Philosophy and Religion / Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Chapter XII. Nirvāṇa

Telling of how Jetsün came to take Poisoned Curds from Tsaphuwa's Concubine; of the Last Assembly of Jetsün's Followers and the Attendant Marvels; of Jetsün's Discourse on Illness and Death; of His Final Testamentary Teachings; of the Conversion of Tsaphuwa; of the Last Will; of the Passing away in Samādhi, and the Resultant Super-normal Phenomena; of Rechung's Late Arrival and Prayer to Jetsün, and the Answer; of the Marvellous Events Connected with the Cremation and the Reliques; of the Execution of Jetsün's Last Will; and concerning his Disciples.

At the time when Jetsün had fulfilled the various duties mentioned above, there lived, in the interior of Brin (Ḍrin), a learned Lāma named Tsaphuwa, very rich and influential, who was accustomed to take the highest seat in the assemblies of the people of Brin. This man feigned great reverence for Jetsün, while at heart he was bursting with envy of him, and desirous of exposing what he took to be Jetsün's ignorance, by putting difficult questions to Jetsün in a public gathering of his own supporters. In this wise he asked Jetsün many and various questions, all the while pretending that it was for the clearing of his own doubts.

Then, in the first month of the autumn of the Wood-Tiger year,¹ there happened to be a grand marriage feast to which Jetsün was invited, and he was placed on the highest seat at the head of the first row of guests, and the Geshé² Tsaphuwa was seated next to him. The Geshé bowed down to Jetsün, expecting that Jetsün would bow down to him in return. Jetsün, however, did not do so; for never having bowed down to, nor returned the obeisance of, any person save his own Guru, he did not depart from his usual custom on this occasion.

Much chagrined, the Geshé thought to himself, ‘What! shall so learned a pandit as I am bow down to an ignoramus like him, and he not condescend to return the salutation! I shall certainly do my best to lower him in the esteem of the public.’ And, producing a book on philosophy, he addressed Jetsün thus: 'O Jetsün, please be so good as to dissipate my perplexities by going through this book and explaining it to me word by word.'

Upon this, Jetsün answered, 'As for the mere word-by-word explication of these dialectics, thou thyself art sufficiently expert; but to realize their true import it is necessary to renounce the Eight Worldly Ambitions, lopping off their heads, to subdue the illusion of belief in the personal ego, and, regarding Nirvāṇa and Saṃsāra as inseparable, to conquer the spiritual ego by meditation in mountain solitudes. I have never valued or studied the mere sophistry of word-knowledge, set down in books in conventionalized form of questions and answers to be committed to memory (and fired off at one's opponent); these lead but to mental confusion and not to such practice as bringeth actual realization of Truth. Of such word-knowledge I am ignorant; and if ever I did know it, I have forgotten it long ago. I pray that thou wilt give ear to the song which I am about to sing, to show my reasons for forgetting book-learning.' ³ And then Jetsün sang this song:

'Obeisance to the honoured Feet of Marpa the Translator!
May I be far removed from arguing creeds and dogmas.

'E'er since my Lord's Grace entered in my mind,
My mind hath never strayed seeking various distractions.

Accustomed long to contemplating Love and Pity,
I have forgot all difference between myself and others.

Accustomed long to meditating on my Guru as enhaloed o'er my head,
I have forgot all those who rule by power and by prestige.

Accustomed long to meditating on my Guardian Gods as from myself inseparable,
I have forgot the lowly fleshly form.

Accustomed long to meditating on the Whispered Chosen Truths,
I have forgot all that is said in written and in printed books.

Accustomed, as I've been, to the study of the Common Science,
Knowledge of erring Ignorance I 've lost.

Accustomed, as I've been, to contemplating the Three Bodies ⁴ as inherent in myself,
I have forgot to think of hope and fear.

Accustomed, as I 've been, to meditating on this life and the future life as one,
I have forgot the dread of birth and death.

Accustomed long to studying, all by myself, mine own experiences,
I have forgot the need of seeking the opinions of friends and brethren

Accustomed long to application of each new experience to mine own growth spiritual,
I have forgot all creeds and dogmas.

Accustomed long to meditating on the Unborn, the Indestructible, and the Unabiding,⁵
I have forgot all definitions of this or that particular Goal.

Accustomed long to meditating on all visible phenomena as the Dharma-Kāya,
I have forgot all mind-made meditations.

Accustomed long to keep my mind in the Uncreated State of Freedom,⁶
I have forgot conventional and artificial usages.

Accustomed long to humbleness, of body and of mind,
I have forgot the pride and haughty manner of the mighty.

Accustomed long to regard my fleshly body as my hermitage,
I have forgot the ease and comfort of retreats in monasteries.

Accustomed long to know the meaning of the Wordless,
I have forgot the way to trace the roots of verbs and source of words and phrases;
May thou, O learned one, trace out these things in standard books.'

When Jetsün had sung this song, the Geshé said, 'All this may be very well according to thy Yogī creed, but, following our metaphysicians, such religious discourses lead nowhere [i.e. show no real attainment of understanding]. I bowed down to thee imagining thee to be a highly advanced person!

Upon his saying this, the people (especially his own supporters) showed displeasure, and, as though with one voice, cried, 'O Geshé Tönpa, however learned thou mayst be, and however many professors like thee the world may hold, the whole lot of you are not equal to the smallest downy hair on Jetsün's body, nor able to fill the tiny pore containing it. Thou hadst better be satisfied with the seat assigned to thee, at the head of our row, and do what thou canst to add to thy wealth by usury. As for religion, thou art not in the least permeated with its perfume.'

The Geshé was much angered by this, but as the whole party were unanimously against him, he could not show fight, and so he merely sat in sulky silence, thinking to himself, 'This ignoramus, Milarepa, by mere display of eccentric doings and sayings and telling of lies, which tend to overthrow the Buddhist Faith, is able to delude the people into making him numerous alms and gifts, whereas I, though so learned in book-learning, and the wealthiest and most influential person in the place, count for less than a dog despite my religious attainments. Something must be done to put an end to this.'

Acting on this resolve, he induced a concubine of his, by promising her a valuable turquoise, to go and offer Jetsün some poisoned curds, which she did, while Jetsün was at Brin-Dragkar (Rock of Brin). Having fulfilled his duty of setting his karma-favoured disciples upon the Path of Emancipation and Perfection, Jetsün knew that his term of life was almost ended, even if he did not take the poison. But foreseeing that unless the woman procured the turquoise now she would not procure it afterward [i.e. after the commission of the crime], he said to her, 'For the present, I will not accept the food thou offerest me. Bring it later on and I will then accept it.'

Thinking that perhaps Jetsün knew her intention, the woman, much embarrassed and distressed, returned to the Geshé and, relating to him the whole incident at length, said that Jetsün, in virtue of clairvoyance, had detected her evil design and refused the poisoned food. But her seducer, trying to embolden her, said, 'If Jetsün possessed this power he would not have asked thee to take the food to him later on, but would have handed it back, telling thee to take it thyself; this is proof that he doth not possess clairvoyance. Thou mayst now have the turquoise, but be sure that he taketh the poisoned food.' Then he gave her the turquoise; and she said, 'That Jetsün doth possess clairvoyant power is commonly believed, and his refusal of the food the first time proveth it. I am satisfied that he will refuse the food the second time. I do not want thy turquoise; I am too much afraid to go to him again; and most certainly I will not go.'

The Geshé replied, ‘Illiterate folk believe that he possesseth the power, but, not being conversant with the Scriptures, they are duped by his trickery. The Scriptures describe a person possessed of clairvoyance as quite different from a person such as he is; I am convinced that he doth not possess it. Now, if thou undertake to offer him the food again, and succeed in getting him to eat it, thereupon - seeing that we two have already lived together, and, as the proverb sayeth, “No difference is there in taking a big or a little bite of garlic, since garlic it is” - we will thenceforth live openly as husband and wife. Then not only will the turquoise be thine, but thou wilt be the mistress of all that I own; and we will share weal and woe together. As we thus have the grudge in common, do thine utmost to bring the attempt to a successful issue.'

Taking the Geshé at his word, the woman, tempted to try a second time, again mixed poison and curd together and took the mixture to Jetsün as a food-offering, when he was at Trode-Trashi-Gang. Smilingly, Jetsün took her offering in his hand, and she thought that the Geshé was perhaps right in asserting that Jetsün did not possess clairvoyance. Just then, however, Jetsün spoke and said, 'Thou hast procured the turquoise as thy fee for doing this deed.' Overcome with remorse and fear, the woman began to tremble; and, in quavering sob-choked voice, confessed, 'Yes; Lord; I have procured the turquoise'; and, prostrating herself at his feet, she begged him not to partake of the poisoned food, but to give it back to her who was guilty of so heinous an intention [that she might drink it].

Jetsün answered, 'First of all, I cannot, on any account, give it back to thee to drink; my compassion for thee is too great. Were I to do so, I should be transgressing the vows of a Bodhisattva, and thus incur the heaviest of spiritual penalties. Moreover, my life hath almost run its course; my work is finished; the time hath come for me to go to another world.⁷ Thy poisoned food would have no effect upon me whatsoever. Nevertheless, I refused it at first, in order to enable thee to gain the turquoise, which was promised to thee as the fee for thy crime. Now that the turquoise is thine, I will take the poisoned food, to satisfy the desire of the Geshé and to secure thee in possession of the coveted turquoise. As regardeth the many promises for the future which he hath made to thee on condition that this crime be successfully accomplished, thou needest place no reliance on them; for he will disappoint thee. There is no truth at all in any of the many things which he hath said against me. The time shall come when both thou and he will deeply repent of all these things. When that time cometh, ye will devote yourselves wholly, if possible, to penance and devotion; but if unable to do so much, at least avoid committing such heinous sins, even though your very life be at stake, and pray to me and my disciples in deep and humble faith. Left unassisted, ye two would be cut off from happiness for countless ages, and suffering would thus be your lot; so, for this once, I will see if I can absolve your evil karma.⁸ But I command thee to keep this affair secret for as long as I am alive; the time will come when it will be known to every one. Although thou mayst not believe other sayings of mine upon hearing them, yet in this affair thou wilt have an opportunity of believing in me [or of being convinced]. Therefore, bear this well in mind, and await its fulfilment.' Then Jetsün partook of the poisoned food.

When the woman had reported these things to the Geshé, he said, ‘Everything that is spoken is not necessarily true. [According to the proverb], "Not everything that is cooked is fit [for food]." ⁹ Enough for me that he hath taken the poison. Now take heed and keep thy mouth shut.'

Then Jetsün sent word to the people of Tingri and Nyanam, and to all who had known him and had faith in him, to come to see him, each with a small offering. He sent a like invitation to all who had a wish to meet him, but had never done so. Also to all his disciples the message was proclaimed; and, greatly impressed by its ominous nature, each of them, male and female, initiated and uninitiated, acquainted and unacquainted with one another, assembled in a great assembly at Lapchi-Chūbar. Then for many days Jetsün preached to them concerning the Apparent Truth [i.e. the Law of Karma] and the Real Truth [i.e. the Dharma-Kāya.

During these days, the more spiritually gifted of the hearers beheld the skies filled with gods listening [to the Master]. Many others felt [intuitively] that in the skies and on the earth there was an innumerable congregation of divine as of human beings, all joyfully listening to the preaching of the Dharma; and they felt a joyfulness pervading the whole gathering. And, to every one present, there appeared various phenomenal signs, such as rainbows arching a clear blue sky; [then again] clouds, of different colours, assuming the shapes of [royal] umbrellas, and banners, and different offerings; and showers of variegated blossoms. There was heard by all the most exquisite music from various musical instruments; and the most fragrant odours, such as none had ever before enjoyed, filled the air. Those of moderate spiritual development who experienced these phenomena of good omen, inquired of Jetsün why there was the feeling of wondrous communion between the celestial auditors filling the skies and the human auditors assembled on the earth, and why the various auspicious phenomenal signs, which every person present saw, had occurred.

