Philosophy and Religion / Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa

Chapter VIII. The Parting From The Guru

Telling of how Jetsün, led by a Dream, left his Hermitage, and, going to his Guru, secured permission to visit Tsa, Jetsün’s Birthplace; of the Guru’s Final Instructions and Admonitions; of the Sorrowful Parting; and of how Jetsün reached Tsa.

Then Rechung asked Jetsün, 'What led to thy coming away from Marpa's presence? How many years didst thou stay in retreat?'

And Jetsün said, 'I did not stay there many years, and the circumstances which led to my returning home were these. While in retreat I was making satisfactory progress. Usually I never slept; but one morning it happened that I had slept very long, and had a dream. This dream showed me that my house, called “Four Columns and Eight Pillars”, was in such a broken and dilapidated condition that it looked like an old donkey's ears. The books of Scripture appeared damaged by the leakage. The field called “Worma Triangle” appeared to be overgrown with weeds. My mother was dead, and mine only sister was roving friendless in the world. The grief I experienced at not having met my mother again since our parting under the aforesaid unhappy conditions so many years before, was heartrending; and I was calling upon my mother's and sister's names and weeping bitterly. On waking up, I saw that my pillow was quite wet with my tears. When I attempted to think, the longing to see my mother only increased more and more. I could not help shedding tears again; and I made up my mind to go and see mine aged parent once again by any possible means.

'A t dawn, demolishing the wall enclosing me in my retreat, I went to ask leave of my Guru. When I got there he was sound asleep, but sitting near the head of his bed I meekly and humbly chanted to him this appeal:

''O Lord Compassionate, Thou the Immutable,
Pray let me as a mendicant go to my home once more.
Of the inhospitable land of Tsa,
A family of three members, harassed by hostile relatives,
Have now for many years been parted;
No longer can I bear the pain of separation.
So let me go and see my mother but this once,
And quickly, then, will I return.”

'Just as I had finished this appeal my Guru awoke. The sun's rays shot through a chink above his pillow and like a halo of glory lit up his venerable head, and at the same moment his lady brought in the morning meal. These three events occurred simultaneously; they were a combination of events with which several future happenings were inseparably connected. My Guru at once addressed me, saying, “My son, how dost thou dare to come out of retreat so suddenly? Why, thou runnest the risk of being possessed by the Demon (Mārā). And thou also incurrest great personal danger. Back again to thy retreat, this very moment!” But once more I urged upon him what I had dreamt, in the following verses:

''O Lord Compassionate, Thou the Immutable,
Permit this mendicant but once again to see his home,
In the wretched glen of Tsa,

Though of wealth not much remaineth,
Yet there are these to cause anxiety:
My house called 'Columns Four and Pillars Eight';
I fain would see if it be fallen in ruin.
My library of Sacred Scriptures;
I fain would see if it be ruined or not.
My well-known field, the 'Worma Triangle';
I fain would see if it be overgrown with weeds or not.
My mother, the vessel that held my form;
I fain would see if she be yet alive in health.
Mine only sister, Peta Gönkyit;
I fain would know if she hath strayed or not.
My Zesay, who was betrothed to me in youth;
I fain would see if she be fit to wed.
My neighbour and mine uncle, Yung-gyal;
I fain would see if he still liveth.
My cruel aunt, the Tiger-Demon;
I fain would see if she be dead or not.
My family pastor, Kunchog-Lhabum;
I fain would know if he liveth now or not.
And more than all, my dear old mother;
I long to see her, oh so anxiously.
The anguish now hath grown unbearable;
Therefore, I beg Thee, Lord,
Let me go home but once,
And quickly I'll return.”

