If any one else had obtained these, and continued to meditate on them, there is not the least doubt about his obtaining perfect enlightenment within one lifetime. But if one pass a lifetime here doing nothing but committing the ten impious acts and the five unlimited sins, there is not the least doubt that such a one will fall into the most miserable of the Hells. If one do not believe in the Law of Karma, one lacketh zeal in the pursuit of his devotional studies; if one believe firmly in the Law of Karma, the thought of the miseries in the Three Lower States is sure to fill one with dread and inspire one with the intensest desire to obtain Buddhahood. Then one's faith and meekness towards the Guru, zeal and energy in the meditation on the Truth, and, finally, the way in which one beareth the experience of the spiritual growth and knowledge, would altogether equal mine in every point. And when any one obtaineth these spiritual developments, the worldly proudly attribute it to his being an Avatāra of some Buddha or Bodhisattva. Actually this is disbelief in the Short Path of the Mantrayāna. Therefore, I exhort you all to establish your belief in the Law of Karma firmly. Meditate upon, consider, and weigh deeply the serious facts contained in the biographies of previous saintly lives, the Law of Karma, the inconveniences and miseries of all saṃsāric states of existences, the difficulties of obtaining the boon of a well-endowed human life, and the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the exact time of death; and, having weighed these in your minds, devote yourselves to the study and practice of the Mantrayānic Doctrines. I have obtained spiritual knowledge through giving up all thought of food, clothing, and name. Inspired with zeal in my heart, I bore every hardship and inured myself to all sorts of privations of the body; I devoted myself to meditation in the most unfrequented and solitary places. Thus did I obtain knowledge and experience; do ye also follow in the path trodden by me, and practise devotion as I have done.'

This is the Sixth Meritorious Act, which telleth how Jetsün, after giving up all thoughts of worldly ease, comfort, name, and fame, obeyed his Guru's commands by devoting himself to incessant meditating in the most unfrequented hills and solitudes, and thus passed his whole time in devotion.

Footnotes

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