Jetsün replied, 'Among human beings, the number who are spiritually developed, inclusive of both the initiated and the uninitiated, is not great, whereas those piously inclined among the divine beings, who are ever eager to hear the Dharma, fill the very skies and are offering to me in worship the five celestial objects of enjoyment,¹⁰ and radiating, to all alike, joy and cheerfulness of mind. Thus do ye feel thrilled with gladness, and perceive the joyous and favourable signs.'

Thereupon, they asked him, 'Why, then, should the divine beings be invisible to [most of] us?' Jetsün replied, 'Many there are among the gods who have attained the Anāgāmi State¹¹ and various other degrees of holiness; and, to be able to see them, it is necessary to be endowed with the perfected vision and the highest zeal in the acquirement of the two kinds of merit, and free from the two obscuring impurities born of Ignorance. If the chiefs among the gods be seen, then, too, will their followers be seen. Whosoever desire to see these divine beings, must devote themselves to acquiring merit sufficient for the expiating of all evil karma. Thereupon, one may see in oneself the highest and holiest of all gods [which is the Pure Mind].'

Then Jetsün chanted a hymn on the way to see the gods:

'Obeisance at the Feet of Gracious Marpa!
Bless Thy Spiritual Descendants, that they may multiply.¹²

To me, Milarepa, the Devotee,
Celestial beings, from Tuṣita Heavens,
And other Holy Regions, come to hear my sermons.
Thy fill all quarters of the skies,
But only those [among my human followers] enjoying the five kinds of vision,¹³
Can behold them; the common folk behold them not;
Yet I myself without impediment see each of them.
For the good of all the congregation,
They offer reverence unto me, with heavenly offerings.

The heavens are filled with radiance of rainbows;
Celestial showers of sweet-smelling blossoms fall;
All beings alike hear harmonies melodious, and fragrance of incense enjoy;
Love divine, and happiness, pervade the whole assembly.
Such are the [fruits of] Grace-Waves of the Kargyütpa Saints.¹⁴

Taking to yourselves the Gracious Refuge of the Faith,
If ye desire to see the Gods and Angels,
Give ear attentively to this, my hymn:’

‘Because of evil karma, accumulated by you in past lives,
The moment ye are of your mother born, ye delight in sinning;
The doing of the good and merit-bringing deeds ye like not;
E'en till ye are grown old, your nature is perverse:
Thus surely must ye garner the results of evil actions.

If ye wonder whether evil karma can be neutralized or not, Then know that it is neutralized by desire for goodness.

But they who knowingly do evil deeds,
Exchange a mouthful of food for infamy.¹⁵

They who knowing not whither they themselves are bound,
Yet presume to pose as guides for others,
Do injury both to themselves and others.

If pain and sorrow ye desire sincerely to avoid,
Avoid, then, doing harm to others.

Repenting and confessing of all previous sins,
At the feet of the Guru and the Deities,
And vowing never more in future to commit a wrong,
Are the shortest path to rapid expiation of all evils done.

The greater part of sinners are sharp-witted;
[Of mind] unstable and unfixed, they delight in various distractions;¹⁶
And unendowed are they with love of the religious life:
This, in itself, doth signify that they are sin-obscured,
And need repentance and confession o'er and o'er.

Do ye each give yourselves, with zeal,
To expiating sins and winning merit;
If thus ye do, not only shall ye see
The Dharma-loving deities celestial,
But the holiest and highest of all gods.
The Dharma-Kāya of your own mind ye shall also see;
And seeing That, ye shall have seen the All,
The Vision Infinite, the Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa¹⁷
Then shall your karmic actions cease.'

Upon Jetsün's chanting this hymn, those of the assembled deities and human beings who were highly developed spiritually, obtained the right view of the Dharma-Kāya [or Nirvāṇic] State. Those of moderate development obtained experience of the super-sensuous divine state of Ecstatic Bliss and Voidness¹⁸ such as they had never before known, and were helped thereby to enter upon the Path [of the Realization of Nirvāṇa]. And not one of all the others who were there but was desirous of gaining the Great Emancipation.

Then Jetsün addressed the congregation, saying, 'My disciples, gods, and men, and all who are assembled here to-day, our coming together is the result of good karmafrom past lives; and in this life we have established a purer and holier relationship by religious communion. Now that I am grown very aged, no certainty is there of our being able to meet again [in this lifetime]. I exhort you to preserve the religious discourses which I have delivered to you, and not to neglect them, but to carry their teachings into practice, in so far as ye can, in your daily lives. If ye do this, in whatever realm I may arrive at the Perfection of Buddhahood, ye shall be the first body of disciples to receive the Truth that I shall then preach. Therefore rejoice in this.'

When those present from Nyanam heard these words of the Lord Jetsün, they asked of one another whether the Master meant that he was about to leave this world in order to go and benefit some other world; and said that, if this were his meaning, they should entreat him to ascend to the Paradise Realm from Nyanam, or, if that could not be, at least to bless Nyanam by a final visit. So they went to Jetsün, and, clasping his feet, entreated him with tear-filled eyes and in fervency of faith and love to grant their prayer. In like manner did the disciples and lay-followers from Tingri entreat Jetsün to go to Tingri. To these entreaties Jetsün made reply:

'I am now too far advanced in years to go to Nyanam or Tingri; I will await death at Brin and Chūbar. Therefore, each of ye may give me your parting good-wishes and return home; I will meet all of you in the Sacred Paradises.'

Then they prayed that, if Jetsün were unable to visit their countries, he might, at least, utter a blessing upon each of the places which he had visited, and a special good-wish for those people who had seen his face, or heard his voice, and listened to his preaching; and, in short, that not upon them alone [should these blessings be], but upon all sentient creatures throughout the universe.

To this entreaty, Jetsün said: 'Grateful am I for the faith which ye have manifested in me, and for the necessities of life with which ye have kept me supplied. I have shown my thankfulness in having ever wished you well; and, to do good to you, I have preached the Dharma to you, whereby, through obligation, a mutual bond hath been established between us. And, now, seeing that I am a Yogī who hath realized the Truth, it is my duty to utter for you a good-wish for peace and happiness, both temporal and spiritual, for the present time and for all eternity.'

Then Jetsün sang the following good-wishes in verse:

'O Father and Protector of all Creatures, Thou Who hast Thine Own Good-Wishes realized,
Translator Marpa, I bow down at Thy Feet!

O my disciples, here assembled, hearken unto me.
Kind, indeed, have ye been unto me,
And kind have I been unto you;
May we, thus bound together by ties of mutual helpfulness,
Meet in the Realm of Happiness.¹⁹

Ye donors of alms, who here are seated,
May ye live long, and be e'er prosperous;
May no perverted thought find entry to your minds;
May all your thoughts e'er pious be and lead to your success religiously.

May peace harmonious bless this land;
May it be ever free from maladies and war;
May there be harvests rich, and increased yield of grain;
May every one delight in righteousness.

May all who have beheld my face and heard my voice,
And all who have my history known, and borne it in their heart,
And all who have but heard my name and story,
Meet me in the Realm of Happiness.

May those who make a study of my life
And emulate it, and dedicate themselves to meditation;
And each who shall transcribe, narrate, or listen to my history,
Or whosoe'er shall read and venerate it,
Or take it as their rule of conduct,
Meet me in the Realm of Happiness.

May every being in future time
Who hath the will to meditate,
In virtue of mine own austerities
Be free from all impediment and error.²⁰

To them who for devotion's sake endure hardships,
There cometh boundless merit;
To them who shall lead others to the treading of the Path,
Boundless gratitude is due;
To them who hear the story of my life,
There cometh boundless grace:
By the power of this boundless merit, gratitude, and grace,
May every being, as soon as they shall hear [my history], attain Deliverance,
And [True] Success as soon as they shall contemplate [it].

May the places of my sojourn, and the objects whereon I have rested,
And every little thing which hath been mine,
Bring peace and gladness wheresoe'er they be.

The earth, the water, fire, and air,
And the ethereal spaces wheresoever they pervade –
May I be able to embrace them all.

And may the Devas, Nagas, and the Spirits of Eight Orders,
And all the local genii and the sprites,
Do not the least of harm;
But may they each fulfil these wishes in accordance with the Dharma.

May none of living creatures, none e'en of insects,
Be bound unto saṃsāric life; nay, not one of them;
But may I be empowered to save them all.'

At these words, the lay-disciples showed great joy, for they now doubted whether Jetsün meant to pass away; so that those of Nyanam and Tingri were all the more eager to seek his grace and blessings, and to listen to his religjous discourses.

As soon as the congregation had dispersed and every one had gone home, the heavenly rainbows and the other phenomena automatically vanished.

Now the people of Brin earnestly begged Jetsün, through Shiwa-Wöd-Repa and other advanced disciples, to preach to them. Accordingly, Jetsün went to dwell in a hermitage which had been built on the top of a rock known as 'Poisonous-to-Touch', for the rock was believed to be the serpent-hood crowning the malignant Serpent-Spirit of Brin, the hermitage having been built there in order that the Serpent-Spirit should be subjugated [in virtue of hermits dwelling therein]; and there Jetsün continued his preaching to his lay-disciples of Brin. When he had completed his sermons, he said to them, 'Those who have points to be elucidated, or perplexities to be cleared concerning the special teachings which they have received, should make haste to present them, for I am not sure of living much longer.'

So the assembled disciples gathered together offerings for performing a pūjā, and having performed the pūjā, listened to the completion of the special teachings [as Jetsün made the elucidations and cleared the perplexities]. Then Bri-Gom- Repa and Seban-Repa, addressing Jetsün, asked, 'O Jetsün, from what thou hast [just] said we have come to fear lest thou intend to pass away into Nirvāṇa. It cannot be that thy life hath run its course?' Jetsün replied, 'My life and mine influence in converting others have reached their completion. Therefore must I now meet the consequence of having been born.'

A few days later, Jetsün showed signs of illness, and Ngan- Dzong-Repa began preparations for making propitiatory offerings in the worship of the Gurus, the Devas, and the Ḍākinīs, on behalf of the disciples; and, at the same time, he begged Jetsün to take medical and other treatment. He was about to summon all the laymen and disciples to complete the necessary preparations; but Jetsün said, 'It is commonly the rule that illness befalling a Yogī is to be looked upon as an exhortation to persevere in devotion, and he ought not to have any special prayers offered up for his recovery. He should utilize illness as an aid to progression on the Path, ever ready to meet suffering, and even death. As for me, Milarepa, I have, by the grace of my gracious Guru, Marpa, completed all special rites for overcoming illness, according to his particular method; and now I need neither forces nor mediators. I have made mine enemies²¹ to be bosom friends; so I need not the making of prayers or expiatory offerings. Nor do I need exorcisms or propitiatory rites to any demons; for I have transmuted all bad omens and evil presentiments into Guardian Deities of the Faith,²² who will perform all the four kinds of ceremonies. The Maladies born of the Five Poisons, I have changed into the Bliss of the Five Divine Wisdoms; therefore do I need not medicines compounded of the six chief spices.²³. The time hath come when the visible, illusory, physical body, the mind-evolved form of the Divine Body [the Dharma-Kāya, must be merged into the Realms of Spiritual Light; and for this no rites of consecration are necessary. Worldly folk who have heaped up evil karma during their lifetime, and who anticipate reaping, as the result, the pangs of birth, old age, illness, and death, in this world, vainly seek to evade or ameliorate the intensity and anguish thereof by means of propitiatory ceremonies and medical treatment. Neither through the power or authority of kings, nor the valour of the hero nor the charming form of the belle, nor the wealth of the rich, nor the fleetness of the coward, nor the oratory of an able pleader, can one ward off, or retard for a moment, the Decree of Time. There are no means or methods, be they peaceful, noble, fascinating, or stern,²⁴ which can buy off or stop the execution of this unalterable decree. If any there be who are truly fearful of those pangs, and sincerely seek to prevent their recurrence, and are really eager to attain a state of eternal bliss, I possess the secret rite for the attainment thereof.'