'Then my Guru replied, “My son, when first thou didst come here to me, thou didst say that thou shouldst have no reason to yearn for thy relatives or home, but now thou yearnest for many things besides. Even though thou wert to go home, it is not likely that thou wouldst find thy mother alive; and, as for the others, thou canst not be quite sure of finding any of them in good health. Thou hast passed some years in Ü and Tsang, and here also thou hast been for these many years. But if thou desire to go, I grant thine appeal. If thou count on coming back here, know that finding me in sleep when thou didst come to address me is an omen that we two shall not meet again in this life. But the rays of the rising sun shining upon my dwelling-house is a sign that thou wilt be a shining light amongst the Buddhist hierarchies, and that thou wilt glorify the Faith. And the sun's rays enhaloing my head is a sign that this Sect of meditative Kargyütpas will flourish and spread far and wide. Further, Damema's bringing in the morning meal just then showeth that thou wilt be sustained by spiritual food. Now I can let thee go. Damema, deck the altar with offerings.”

'My Teacher set himself to prepare the maṇḍala diagram, while his lady decked the altar. Then, having conferred upon me the last and highest Initiations, and the Mysteries of the Dream Symbols,¹ and the Tantras whispered in the ear of the Śiṣya by the Guru² he said, “Fix well thine attention; upon thee alone I confer these Texts, Mysteries, and Initiations, because I have been so commanded by my Lord Naropa. Thou in thy turn shalt confer them upon such of thy disciples as the Deities shall indicate. And I command thee to confer them thus, with the condition that they shall be handed down from one guru to one śiṣya for thirteen generations. If these Truths be exchanged for worldly vanities or for the currying of favour, thereby will the displeasure of the Deities be incurred, and dire will be the effect; therefore, guard them with the utmost care. If any śiṣya manifest innate aptitude for receiving these Truths, let them be given him,³ although he be unable to present any worldly wealth as the offering. Take all such śiṣyas in thy special care, watch and guard over them; develop them; and let them enhance the glory of the Faith. The method adopted by Tilopa in disciplining Naropa, and by me in converting thee, will not be very suitable for degenerate beings of the future, who will be narrow of heart, and incapable of understanding the sublimest of the Truths. Therefore, beware of adopting that method of instruction.

In India there exist nine texts of this character, though somewhat lighter conditions than these are sometimes attached to them. Four of them I have given to thee. So there are five more to be obtained from India; one of my disciples will journey to India and obtain these from one of the disciples of Naropa's other disciples. Thou, too, shouldst try thine utmost to obtain them; they are certain to be of the greatest use to humanity. And now, if thou entertain any thought that because thou art unable to offer me worldly goods I may still have other texts secreted from thee, divest thy mind of such thought; for it is not worldly vanities alone that will satisfy me. Much more am I satisfied with thy sincere devotion and energy.

Therefore, raise aloft the Banner of Zealous Devotion and Meditation.⁴

I have conferred upon thee the Supreme, Mystic, Ear- Whispered Truths, as revealed by the Deities and transmitted to me by my Lord Naropa. To no other of my disciples have I imparted them; nay, not even to the foremost. To thee I have handed them on in an entire and perfect manner, like unto a vessel filled to the very brim.”

'Then he invoked the Tutelary Deities to bear witness to the truth of these statements.

'The Guru having delivered this deeply impressive discourse sang the following song extempore:

“Obeisance ! Adoration to the Kind and Gracious Lord!
To meditate upon His Acts is of itself a holy text.⁵

To desire much, bringeth a troubled mind;
[So] store within thy heart [these] precepts wise:
Many seeming ‘That’s’ are not the 'That';
Many trees bear nought of Fruit;
All Sciences are not the Wisdom True;
Acquiring these is not acquiring Truth.
Much talking is of little profit.

That which enricheth the heart is the Sacred Wealth;
Desirest thou wealth? then store thou this.
The Doctrine which subdueth passions vile is the Noble Path;
Desirest thou a safe path? then tread thou this.
A contented heart is the noblest king;
Desirest thou a noble master? Then seek thou this.

Forsake the weeping, sorrow-burdened world;
Make lonely caves thy home paternal,
And solitude thy paradise.
Let Thought riding Thought be thy tireless steed,
And thy body thy temple filled with gods,
And ceaseless devotion thy best of drugs.