When Jetsün had thus spoken, some of the disciples prayed him to impart to them this ritual [or science]; and Jetsün said, 'So be it. All worldly pursuits have but the one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow: acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings, in destruction; meetings, in separation; births, in death. Knowing this, one should, from the very first, renounce acquisition and heaping-up, and building, and meeting; and, faithful to the commands of an eminent guru, set about realizing the Truth [which hath no birth or death]. That alone is the best ritual [or science]. I have yet my last important testament to impart. This, forget ye not, I will do hereafter.’

Again Shiwa-Wöd-Repa and Ngan-Dzong-Repa addressed Jetsün, saying, 'O Jetsün, were thou to regain health, thou couldst continue to do good to many more sentient creatures. Therefore, even though thou dost not see fit to grant our prayers in full, yet in order that we may not have regrets hereafter, we again pray that thou wilt be pleased to perforin an efficacious Tantric ceremonial of worship for thy recovery; and, at the same time, take some medicine.'

Jetsün answered, 'Were it not that my time had come, I should have done as ye have requested. But, if one were to condescend to perform a Tantric rite for the prolongation of one's life without having, as the plea, the altruistic intention to serve others, it would be as improper behaviour towards the Divine Deities as it would be towards a king to ask him to perform the menial service of sweeping and scrubbing one's floor; and such act carrieth with it its own penalty. Therefore, I adjure you never to perform sacred Tantric rites with a view to success in worldly pursuits; though selfish folk [who know no better] are not to blame in so doing. I have passed my life in incessant practice of the Highest Tantric Truths, in order to benefit all sentient beings; this will serve for religious rites [for warding off evil] now. Because of such devotion, my mind knoweth not how to move away from the firm Seat of Truth [in Samādhi]; this will suffice for the rites for long life. Marpa's remedies have eradicated the very roots of the diseases of the Five Poisons [i.e. lust, hatred, stupidity, egotism, jealousy]; this will serve for medical treatment. As for yourselves, merely to be devotees, or to have adopted the religious career, will not suffice; ye must, in addition, use trials and tribulations as aids on the Path. If one's time have not come, and some evil interruption threaten one's life, there is no harm in having recourse to medical treatment and [faith-cure] rituals for one's recovery, providing such shall assist one on the Path. Recent evils can be warded off by exercising the very might of the correlative and interdependent chain of circumstances which result [from them]; and even those evils themselves can be transmuted into blessings at such times. Thus it was that in former times the Buddha, too, thinking of the good of his lesser developed disciples, held out his hand to have his pulse felt by the physician Jīvaka Kumāra, and took the medicines prescribed. But when His time had come, even He, the Lord Buddha, passed away into Nirvāṇa. Likewise, now, my time hath come, and I will not have recourse lo medical treatment or any sort of ceremonies for my cure.'

Thus would Jetsün not allow anything to be done for him. Accordingly, the two advanced disciples entreated him to instruct them as follows: 'If Jetsün is really passing away to some other realm, then, for our good, how should the funeral ceremonies be performed, how should the bones and reliques be honourably preserved, and how should the stūpas and tsha-tshas be made? Again, who should be elected as thy successor; and how are the ceremonies on the anniversary [of thy passing away] to be conducted? Then, too, which disciple is to follow this or that branch of religious practice, such as listening [to instruction], cogitating, or meditating [in solitude]. In all these matters we solicit thine own verbal directions.'

To this Jetsün answered, 'By the kind favour of Marpa, I have fulfilled all the duties of the Saṃsāra and attained Deliverance [therefrom]. The three principles of my personality [i.e. body, speech, and mind] having been transmuted into the Body of Truth, there is no certainty that I shall leave a corpse behind me. There is, therefore, no need either of stūpas or of clay tsha-tshas. As I own no monastery or temple, I need not appoint any one to succeed me. The bleak, sterile hills, and the mountain peaks, and the other solitary retreats or hermitages, all of you may possess and occupy. All the sentient beings of the Six Lokas ye may protect as your children and followers. Instead of erecting stupas, cultivate loving fondness towards all parts of the Dharma, and set up the Victorious Banner of Devotion; and, in place of tsha-tshas, let there be uninterrupted daily repetitions of the fourfold prayer. For periodical ceremonies [in memory of my passing away], offer me earnest prayer from the innermost recesses of your hearts. As regardeth the method of acquiring practical knowledge, if ye find a certain practice increaseth your evil passions and tendeth to selfishness, abandon it, though it may appear virtuous; and if any line of action tend to counteract the Five Evil Passions, and to benefit sentient beings, know that to be true and holy Dharma, and continue it, even though it should appear to be sinful [to those bound to worldly conventionalities].

‘If, after having heard these counsels, one fail to follow them and, instead, infringe and trample upon them in defiance of the [Divine] Law, howsoever well- informed such a one may be, he will merely be earning a place in the lowest Hell. Life is short, and the time of death is uncertain; so apply yourselves to meditation. Avoid doing evil, and acquire merit, to the best of your ability, even at the cost of life itself. In short, the whole purport may be stated thus: Act so that ye have no cause to be ashamed of yourselves; and hold fast to this rule. If ye do thus, ye can be sure of never disobeying the commands of the Supreme Buddhas, notwithstanding any conflicting rules which may be found set down in writing. Herein is contained all guidance concerning listening and deliberating. Satisfied will this old man's heart be if ye act accordingly; for if my heart be satisfied, then will your duties be fulfilled, both towards the Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa. No other method, howsoever agreeable it may be from a worldly point of view, can in the least satisfy me.' Then, in amplification, Jetsün chanted the hymn concerning things useful:

'I bow down at the Feet of Marpa the Translator!

Ye, my disciples, here in faith assembled,
Give ear to this, the final testament,
Of me, the aged Milarepa, the Father [Spiritual] –
I, the Yogī, Milarepa,
Who by the Kindness and the Favour of Marpa of Lhobrak,²⁵
Have successfully accomplished all my duties.

If ye, my śiṣyas and my followers,
Will my behests obey, do as I heretofore have bid you;
And thus within this very lifetime ye shall do
A mighty service unto others and yourselves,
Pleasing unto me and to the Supreme Buddhas;
Apart from that, all other acts are profitless
For self and others, and displeasing unto me.

'Unless one's Guru be of an unbroken [apostolic] line,
What gain is it to take Initiation? ²⁶

Unless the Dharma be with one's own nature blended, What gain is it to know by rote the Tantras?²⁷

Without renunciation of all worldly aims,
What gain is it to meditate the Chosen Teachings?

Without attuning body, speech, and mind unto the Doctrine,
What gain is it to celebrate religious rites?

If anger be unconquered by its antidote,²⁸
What gain is it to meditate on patience?

Unless all partiality, all likes and dislikes, be abandoned,
What gain is it to offer worship?

Unless all selfishness be given up, from the very heart's depths,
What gain is it to offer alms?

Unless the beings of the Lokas Six be known to be one's parents,
What gain is it to fill a certain seat hierarchical?

Unless pure love and veneration be innate within one's heart,
What gain is it to build a stūpa?

Unless one have ability to meditate throughout the four divisions of the day,
What gain is it to mould tsha-tshas?

'Unless prayer rises from the heart's recesses
What gain is it to honour anniversaries?

Unless the Secret Teachings²⁹ be retained within one's ear,
What gain is it to suffer sorrow?

'Unless both faith and love attend the Saint while living,
What gain is it to contemplate his reliques or his image?

Unless repentance and remorse are born in one,
What gain is it to say, “Renounce and make repentance?"

Unless one meditate on loving others more than self,
What gain is it merely from the lips to say, “O pity [sentient creatures] "?

Unless all evil hankerings be overcome,
What gain is it to render service now and then?³⁰

Unless the Guru’s every word e'er be regarded [and obeyed] as being reasonable,
What gain is it to have a multitude of śiṣyas?

All actions which bring naught of benefit,
Do naught but harm; so leave them quietly aside.

To the Yogī who hath carried out his mission,
No need is there to undertake fresh duties.'

The chanting of this left a deep impression upon the hearts of the disciples. Then Jetsün began to manifest symptoms of serious illness. Just about this time the Geshé Tsaphuwa came with a small quantity of meat and chhang, ostensibly to present them to Jetsün, but really to see [for himself] how Jetsün was. He said to him, 'Such a saintly person as Jetsün should not have been afflicted with so serious an illness; but since it hath come, it ought to be distributed among all thy disciples, if this were possible; or, if there be means of transferring it, then it might be transferred to a person like myself; but since this, too, is impossible, what now had best be done?'

Jetsün smiled and said, 'There really was no reason for this disease afflicting me, but I had no choice in the matter, as thou perhaps knowest quite well. Generally speaking, a Yogī’s illness and that of the ordinary person are not of the same character; to the former it may seem to be accidental. But in this particular instance mine illness is to me an adornment.'

Having thus spoken, Jetsün chanted this hymn:

'The Round of Birth and Death and the Deliverance are seen [or understood] within the Realm of the Clear Light;
When the hands attain their natural posture,³¹
The Great Mudrā upon them placeth its seal.³²
Thus is there [in me] greatness of indifference,
And courage knowing not impediment.

Diseases, evil spirits, sins, and obscurations,
But tend to beautify me greatly;
They lie within me, shaped as nerves, as humours, and as seed.
Gifts I use to ornament the signs of my perfection;
May the sins of evil thoughts be expiated.³³
This illness, which becometh me so well,
I could transfer, but no need is there to do so.'

The Geshé thought, 'Jetsün suspecteth me of having been the means of poisoning him, but is not quite sure about it. As for transferring the illness, I am quite certain that he could do no such thing, even had he good reason for so doing. Then he said, 'O Jetsün, I wish I knew the real cause of thine illness. If it be caused by malignant spirits, they should be exorcized; if merely constitutional, due to inequality of the bodily humours, these should be equalized and set right; but I have no knowledge of this ailment. If, however, thou can transfer it, please transfer it to me.'

Jetsün made answer, 'A certain sentient being became possessed by one of the most malignant of evil spirits, and that spirit was the Demon of Egotism. Such was the demon that caused mine illness, by disturbing the harmony of my constitution. Neither can the demon be exorcized nor the illness cured. Were I to transfer the illness to thee, not for a moment wouldst thou be able to endure it, so I will not transfer it.’

The Geshé thought to himself, 'Ah; unwilling to admit his inability to transfer the disease, he pretendeth that he doth not wish to transfer it.' So the Geshé said, most insistently [to Jetsün], 'Pray, do transfer it!'

Jetsün replied, 'Very well then, I will not transfer it to thee, but to yonder door; thou mayst merely observe its force.' So saying, Jetsün transferred it to the door of the meditation-room, whereupon the door began to emit sounds of cracking and splitting; it throbbed and vibrated, and seemed on the point of crumbling away. At the same time, Jetsün appeared to be free from pain.

The Geshé again thought to himself, 'Surely this is magical illusion'; and he said, 'Most wonderful! Pray transfer it to me.'

Jetsün said, 'Accordingly, I will show thee a little of its force, O Geshé. And Jetsün took back the pain from the door and transferred it to Tsaphuwa, telling him that that was only one-half of the pain, and asking him what he thought of its intensity, and whether it were bearable.

The Geshé was so overcome with unbearable pain that he was about to faint away. Then, having thus felt the intensity and anguish of the pain to which Jetsün had been subjected, he repented deeply and sincerely of his evil; and, placing Jetsün's feet upon his head and shedding tears profusely, he wailed forth, 'O Jetsün, Sacred Lord, this illness hath been, as thy Reverend Self hath said, brought upon thee by this creature, obsessed by selfishness and jealousy. Accept, I pray thee, all my worldly goods, movable and immovable; and pardon me this crime, that the evil karma thereof may not overtake me.'

These words being uttered in a spirit of sincere remorse, Jetsün saw that the repentance was really earnest, and gladly granted forgiveness. Taking back the entire pain, he made answer, 'During my whole lifetime, no house or property have I ever owned; ³⁴ and now, on my death-bed, when I have not the least need of possessions, what should I do with worldly goods? Take back thy gifts, and henceforth refrain from transgressing the precepts of the Dharma. With respect to thy present transgression, earnestly will I pray that no evil karma may overtake thee and that thou mayst not suffer because of it.' Then Jetsün chanted this hymn:

'Obeisance to the Feet of Perfect Marpa!

Even the Five Heinous Sins, limitless [in evil consequences],
If speedily repented, may be neutralized.
So may the virtue of my merit and my share of Happiness,
With that of all the Buddhas of the past, the present, and the future,
Efface the evil karma of all sentient beings:
May all thy share of miseries, too,
Be taken o'er by me and likewise neutralized.³⁵

Pity have I for him who doeth injury
Unto his Guru, or preceptor, or his parents;
And may the evil karma born thereof,
Be partaken of by me and thoroughly digested.

Mayst thou remain apart from vicious comrades,
And in all future states of being
Mayst thou encounter virtuous friends;
May none do unto thee, by evil intent, aught
Which would exhaust thy store of merit.

May every sentient creature e'er encounter
Reciprocal goodwill and the nobleness of the Bodhisattvic mind.'

On Jetsün's chanting this hymn, the Geshé felt greatly comforted. In the fervour of boundless gladness and faith he vowed that henceforth he would shun all impious deeds and give himself entirely to religious devotion till his death; and he said [to Jetsün], 'The evil deeds which in the past I have been tempted to commit were due to my love of wealth and property. Henceforth, I desire neither houses nor lands nor wealth nor worldly goods. Therefore, even though Jetsün have no need of my possessions, they may serve to assist and maintain the disciples and followers who are engaged in devotional studies. So I entreat thee to accept them.'

Despite the earnestness of this entreaty, Jetsün refused to accept the Geshd's possessions; but, subsequently, the disciples took them over and utilized them for defraying the cost of Jetsün's funeral ceremonies, and the periodical festivals instituted thereafter to commemorate Jetsün's passing away, which continue to be celebrated even now. And, eventually, Tsaphuwa himself became a very earnest devotee.

Then Jetsün said, 'As the fruit of my sojourn in this place, a hardened sinner hath been converted through repentance and successfully guided towards Deliverance. My mission here thus having been accomplished, no longer is there need for a Yogī to remain in a worldly place of abode. For a Yogī to die in a village is like a king dying in the house of a common rustic. I must go to die at Chūbar.

Seban-Repa replied, 'Owing to thy present illness, it will be too fatiguing for thee to attempt the journey on foot. We will carry thee in a palankeen, Sir.'

To this Jetsün answered, 'To me there is no reality either in illness or in death. I have manifested here the phenomena of illness; I will manifest the phenomena of death at Chūbar. For this I need no palankeen. Some of the younger Repas [i.e. Jetsün's disciples] may go on ahead to Chūbar.'

Thereupon, some of the younger disciples went on ahead, but they found that Jetsün had already reached the Cave of Brilche (Cow-Yak's Tongue). The elder disciples, who followed later, escorted and attended another Jetsün. Another Jetsün was at the 'Poison-to-Touch Rock', manifesting the phenomena of illness. While the one Jetsün was being escorted and served by the devout followers on the journey to Chūbar, another was preaching to those who had assembled for a final sermon at the Red Rock. And, again, to every one who remained at home and made religious offering in farewell to Jetsün, a Jetsün appeared.

So those who went ahead to Chūbar said that Jetsün had preceded them there, while the elder disciples who had gone with Jetsün said that they had escorted him. Each party of those who separately arrived later claimed to have come along with Jetsün. Others asserted that, on that very day, Jetsün had been with them at the Red Rock; some said that he had been in their house then; and those who had offered him worship claimed that he had been in each of their houses at the same time. Thus every one claimed Jetsün as having been their honoured guest and recipient of services or veneration, and could come to no agreement. Finally, in one united group, they put the question to Jetsün himself, and he said, 'All of you are right. It was I who was playing with you.' ³⁶

Thereafter, Jetsün dwelt at the Cave of Brilche, in Chūbar; and his illness continued. And at this time such phenomena as the feeling of ecstasy and the seeing of rainbows, which had attended his previous sermons, permeated the whole country-side, so that the tops of the mountains were made glorious, and everywhere there commonly prevailed a feeling of auspiciousness. Every one was certain that Jetsün had decided to depart for another world.

Then the foremost disciples, Shiwa-Wöd-Repa, the Master of Ngan-Dzong,³⁷ and Seban-Repa, together asked Jetsün to which Realm he intended going, and whither they should address their prayers [to him]. They further inquired if he had any last injunctions or commands to impart; and each prayed for special guidance as to the line of devotion to adopt.

Jetsün replied to them, 'As to the place or direction whither ye should address your prayers, [I command you to] direct them according to your own beliefs and faith. In whatever place ye pray with sincerity and earnestness, there will I be in front of each of you,³⁸ and I will fulfil your wishes. Therefore, pray earnestly and with firm faith. For the present, I intend going to the Realm of Happiness [i.e. Ngön-gak] wherein the Bhagavan Akṣobhya reigneth. And my last injunction, or will, when I, Milarepa, am dead, is this: To Rechung, who, as I foresee, will soon arrive, give my bamboo-staff and this cotton raiment which ye all see with me as my sole possessions; they will serve for him as a sort of success-bringing talisman in his meditation on the control of the Vital Airs.³⁹ Until Rechung arriveth, no one is to touch my body. The hat of the Master Maitrī and this black staff of agaru will carry with them success in upholding the Faith by means of deep meditation and high aspiration; see that they are given to Üpa-Tönpa. This wooden bowl may be taken by Shiwa-Wöd. And this skull-cup I give to Ngan-Dzong-Tönpa, To Seban- Repa, I give this flint and steel. This bone-spoon I give to Bri-Gom-Repa. To the other disciples I leave this cotton mantle of mine, which they may divide among themselves in strips. From a worldly point of view, these things are of little value, but each beareth with it a spiritual blessing.

'Now hear my principal testament, of which none save my chief disciples and lay followers, male and female, should be informed: All the gold that I, Milarepa, have amassed during my lifetime lieth hidden here beneath this hearth; and with it there are written instructions as to how it is to be distributed among you all. After my departure, fail not to look for it, and act according to the instructions found with it.

'As to how ye are to carry the religious teachings into practice in your everyday life, bear in mind the following: Some there may be among you who are proud of their apparent sanctity, but who, at heart, are really devoted to acquiring name and fame in this world; they dispense a hundred necessary and unnecessary things in charity, hoping thereby to reap a liberal return. This, though displeasing to the Divinities gifted with divine vision, is persevered in by selfish beings of obscured vision. The hypocrisy of thus hankering after the rich juices of this world, while outwardly appearing pious and devout, because unable to face the ridicule of the world [which might otherwise come to know of the hankering], is like partaking of delicacies and rich food mixed with deadly aconite. Therefore, drink not the venom of desire for worldly fame and name; but casting aside all the fetters of worldly duties, which but lead to this desire, devote yourselves to sincere and earnest devotion.'

The disciples then inquired if they could engage in worldly duties, in a small way, for the benefit of others, and Jetsün said, 'If there be not the least self-interest attached to such duties, it is permissible.⁴⁰ But such [detachment] is indeed rare; and works performed for the good of others seldom succeed if not wholly freed from self-interest. Even without seeking to benefit others, it is with difficulty that works done even in one's own interest [or selfishly] are successful. It is as if a man helplessly drowning were to try to save another man in the same predicament. One should not be over-anxious and hasty in setting out to serve others before one hath oneself realized Truth in its fullness; to be so, would be like the blind leading the blind.⁴¹ As long as the sky endureth, so long will there be no end of sentient beings for one to serve; and to every one cometh the opportunity for such service. Till the opportunity come, I exhort each of you to have but the one resolve, namely, to attain Buddhahood for the good of all living things.

'Be lowly and meek. Clothe yourselves in rags. Be resigned to hardships with respect to food and dress. Renounce all thought of acquiring worldly renown. Endure bodily penance and mental burdens. Thus gain knowledge from experience. That your study and penance be directed towards the right path, it is necessary to hold these injunctions in your hearts.'

Having so spoken, Jetsün sang this hymn:

'Obeisance at the Feet of Lordly Marpa the Translator!

If ye who would be devotees, and Wisdom win,
Do not procure and serve a Guru wise,
Though ye have faith and meekness, small will be the Grace.

If ye do not obtain the Initiation deep and mystic,
The words alone, the Tantras hold, will merely serve as fetters.

If ye keep not the Tantric Scriptures as your witness,
All practice of the rites will be but many snares.

If ye do not the Chosen Teachings meditate,
Mere renunciation of the worldly life will be but vain self torture.

If ye subdue not evil passions by their antidote,
Mere verbal preachings will be but empty sounds.

If ye know not the Subtle Methods and the Path,
Mere perseverance will bear but little fruit.

If ye know not the Secret and the Subtle Methods,
Mere exercise of zeal will make the Pathway long.

If ye do not acquire great merit,
And work for self alone, saṃsāric being will continue.

If ye do not devote unto Religion all your worldly goods amassed,
Much meditation will not gain much Knowledge.

If ye do not acquire contentment in yourselves,
Heaped-up accumulations will only enrich others.

If ye do not obtain the Light of Inner Peace,
Mere external ease and pleasure will become a soiree of pain.

If ye do not suppress the Demon of Ambition,
Desire of fame will lead to ruin and to lawsuits.

The desire to please exciteth the Five Poisonous Passions;
The greed of gain separateth one from dearest friends;
The exaltation of the one is the humiliation of the others.

Hold your peace and no litigation will arise;
Maintain the State of Undistractedness and distraction will fly off;
Dwell alone and ye shall find a friend;
Take the lowest place and ye shall reach the highest;
Hasten slowly and ye shall soon arrive;
Renounce all worldly goals and ye shall reach the highest goal.

If ye tread the Secret Path, ye shall find the shortest way;
If ye realize the Voidness, Compassion will arise within your hearts;
If ye lose all differentiation between yourselves and others, fit to serve others ye will be;
And when in serving others ye shall win success, then shall ye meet with me;
And finding me, ye shall attain to Buddhahood.

To me, and to the Buddha, and the Brotherhood of my disciples
Pray ye earnestly, without distinguishing one from the other.'

Thus did Jetsün sing. And then he said, 'Seeing that I may not have much longer now to live, observe my teachings and follow me.

After saying this, Jetsün sank into the quiescent state of Samādhi. Thus did Jetsün pass away at the age of eighty-four years,⁴² on the fourteenth day of the last of the three winter months of the Wood-Hare Year [a.d. 1135],⁴³ at dawn.

At his passing, Jetsün exhibited the process of merging the physical body with the Realm of Eternal Truth,⁴⁴ the Devas and Ḍākinīs manifested then much greater and more marvellous phenomena than ever before, and very many of the people there assembled beheld the phenomena. The unclouded sky appeared as if it were palpable with prismatic colours, arranged in a background of geometrically chequered designs, in the centre of which were vari-coloured lotuses, some of eight and some of four petals. Upon the petals were marvellously designed maṇḍalas [or mystic circular designs] more beautiful than any that could be made by the most skillful artist [among men]. The firmament contained many wondrously tinted clouds, which assumed the form of [royal] umbrellas and banners, curtains, and draperies, and various other objects of worship. There were profuse showers of blossoms. Clouds of varied colours adorned the mountain peaks and assumed the form of stūpas, each with its head bending towards Chūbar. Ravishingly melodious music to the accompaniment of heavenly psalms in praise of the departed Saint were heard. And a delicious perfume, more fragrant than any earthly essence, pervaded the air, so that every one perceived it. Celestial beings, both Devas and Ḍākinīs, bearing various offerings, were seen by many people, as if coming to welcome Jetsün. More marvellous yet, the human beings upon seeing the nude forms of Devas felt no sense of shame, nor did the celestial beings seem to be affected with the unpleasant odour emitted by the human beings.⁴⁵ Gods and men met and conversed freely with one another, sometimes exchanging greetings; so that, for the time being, they were carried back to the Golden Age [or the Sat-Yuga].⁴⁶

The people of Nyanam, soon hearing that Jetsün had passed away, went to Chūbar and proposed to the disciples and laymen of Brin that they should have the privilege of cremating Jetsün's body at Nyanam, but the proposal was rejected. Thereupon, the people of Nyanam requested that the cremation be postponed until they could go and bring from Brin all the faithful, so that these could have a last look at their deceased Guru. This being granted, they went to Brin and returned with a strong body of men, prepared to carry away the remains of their Guru forcibly. A conflict seemed imminent, when the chief disciples interposed, and said, 'Ye people of Nyanam and of Brin! All of ye believed in Jetsün, and were his followers equally. Seeing that Jetsün hath passed away in Chūbar, it is not fitting that his body be cremated at Nyanam. Ye who are from Nyanam may remain here until the cremation is over, and will receive a due share of the reliques from the ashes of Jetsün.' But the people of Nyanam, thinking themselves to be the more numerous and powerful, were about to carry off the corpse by force, when a Deva appeared from the heavens, and in the voice of Jetsün sang this hymn:

'O ye disciples here assembled!
And ye lay-followers, disputing o'er a corpse!
Give ear unto my judgement:
I am a deva-follower of Jetsün,
Come to make peace between you by my counsel.
Milarepa, the best of men,
Hath merged his mind in the unbegotten Dharma-Kāya;
And since there is no form that's real except the mind,
Whilst Jetsün's earthly form is [likewise] being merged in the Dharma-Kāya,
If ye do not obtain the Reliques True,
Foolish is it to quarrel about a corpse.
Only the stupid would dispute o'er Milarepa's body;
Not likely is it that by quarrelling ye'll obtain it.
Pray with meekness, and have faith;
If from the heart's depths ye will pray,
Though the Dharma-Kāya hath no birth,
Yet by the grace come of good wishes the Unobstructed⁴⁷ shineth forth.
And thus shall all of you obtain a portion of the Reliques,
Each according to deserts.'

Having sung this, the Deva vanished like a rainbow, and the lay-disciples felt as joyful as if they had once more beheld their beloved Guru. They ceased disputing and began to pray.

Then the foremost disciples and the people of Brin saw that they possessed one corpse of Jetsün, and the people of Nyanam that they possessed another. And the latter took the corpse away and cremated it at the Düt-dül Cave of Lapchi, on the rock called the 'Eagle's Egg'; this cremation, too, being attended with many phenomena. Rainbows arched the skies; there were showers of blossoms; heavenly perfumes filled the air; and celestial melodies everywhere resounded in Lapchi and in Chūbar.

The corpse at Chūbar was attended by the foremost of the disciples and laity. Most fervently they offered up unbroken prayer until, after the sixth day, it was seen that the corpse emitted a halo of radiant glory like that of divine beings, and was no larger than the body of an eight-year-old child.

Then the chief disciples said, 'Rechung seemeth not to be coming; if we postpone the cremation much longer, it is likely that there will be nothing left of the body; and thus losing our share of the reliques we shall have no object to venerate or worship. It would be better to perform the cremation at once.'

To this all agreed; and, after every one had been given the opportunity of taking a last farewell look at the face, a funeral pyre was erected on a boulder from which, as from a pulpit, Jetsün had preached, at the foot of the Brilche Cave. The corpse was carried thither in great state. The maṇḍala diagram was outlined in colours.⁴⁸ Though the funeral offerings from celestial beings were far more numerous, those brought by the followers on Earth were laid out modestly and to the best of human ability. Then an attempt was made to set fire to the funeral pyre before daybreak, even while it was still night, but the pyre could not be made to burn.⁴⁹ At the same moment, five Ḍākinīs appeared from amidst a rainbow-enhaloed cloud, and in chorus sang the following hymn:

'Rom!⁵⁰ the divine fire of the Vital Force
Having been ever contemplated [by Him],
What power hath the fire [of this world] over Him?
For Him Who hath long been engaged in devotion,
Meditating on His organic body as a shape divine,
What need is there to leave behind a fleshly corpse?
For the Yogī Who hath the perfect Divine Maṇḍala
Well defined in His own body,
What need is there of the Maṇḍala outlined on the ground?
For Him Who hath kept the Lamp of Mind
Ever burning bright, along with Vital Breath,
What need is there of your petty [worldly] lamps?
For Him Who ever feedeth on Pure Elixirs,
What need is there of cakes of cereal?⁵¹
For Him Who is clad in the Robe of Chastity,
Unsullied by the Twofold Defilement,⁵²
What need is there that ye consecrate the Holy Pot?⁵³

'The skies are filled with clouds of smoke
Of incense, and perfumes of heavenly offerings;
No need is there to-day to offer your burnt incense.

'The Four Orders of the Ḍākinīs are chanting,
And yet higher Orders of the Ḍākinīs are offering worship;
What rites then shall ye celebrate to-day?

'The Lords of Wisdom now surround the pyre,
And Heroes vie each with the other in offering reverence;
No need is there for you to touch the sacred form to-day.

'The mortal relique of the Man Who hath realized the Thatness
Hath no need of rituals conventional; let it remain in peace.

That which is worshipped now by gods and men alike
Needeth not an owner; therefore worship and make prayer.

Unto the sacred vows, enjoined by Devas and by Gurus,
No need is there to add injunctions.

Before this heap of priceless gems and jewels
Utter not “Tis mine”, but practise meditation.

With reference to the secret and deep words of Gurus and of Buddhas,
Give not way to prattling speech, but remain in silence.

The Holy Chosen Teachings, breathing forth the breath of Angels,
Are polluted by impiety; so seek ye solitude.

Unto the life which ye have chosen
Many interruptions come; so perform ye rites in secret.

From the admonitions by your wondrous Guru given
There shall come a blessing; so cast all doubts aside.

The history of your Teacher Jetsün
Hath not need of formal praise.

From the hymns the Ḍākinīs Divine have sung
A certain boon shall come; heed it meekly and with faith.

Milarepa's spiritual descendants
Shall produce many Yogīc saints, O ye of highest destiny.

Upon the people and the cattle of this place
No maladies shall come, O ye celestial and terrestrial beings.

For all the beings here to-day assembled
No birth in the Unhappy Worlds shall come, O ye of human kind.

For the Maṇḍala of the Thatness,
Appearances external and the mind are one; shatter then your theory of duality.

Unto the final words which Jetsün uttered ere He passed
Give greatest heed and His commands obey; of vast import are they.

May every one e'er practise the Sacred Dharma;
It bringeth Peace and Happiness to all.'

When these words had been sung, Ngan-Dzong-Tönpa said, 'The command that none must touch the Lord's remains until Rechung shall have arrived and the purport of the Ḍākinīs' hymn agree. But since there is no certainty that Rechung will come at all, even though we postpone the cremation of the sacred body, it seemeth likely that it will vanish without leaving behind any substantial relique whatsoever.'

Then Shiwa-Wöd-Repa said, 'Jetsün's own command, the Ḍākinīs' song, and the fact that the pyre refuseth to take fire all coincide. Rechung is certain to arrive soon. Meanwhile, let us devote ourselves to prayer.' So every one continued praying.

At this time Rechung was staying at the Loro-Döl Monastery; and one night, just after midnight, he had a dream or clairvoyant vision, while in a state of unobscured super-conscious sleep, as followeth. At Chūbar he beheld a radiant chaitya (reliquary) of crystal, whose glory filled the skies. It was about to be taken away by a multitude of Ḍākinīs' aided by his brethren in the Faith and the lay-disciples of Jetsün, along with numerous other human beings and a host of celestial beings. The skies seemed to be crowded with this multitude, all singing and offering worship. The offerings were unimaginably magnificent and numerous. He, too, was bowing down to the Chaitya. Then he saw Jetsün leaning out from the chaitya, and heard him say, 'My son Rechung, though thou didst not come when I bade thee come, nevertheless it is pleasant to meet thee again; cheering indeed is this encounter of father with son. But, there being no certainty of our meeting soon again, let us seek to appreciate fully this rare pleasure and converse on suitable topics.' He was fondly passing his hand over Rechung's head, stroking it gently and lovingly; and Rechung was thrilled thereby with rare happiness and fond affection and profound faith, such as he had never before felt towards Jetsün. Here, in the dream, he awoke; and recalling all that Jetsün had previously said to him, the thought came to him, 'May it not be that my Guru hath passed away?' As this thought flashed through his mind, a feeling of deep faith was aroused in him, so that he prayed; and overcome by an irrepressible yearning he decided to set out at once to find Jetsün, although this was not at the precise moment which Jetsün had indicated. Thereupon, two Ḍākinīs' appeared before him in the heavens, and said, 'Rechung, unless thou now hasten to see thy Guru he will soon depart to the Holy Realms, and thou wilt not see him more in this lifetime. Go thou without delay.' As they spake these words, the sky was flooded with the glory of rainbows.

Much impressed by the vision, and filled with great yearning to see his Guru, Rechung at once arose and started forth on the journey. The cocks of Loro-Döl were just crowing.

Exerting his faith in his Guruand his knowledge of controlling the breathing process, in one morning Rechung had traversed a distance which for travellers mounted on donkeys usually took two months to traverse. By the power derived from his suspension of his respiration, he shot forth at the speed of an arrow; and by daybreak reached the top of the Pass between Tingri and Brin, called Pozele. While he was resting there for a short time, the remarkable clearness of the sky and the unusual display of rainbows and other marvellous phenomena which illuminated the mountain peaks and the entire firmament, excited in him gladness and sorrow alternately. He beheld the summit of Jovō-Rabzang conspicuously lit up with rainbow radiance. He also beheld tent-shaped clouds, and issuing from the midst of them innumerable hosts of celestial beings, gods and goddesses, all alike bearing countless offerings and hastening on, nodding and making profound obeisance in the direction of Lapchi with most fervent prayer. At this, Rechung felt great misgiving, and inquired of the Deities the signification of all the signs and of their own actions.

Some of the goddesses replied, 'Hast thou, O man, been living with thine eyes and ears closed, and thus askest why all these things are made manifest? They are made manifest because Jetsün Mila-Zhadpa-Dorje,⁵⁴ who dwelt on Earth and is venerated and worshipped by both gods and men, is now departing to the Holier and Purer Realms. Therefore it is that those of the celestial beings who honour the Sacred Dharma [or the White Faith] are offering this obeisance to Jetsün, while all the human beings assembled at Chūbar are also offering him worship.'

Upon hearing this, Rechung felt as though his heart had been torn from his body, and he hurried on as fast as he could. When approaching Chūbar, upon a boulder shaped like the base of a chaitya he beheld Jetsün awaiting him. Jetsün greeted him most cordially, and said, 'Hath my son Rechung come at last? ' At that, Jetsün passed his hand over Rechung's head, stroking him lovingly, as Rechung had seen Jetsün do in the dream.

Overjoyed with the thought that Jetsün had not passed away, Rechung placed Jetsün's feet on the crown of his head, and prayed most fervently. Having made answer to all of Rechung's inquiries, Jetsün then said, ‘My son Rechung, proceed thou leisurely; I will go on ahead to prepare some reception for thee.' And Jetsün went on ahead, and in a few moments was no longer seen.

On reaching Chūbar, Rechung beheld at the cave where Jetsün was wont to dwell all the disciples and lay-followers assembled round Jetsün's body, mourning and performing various acts of worship. Some of Jetsün's most recently accepted disciples did not know Rechung, and refused to let him go near the body. Greatly grieved at this, Rechung in his agony offered to his Guru this hymn, of the Seven Branches of Offering:

'O Lord, Embodiment of the Eternal Buddhas,
Thou Refuge of all Sentient Creatures,
Out of the depths of Thy Great Love and Wisdom
Hearest Thou the lamentation of Thy Suppliant Unfortunate, Rechung-Dorje-Tagpa?

Unto Thee, in misery and woe, I cry;
If Thou wilt not Thy Love and Wisdom now exert
To shield Thy Son, for whom else shouldst Thou, Lord?

Yearning to behold my Father, to Thy Feet I fled:
Thy Son Unfortunate was fated not to see Thy Face;
Exert Thy Kindness, grant Thy Grace, O Father.

Omniscient and with Love endowed,
To Thee, O Lord, Thou Buddha of the past, the present, and the future,
I, the mendicant, most humbly pray.

To Thy Commands obedient, I worship Thee;
Forgive, I beg, my sins of impious doubts, and my heresy.

Filled am I with joyous admiration of Thy Great and Noble Deeds,
And pray that Thou continue e'er to turn the Wheel,
Of the Deep and Mystic Dharma.

All virtue which I've won, by meditation and devotion,
I dedicate, O Jetsün, to Thy Happiness;
May this, my dedication, be acceptable,
And may I see Thy Countenance.

I was, O Guru, formerly Thy Favoured One,
And now, alas! not even have I power to behold Thy Body.
Though I may not have power to see Thine Actual Form,
Yet may I be blessed by seeing e'en Thy Countenance.

And seeing thus Thy Countenance,
In actuality or clairvoyant vision,
May I obtain the Teachings Rare and Precious,
Essential for o'ercoming doubts and criticisms while studying the Twofold Teachings.⁵⁵

If thou, O Lord Omniscient, be not merciful
In answer to Thy Son's appeal, to whose else's shouldst Thou be?

O Father, withdraw Thou not Thy Hook of Grace,⁵⁶
But graciously regard me from the Unseen Realms.
On me, Rechung, Thy Witless Suppliant,
Do Thou, O Knower of the Three Times, have mercy.

O'er me, Rechung, drunk with the poison of the Passions Five,
Do Thou keep watch, O Father, endowed with the Five Attributes of Divine Wisdom.

In general, compassion have on every sentient being,
In particular, compassion have on me, Rechung.'
As soon as Rechung began to give vent to this earnest and mournful prayer, and his clear voice reached the corpse, the colour of the corpse, which had faded, became once more bright, and the funeral pyre immediately took fire and blazed up. At the same time Shiwa-Wöd Repa, Ngan-Dzong- Tönpa, Seban-Repa, and other brethren in the Faith, as well as female lay-disciples, came to welcome him. But he felt so deeply hurt at having been prevented from approaching Jetsün's body by those disciples who did not know him that he would not move until he had finished his hymn of prayer. So great was the force and earnestness of Rechung's faith that Jetsün, who had already sunk into the state of the Clear Light, reanimated his corpse⁵⁷ and addressed these words to the most recently accepted disciples: 'O ye younger disciples, act not thus; one lion is far more to be preferred than a hundred tigers. Such [a lion] is my son Rechung. Permit him to approach me.' Then to Rechung he said, 'And thou, my son Rechung, take it not so much to heart, but come near to thy Father.'

At first every one present was startled and filled with wonder; then this feeling gave way to one of gladness. Rechung himself caught hold of Jetsün, and burst forth in a flood of tears; and so overcome was he with excess of alternate joy and sorrow that for a while he swooned.

When Rechung had regained consciousness, he found all the disciples and followers seated round about the front of the cremation-house.⁵⁸ Meanwhile, Jetsün had risen in the Indestructible Body,⁵⁹ into which are merged both the spiritual body and the phenomenal body. The flames of the funeral pyre assumed the shape of an eight-petalled lotus, and from the midst of this, like the stamens of the blossom, Jetsün sat up, one of his knees half raised and his right hand extended in the preaching attitude pressing down the flames. 'Listen’, he said, 'unto this old man's last testament.' Then, both as a reply to Rechung's prayer and as his final teachings to his disciples, with his left hand placed against his cheek, he sang this final hymn concerning the Six Essential Commandments from the midst of the funeral pyre, in a divine voice issuing from the Indestructible Body:

'O Rechung, my son, as dear to me as mine own heart,
Hear thou this hymn, my final testament of precepts:

In the Saṃsāric Ocean, of the Lokas Three,
The great culprit is the impermanent physical body;
Busy in its craving search for food and dress,
From worldly works it findeth ne'er relief:
Renounce, O Rechung, every worldly thing.

Amid the City of Impermanent Physical Forms,
The great culprit is the unreal mind;
Submissive to the form of flesh and blood,
It findeth ne'er the time to realize the nature of Reality: ⁶⁰
Discern, O Rechung, the true nature of the Mind.

Upon the frontier of the Intellect and Matter,
The great culprit is the self-born [or created] knowledge;
E'er on its guard 'gainst accidental [or destructive] mishaps [to itself],⁶¹
It findeth ne'er the time to realize the true nature of the Unborn Knowledge [or Truth]:
Keep, O Rechung, within the safe stronghold of the Unborn [or Uncreated].⁶²

Upon the frontier of this and of the future life,
The great culprit is the [self-born or created] consciousness;
It seeketh e'er a form it hath not,
And findeth ne'er the time to realize the Truth:
Find, O Rechung, the nature of the Truth Eternal.

Amid the City of Illusoriness of the Lokas Six,
The chief factor is the sin and obscuration born of evil karma;
Therein the being followeth dictates of likes and dislikes,
And findeth ne'er the time to know Equality: ⁶³
Avoid, 0 Rechung, likes and dislikes.

Within a certain unseen region of the Heavens,
The Perfect Buddha, expert in subtle argument,
Hath propounded many subtle and profound Apparent Truths;
And there one findeth ne'er the time to know the Real Truths: ⁶⁴
Avoid, O Rechung, subtle argument.

Gurus, Devas, Ḍākinīs –
Combine these in a single whole, and worship that;
The goal of aspiration, the meditation, and the practice –
Combine these in a single whole, and gain Experimental Knowledge;
This life, the next life, and the life between [in Bar-do]⁶⁵ –
Regard these all as one, and make thyself accustomed to them [thus as one].⁶⁶

This is the last of my Selected Precepts,
And of my Testament the end;
Than that, no more of Truth is there, O Rechung;
Acquire from it Practical Knowledge, O my son.'

Having uttered these words, Jetsün again sank in a trance into the Clear Light. Thereupon, the funeral pyre assumed the shape of a spacious Vihāra (Mansion), square in shape, having four entrances, with pedestals for dismounting and other embellishments, and was enhaloed by a glorious rainbow having gleaming and waving curtains of coloured light. Roofs and domes appeared, surmounted by banners and flags, [royal] umbrellas and streamers, and various adornments. The flames themselves, at the base, assumed the shapes of eight-petalled lotus blossoms, curling and unfolding into various designs, such as the eight auspicious emblems, and at the top [they formed] into the seven royal insignia.⁶⁷ Even the sparks assumed the shapes of goddesses bearing various objects of offering and worship. The very cracklings of the burning flames sounded like the melodious tunings of various musical instruments, such as violins, flutes, and timbrels. The very smoke emitted the sweet odour of different kinds of incense, its eddies assuming various rainbow colours and the shapes of [royal] umbrellas and banners. The sky directly above the funeral pyre was full of angelic beings bearing vessels of nectar, which they poured down in showers. Others bore celestial food and drink, unguents and perfumes, and objects of delight for the live senses, with which every human being assembled there was regaled. Although the disciples assembled there beheld the same funeral pyre, the corpse itself appeared to one as Gaypa-Dorje, to another as Dēmchog, to a third as Sang-dü, and to a fourth as Dorje-Pa-mo.⁶⁸ And all of them heard the Ḍākinīs chanting the following hymn:

'Because of the departure of that Wish-Fulfilling Gem, the Lord,
Some weep, and some have swooned, through their excessive grief.
At such a time of mourning as is this,
Of themselves [unaided] the flames burst out,
Assuming shapes of lotus blossoms of eight petals,
And of the Eight Auspicious Emblems and the Seven Precious Insignia,
And various other beauteous objects of religious offering.
The sounds emitted by the flames
Give forth melodious music as of conch-shells, cymbals,
Harps and flutes and miniature cymbals,
Small drums and double-drums and timbrels.
And from the meteoric sparks, emitted by the flames,
Spring forth various goddesses of the outer, inner, and most esoteric conclaves,
Who offer offerings most tastefully arranged.
The smoke itself assumeth varied rainbow-colours,
And ornamental shapes of banners and [royal] umbrellas,
The Eight Auspicious Emblems, the Svastika, and the Good-Luck Diagram.

Various goddesses, of charming shapes,
Have borne away from the funeral pyre the charred bones and the ashes
Of Him who now hath rendered up his earthly body to the element ethereal;
Your cremation of his form Is finished.

The Guru, being the Dharma-Kāya, is like the expanse of the heavens
Upon the face of which the Cloud of Good Wishes of the Sambhoga-Kāya gathereth;
Whence descend the flowery showers of the Nirmāṇa-Kāya?⁶⁹
These, falling on the Earth unceasingly,
Nourish and ripen the Harvest of Saved Beings.⁷⁰

That which is of the nature of the Uncreated,
The Dharma-Dhātu, the Unborn, the Voidness,
The Śūnyatā, hath no beginning, nor doth it ever cease [to be ];
E'en birth and death are of the Nature of the Voidness:⁷¹
Such being the Real Truth, avoid doubts and misgivings [about It].

When the chanting of this hymn was finished, evening had set in; and the funeral fire had burnt itself out, so that the cremation-house was empty again. The multitude could see through it from end to end; but when the disciples looked into it some saw a great chaitya of light, others saw Gaypa- Dorje, Dēmchog, Sang-dü, and Dorje-Pa-mo. Others, again, saw various religious regalia, such as a dorje and a bell, a holy-water pot, and so on, while yet others saw different letters formed into bīja-mantras.⁷² Some also saw the cremation-house filled with radiance, like a mass of blazing gold; [in it], some saw a pool of water, others fire burning, and yet others saw nothing.

The disciples then opened the door of the cremation-house [that the ashes might cool quickly]; and, being in high expectation of precious reliques of wonderful shapes and virtue, all slept [that night] with their heads pointed towards the cremation-house. Early in the morning, Rechung dreamt that five Ḍākinīs, dressed like celestial Yogīnīs, in robes of silk and adorned with bone and precious ornaments, surrounded by many attendants of various colours, fair, yellow, red, green, and blue, were worshipping at the funeral pyre and making various offerings. The five chief Ḍākinīs were taking out a sphere of Light from within the cremation-house. For a while he was fascinated with the sight. Then it suddenly occurred to him that the Ḍākinīs might actually be removing the reliques and ashes. So he went to see; and the Ḍākinīs all flew away. Calling his brethren in the Faith, he went inside the cremation-house; and then it was seen that the ashes and bones had been completely swept away. They saw not even a particle of dust or ash. Rechung became very sad; and, addressing the Ḍākinīs, he demanded of them a portion of the reliques, for the benefit of human beings. The Ḍākinīs, in reply, said, 'As for you, the chief disciples, ye have obtained the best of all reliques; for ye have obtained the Truths, by which ye have found the Dharma-Kāya in your own minds. If that be insufficient, and ye must have something more, ye had better pray earnestly to Jetsün, and he may possibly grant you something. As regardeth the rest of mankind, why, they have not valued Jetsün as much as a fire-fly, although he was like the Sun and the Moon. They do not deserve any of his reliques at all; these are our own special property.' After saying this, the Ḍākinīs remained stationary in the sky above. And the disciples, recognizing the truth of what the Ḍākinīs had said, began to pray thus:

'O Lord, when Thou wert at Thy Guru's Feet,
All his commands Thou didst fulfil most faithfully and dutifully,
And thus obtained the entire Chosen Teachings, full of Subtle Truths;
Graciously be pleased to grant to us [a portion of] Thy Sacred Reliques,
To benefit and serve as objects for the faith of Destined Ones,
And help all sentient beings in their [psychic] growth.

O Lord, when Thou wert all alone on solitary hill,
With greatest zeal and resolution Thou didst meditate
And thus obtain miraculous accomplishment [or siddhi],
And this hath made Thee famous in all kingdoms of the Earth;
Graciously be pleased to grant to us [a portion of] Thy Sacred Reliques,
To serve as objects of veneration and of faith
Unto all who have beheld Thee or have heard Thy Name.

O Lord, when Thou didst dwell with Thy Disciples,
Gracious and kind wert Thou to all alike,
From Thee beamed forth Wisdom and Fore-Knowledge;
Thy Disciples helped Thee, in Thy Kindness and Compassion, to assist all creatures;
Graciously be pleased to grant to us [a portion of] Thy Sacred Reliques,
To serve as objects of veneration and of faith
Unto all Thy Karma-Favoured Followers.

O Lord, when Thou midst many didst preside,
Thou wert o'erflowing with the milk of sympathy and love,
And didst save all and set them on the Path,
While those most filled with sorrow Thou didst pity specially;
Graciously be pleased to grant to us [a portion of] Thy Sacred Reliques,
To serve as objects of veneration and of faith
Unto them who have not zeal and energy [like Thine].

O Lord, when the Illusory Body Thou didst cast aside,
Thou didst prove that Thou hadst gained the State Divine of Perfected Saints;
Into the Body of the Truth thou hast transmuted all the Universe,⁷³
And become the Lord of all the Holiest Ḍākinīs;
O Lord, grant, with Thy Grace, [a portion of] Thy Sacred Reliques,
To serve as objects of veneration and of faith
Unto all thy Śiṣyas here assembled.'

When they had sung this mournful prayer, there descended from the Sphere of Light, which was in the hands of the Ḍākinīs, a lustrous relique like an orb as large as an egg. In a streak of light it came down directly upon the funeral pyre. All the disciples stretched out their hands eagerly, each claiming it for himself. But the relique went back again to the firmament, and was absorbed in the Sphere of Light which the Ḍākinīs still held in their hands. Then the Sphere of Light divided itself, one part becoming a lotus throne, supported by lions, on the surface of which lay a solar and lunar disk,⁷⁴ and the other part resolved itself into a Chaitya of crystal, clear and transparent, about a cubit in height. The Chaitya emitted brilliant five-coloured rays.⁷⁵ The end of each ray was adorned with an image of a Buddha of the Series of the Thousand and Two Buddhas; ⁷⁶ and rays with all these Buddhas surrounded the Chaitya. The four tiers at the base [of the Chaitya] were occupied [by images of] the Tutelary Deities of the Four Classes of the Tantric Pantheon,⁷⁷ in their due order. The inside of the Chaitya was occupied by an image of Jetsün, about a span in height, surrounded by images of Ḍākinīs, bowing down in worship. Two Ḍākinīs, who guarded the Chaitya and offered worship to it, sang the following hymn:

'O Sons, Deva-Kyong, and Shiwa-Wöd,
Ngan-Dzong-Tönpa, and others,
Disciples of high destiny, in white cotton robed,
Out of true faith and great religious fervour,
Ye called upon your spiritual Father's Name,
Praying for a relique as an object both of veneration and of faith.

'By power of the faith and zeal shown by that prayer,
An Object that embodieth in itself all virtues of the Tri-Kāya,
Which, if merely seen, saveth beings from the Round of Birth and Death,
And which, if believed in, bringeth Buddhahood,
The Dharma-Kāya - a single sphere its symbol –
Brought forth, to be that relique, which is egg-shaped;
An object of veneration for all sentient beings it was meant to be.
It could not be of any one the private property, yet ye all clutched at it;
Possessed by vulgar beings, where might it remain?
But, if ye pray most earnestly again,
Its Grace and Blessing shall not be diminished:
This is the Sacred Promise of all Buddhas.

The Father-Mother Tutelary Deities, Dēmchog in union,
Sepulchral ornaments of [human] bone adorning them,
By hosts of Heroes and of Yogīnīs⁷⁸ surrounded,
Fill all the skies with their perfect conclaves;
These Deities Divine, Sambkoga-Kāya Wisdom personifying,
Their powers and their [spiritual] gifts grant quickly;
And if to them ye pray most earnestly,
Their Grace and Blessing shall not be diminished:
This is the Sacred Promise of all Ḍākinīs.

In virtue of the Goodness of the Buddha, the Dharma-Kāya’s Self,
Various phenomena have been vouchsafed –
A crystal Chaitya, a cubit long,
A thousand [and two] Buddha images of stone adorning it,
And the Four Orders of the Tantric Deities,
Have been produced miraculously;
If ye one-pointedly make earnest prayer,
The virtue of that Goodness shall not be diminished:
This is the Sacred Promise of all Dharmapālas.⁷⁹

The Guru, Who inseparably is the Embodiment, of the Tri- Kāya,
Doth manifest Himself in every form by super-normal power;
That He should manifest Himself
Within this small and wondrous work of art is marvellous;
If towards it ye exert your fullest faith and earnest prayer,
Praying from your hearts' depths,
Its boon of gracious blessings shall not be diminished:
This Sacred promise of all the Greatest Yogīs ye may trust.

If Sacred Faith ye keep in all these firmly,
The virtue of such Faith will bring its boon.

If ye can cling to Solitudes,
The Mātṛkās⁸⁰ and Ḍākinīs are sure to gather round you.

If ye in your religious practice be sincere,
A sign of quick success in Yoga it will be.

If in yourselves ye see no wish for ease,
A sign 'twill be that in you evil passions are uprooted.

If ye cling not to self and worldly goods,
'Twill show that evil sprites and Mārā are controlled.

If difference of caste and creed do not exist among you,
'Twill show your Views [or Aims]⁸¹ are wholly right.

If ye can see both the Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa as the Voidness,
A sign 'twill be that your Meditation, too, is right.

If zeal and energy flow from your hearts [spontaneously],
A sign 'twill be that your Acts are right.

If from your Guru ye obtain prophetic utterance,
A sign 'twill be that the Good Faith is right.

If ye have power to serve all sentient beings,
A sign 'twill be that the Result is right.

If the Guru and the Śiṣya in their hearts agree,
'Twill show that their Relationship is right.

If ye receive good omens of success and boons divine,
A sign 'twill be that your Thoughts are right.

The Good and Mutual Faith, the Experience and the Satisfaction, -
Let these serve as your portion of the Reliques.'

Having chanted this hymn, the Ḍākinīs still held the Chaitya aloft in the skies, that the chief disciples might obtain a good view of it. Then they placed it on a throne made of precious metals and gems, in order to transport it elsewhere. When they were about to depart, Shiwa-Wöd-Repa entreated the Ḍākinīs to leave the Chaitya in the care of the disciples, as an object of veneration for all human beings, with the following hymn:

'O Father, Thou Who hast assumed the human form, in order to serve others,
Yogī Divine, One of the Order of Sambhoga-Kāyas,
Thou dost pervade all Realms Invisible whence Truth is born;⁸²
To Thee, O Lord, Reality Itself,⁸³ we pray,
That to us, Thy Śiṣyas, Thou mayst grant
The Chaitya, which in their hands the Ḍākinīs now hold.

O Lord, when other Perfect Yogīs Thou didst meet,
Like a casket filled with gold Thou wert;
A Yogī priceless and peerless Thou wert then, O Lord;
O Master of the Life Ascetic, prayer to Thee we make:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when Thou didst serve Thy Guru,
Like fleece upon a docile sheep Thou wert,
A Yogī prepared to serve, and helpful unto all;
O Lord Compassionate, to Thee we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when worldly aims Thou didst renounce,
Like the King of Ṛṣis Wise Thou wert,
A Yogī immutable in resolution;
O Lord of Mighty Courage, To Thee we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when meditating on Thy Guru's teachings,
Like a tigress feeding on the flesh of man Thou wert,
A Yogī from every doubt set free;
O Thou of Mighty Perseverance, to Thee we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when Thou wert passing through the wilderness,
Like a flawless block of iron Thou wert,
A Yogī evermore unchanging;
To Thee, Who hast renounced all vain pretence, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when signs of Thy miraculous siddhi Thou didst show,
Like a lion or an elephant Thou wert,
A Yogī fearless and strong of spirit;
To Thee, Thou One Devoid of Fear, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the IḌākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when Psychic Warmth and [true] Experience⁸⁴ Thou didst acquire,
Like the full-grown lunar disk Thou wert,
And sheddest Thy Beams o'er all the world;
To Thee, Who hast cast off all hankerings, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy followers on Earth.

O Lord, when Thou Thy Destined Śiṣyas didst protect,
'Twas like the meeting of the fire-glass and the sun.
Thou didst create, O Yogī, Masters of Siddhi;
To Thee, O Thou Benignant One, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

'O Lord, when worldly goods fell to Thy lot,
Like drops of mercury upon the earth Thou wert,
Unsullied by all vulgar greed, O Yogī;
To Thee, O Faultless One, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

'O Lord, when over congregations vast Thou didst preside,
Like the sun uprising o'er the world Thou wert;
Thou didst enlighten all, O Yogī;
To Thee, Thou Wise and Loving One, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

'O Lord, when by the people of the World Thou wert beheld,
Like the meeting of a mother and her son it was;
O Yogī, all things for their good Thou didst;
To Thee, Affectionate One, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when for the Realms Divine Thou art departing,
Like a treasure-urn of boons Thou art;
O Yogī, Thou Who grantest every wish,
To Thee, Thou Excellent One, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when Thou didst prophesy,
Like bringing to the mouth the hand [in faultless song] it was;
O Yogī, ne'er at fault Thou wert;
To Thee, thou Knower of the Three Times, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.

O Lord, when Thou didst grant a boon,
Like a father endowing a son Thou wert;
O Yogī, Thou didst not spare or hold back anything;
To Thee, Thou Gracious One, we pray:
Grant to us the Chaitya which the Ḍākinīs now hold,
To us, Thy Śiṣyas and Thy Followers on Earth.’

When this prayer had been sung, the form of Jetsün that was within the Chaitya gave Shiwa-Wöd Repa an answer in a psalm, which pointed out the differences between apparently similar things, as follows:

'O thou, of mighty destiny and faith,
Who prayest unto me with profound earnestness,
Listen unto me, my excellent disciple in white cotton robed.

Of the all-pervading Dharma-Kāya realized by me –
Its true nature being Voidness - None may say, “I possess It", or “I've lost It":
When into Space the fleshly body was absorbed,
An egg-shaped and substantial relique yet remained;
And this became a Chaitya, emitting glorious radiance–
A field wherein all sentient beings might for merits labour.
In a Realm Divine it will now fore'er remain,
Attended by the Ḍākinīs of the Five Orders;
By celestial beings and the Ḍākinīs will it be worshipped;
If in the human world it should be left, it would slowly vanish.

And ye, my spiritual sons and followers, have had your share of reliques –
The Knowledge that hath made you realize the Dharma-Kāya in your own minds;
Of reliques and of ashes this is holiest.
When ye shall seek of This the Realization,
These Similarities which lead to Error ye shall know;
Forget them not, but keep them in your hearts,
And thus hold to the Right, abandoning the Wrong: -

The serving of a perfect Guru,
And the serving of a person of good fortune,
Appear to be alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The true dawning of the Voidness in one's mind,
And illusory obsessions of the consciousness,
Appear to be alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The knowing of the Pure, the Unalloyed State, by meditation,
And the fondness for the Tranquil State born of the trance ecstatic of Quiescence,
Appear to be alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The Flood-tide of the Deep of Intuition,
And other deep convictions that “This seemeth right ", “That seemeth true ",
Appear to be alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The dear perception of the Mind Unmodified,⁸⁵
And the noble impulse to serve others,
Appear to be alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The spiritual boon which shineth on one as resultant of Connected Causes,
And merit temporal, which bringeth much of worldly goods,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

Guidance spiritual and commands prophetic of one's guardian Mātṛkās and Ḍākinīs,
And temptations from misleading sprites and elementals,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

Good works enjoined by guardian Ḍākinīs,
And interruptions and temptations wrought by Mārā,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The Orb of Dharma-Kāya, [blemishless],
And a relique-orb formed of earthly matter,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The Incarnated Blossom of the Realm Nirmāṇa-Kāya,
And the Heavenly Blossom of a Sensual Paradise,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

A Chaitya such as gods miraculously produce,
And a Chaitya such as demons may make manifest,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The Glorious Halo, symbolizing the phenomenal universe,
And the rainbow born of [common] natural causes,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

'The faith resulting from Connexions Karmic of the past,⁸⁶
And faith produced by artificial methods,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

'The true faith, thrilling forth from the heart's recesses,
And faith conventional, born of a sense of shame and obligation,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The sincere devotion to religious studies,
And feigned devotion, for the pleasing of one's Guru,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

The real success, which one hath realized,
And nominal success, of which rumour speaketh,
Appear alike, but beware, and confuse them not.

This Chaitya, which belongeth to the Mātṛkās Divine and Ḍākinīs,
Doth symbolize the Realm of Buddhas of the Past, the Present, and the Future;
A congregational-hall for Heroes and for Yoginīs it is;
And, for thy Guru Jetsün, is a place of meditation.
It now is being borne to Ngön-gah [the Eastern Paradise],
Wherein all Ḍākinīs assemble,
To the Realm of Happiness,
Wherein the Bhagavān Shamvara,
Lokeshvara, and the Goddess Tara meet.
There, in that blest and happy Realm,
Hosts of Ḍākinīs Divine a welcoming procession form.

If to the Chaitya thou whole-heartedly wilt pray,
With welling tears, devotion, and sincerity,
And offerings true, in worship and in veneration,
Strewing blossoms of keen intellect,
Sprinkling on it holy-water of a heart made pure,
Thyself protected and entrenched within a faith immutable,
And dost wish bestowed on thee the power of the Individual Wisdom,
Beneath the Chaitya bow thy head.'

While this hymn was being sung, the Ḍākinīs conveyed the Chaitya through the skies and held it directly above the chief disciples, so that it sent down its rays of light on the head of each of them, thus conferring upon them its power. Most of the assembly saw the form of Jetsün projecting from the Chaitya. And in the sky there appeared [the Tantric Deities] Gaypa-Dorje, Dēmchog, Sang-dü, and Dorje-Pa-mo, surrounded by innumerable hosts, who, after circumambulating the Chief Deity, merged in him.

Finally, the whole conclave resolved itself into an orb of light, and this then sped away towards the East. The Chaitya was wrapped in various folds of silk by the Ḍākinīs, and put carefully into a casket of precious metals; and then it was transported eastward, amid a peal of celestial music from various instruments. Some saw Jetsün in the garb of a Sambhoga-Kāya Buddha, mounted on a Lion, each of whose feet was supported by a Ḍākinī of one colour and order, [white, yellow, red, and green]- The halter was held by Dorje-Pa-mo herself. Many Heroes, Yoginīs, and Ḍākinīs held over him banners, [royal] umbrellas, and other ornaments and objects of worship, while many celestial beings bore in their hands various musical instruments. Some, again, saw a white Ḍākinī bearing the Chaitya eastward, under an awning of white silk. Thus, different spectators saw different phenomena.

The disciples and all the followers were filled with deep despondency at not receiving a portion of the reliques; and wept loudly, still praying for it. In reply, a voice from the heavens, resembling that of Jetsün, though no body was visible, said, 'O sons, do not take it so to heart. As a substantial relique, for your portion ye will find on the Amolika Boulder four letters [miraculously] produced. Ye may look upon them reverently, and with faith. Go ye and look for them underneath the boulder.'

Having searched all round the boulder upon which the cremation had been performed, they found the place whereon the letters were visible. Thereby was their grief at having lost their portion of the reliques lessened. Even until now this marvellous relique-stone is to be seen - an object of veneration and wonder for all at the Lapchi-Chūbar Monastery.

The most prominent of Jetsün's disciples, although mourning the unavoidable separation from their Guru, took comfort in the hope and belief that in whatever realm Jetsün obtained Buddhahood they would be sure to be the first amongst his followers. They felt sure, too, that Jetsün's life and example had instilled a new spirit and impulse into the religious world and all sentient beings in general. Moreover, they all realized that the special teaching and mantra received, and to be perfected by each of them, was capable of serving both themselves and others.

It was then agreed that they should look beneath the hearth, as Jetsün had requested in his will. Judging from Jetsün's manner of living, none of them expected that he had accumulated any gold, but, since he had made a special mention of gold, they resolved to do as he had directed them.

On digging up the hearth, they found a square piece of fine cotton-cloth, which Jetsün had worn. Wrapped in it there was a knife, the point of the knife-handle being an awl, the back of the knife arranged as a steel for striking fire, and the blade very good for cutting. And with the knife there was a lump of brown sugar, and a small manuscript which read as follows: 'The cloth and the sugar, if cut with this knife, will never become exhausted. Cut as many strips from the cloth and bits from the sugar as possible and distribute them among the people. All who taste of this sugar and touch this cloth will be saved from the lower states of existence. These were the food and clothing of Milarepa when he was in Samādhi, and have been blessed by all previous Buddhas and Saints. Any sentient being who heareth the name of Milarepa, even though it be but once, will not take rebirth in a lower state of existence during seven lifetimes, and for seven lifetimes will remember past lives. These things have been prophesied by the Saints and Buddhas of the past. Whosoever shall say that Milarepa possessed hidden gold, let pollution be placed in his mouth.’

This last passage excited merriment in all the disciples, despite the sorrow-stricken state of their mind. At the bottom of the manuscript, they read the following verses:

'The food which I, the Yogī, ate,
While in Samādhi I remained,
A gracious boon of twofold virtue doth possess;
And they that have the luck to taste it,
Close tight the door of rebirth in the Preta-Loka.

A bit of this white cotton-cloth,⁸⁷
Worn on the body or the neck
While one be meditating on the Vital Warmth,
Will close the doors of Hells both hot and cold.

And they who eat this food of grace
Are saved from the Three Lower Worlds.

Those who have formed with me religious bonds,
Henceforth in lower states shall not be born,
But, step by step, shall gain the goal upon the Bodhi Path.

Those who have only heard my name,
And have been moved to faith thereby,
During seven lifetimes will recall their previous names and castes.

For me, Milarepa, the Energetic One,
The entire universe hath been transmuted into gold;
No need have I to tie gold up in packets or in pouches.

I bid my spiritual sons and followers to follow my commands;
And thus to them the same accomplishment shall come,
And further evermore their good and aim.

Accordingly, they then cut the sugar into countless pieces, and each piece was as big as the original piece; yet the original piece was not exhausted. Likewise, the cloth was cut into many square pieces, and [with the sugar] distributed to as many people as were there assembled. And those of the multitude who were suffering from disease, and from other miseries, were cured by the eating of the piece of sugar and the wearing of the piece of cloth as a talisman. Those of evil disposition, or enslaved to evil passions, were converted into faithful, earnest, intelligent, and compassionate followers; so that they escaped falling into the lower states of existence. And the sugar and the cloth lasted a lifetime for each of the recipients, without being exhausted.

On the day of the funeral ceremony, a shower of blossoms, varying in colour, some blossoms having four or five colours, fell in great profusion. Most of the blossoms descended until they were just beyond a man's reach, and thence ascended and disappeared. Those that fell to the ground were seen to be extremely beautiful, but melted away when touched by human hands. Some, which were of three colours, and others, of two colours, were as tiny and as delicately formed as the wings of bees. In the Chūbar Valley the celestial blossoms lay ankle-deep on the ground, and in other places were sufficiently numerous to give a new hue to the earth. Then, as soon as the funeral ceremonies terminated, the various phenomena ceased, and the rainbow colours in the heavens gradually faded away.

On every anniversary of the funeral, the sky was gloriously clear and there were rainbows and showers of blossoms, heavenly perfume filled the air and celestial melodies resounded everywhere, as on the day of Jetsün's passing away.

The marvellous benefits which flowed therefrom, over all the Earth, are too numerous to be described at length. Thus, for example, flowers bloomed even in winter; the world enjoyed abundant harvests; and no wars or epidemics ravaged the Earth.

When the Great Lord of Yogīs passed away to the Purer Realms, those who are hereinafter mentioned [in the Appendix] remained to substantiate this written history of his life.

By the virtue of his mighty grace and good wishes he left behind him saintly disciples as numerous as the stars in the sky. The number of those who were never to return to Sangsaric existence⁸⁸ was like the grains of sand on the Earth. Of male and female who had entered the Path [to Arhantship],⁸⁹ there were countless numbers.

Thus was the Buddhist Faith rendered bright like the sun, and all sentient beings were saved from sorrow, and rendered happy for ever and ever.

This is the Twelfth [and last] Chapter of Jetsün's Biography.

Footnotes

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