To thee, thou energetic one,
The Teaching that containeth all of Wisdom I have given;
Thy faith, the Teaching, and myself are one.
And may this Perfect Seed of Truth, thus to my son entrusted,
Bring forth its foliage and its fruit,
Without corruption, without being scattered, without withering.”⁶

'Having sung this, the Guru placed his hand upon my head, and said, “My son, thy going away breaketh my heart; but since all composite things are alike liable to dissolution it cannot be helped. Yet remain with me a few days more; examine thy texts, and if thou find in them uncertainties, have these cleared.” I obeyed, and on my remaining for some days my uncertainties touching the texts were cleared up.

'Then the Guru commanded his lady to deck the altar with offerings for a ceremony, which she did upon a grand scale, placing offerings for the Tutelary Deities, sacrificial cakes for the Ḍākinīs, and a splendid feast for the brotherhood. During the assembly, my Guru showed himself in the form of Gaypa- Dorje and in various other divine forms, with the various symbolic implements associated with these Deities, such as dorjes, bells, wheels, gems, lotuses, swords, and all the others. He also showed the mystic [mantric] letters Ōm, Āh, Hūṁ in different colours. Having manifested these signs of a Master of the Occult Sciences, he said, “These are called psychophysical powers, which ought never to be exhibited in a spirit of mere bravado; I have shown them as my parting gift to thee, Milarepa.”

'Thus did I see that my Guru was as infallible as the Buddha Himself; and rejoiced beyond measure at it, and resolved within myself to emulate my Guru and obtain occult powers of like nature.

'Then my Guru asked me, “Son, hast thou seen, and dost thou believe?” I replied, “Yes, Lord and Guru, impossible is it not to believe; I myself will emulate Thee in devotion, till I, too, obtain these powers.”

'He answered, “That is well, my son. And now thou art fitted to take thy departure, for I have shown to thee the mirage-like nature of all existing things. Realize this fact for thyself, going into retreat in mountain recesses, lonely caves, and the solitudes of wildernesses. Amongst mountain recesses, that known as Gyalgyi-Shrī-La (Holy Mount of Glorious Solitudes) hath been blessed by the feet of many a great Indian saint and yogī, while the Tise Peak (Mount Kailāsa) hath been mentioned by the Lord Buddha Himself as the Great Mountain, the abode of Dēmchog (Shamvara), and a fit place for meditation. Do thou meditate there. The Lapchi-Kang is the most sacred amongst all the Twenty-Four Places of Pilgrimage, being the Godavari of the Scriptures. And Riwo-Palbar, and Yölmo-Kangra, in Nepal, are mentioned in the Lalita- Vistara. Meditate there. Chūbar, in Brin (Ḍrin), is a spot sacred to the Ḍākinīs, and any solitary cave, with fuel and water close at hand, should be a suitable place for meditation and for raising the Banner of Devotion. Devi-kot and Tsari, near each other, lie in the East, but the time hath not come yet for the opening of them. A disciple of thy succession will open these sacred places of pilgrimage and guard them. Thou thyself shalt devote thy whole life to meditation, taking up thine abode in these places as foretold. If thou do so earnestly, thou shalt satisfy thy Guru and repay thy parent's kindness and love, and thereby serve the Cause of Universal Good. But if thou fail in devotion, then thy life, though long, shall be but an occasion for heaping up demerits. Renounce, then, all the ambitions of this life; waste not thy time in vain talk with the multitude, who seek only to attain the aims and ends of worldly existence, but at once devote thyself to meditation.”

'Tears filled the Guru’s eyes and ran down his cheeks, as he continued, “Now, my son, we shall not see each other again in this life. I will bear thee in my heart, and thou wilt bear me in thine. We shall without doubt meet again in the pure celestial regions of the life beyond, so rejoice.”

“At some period of thy devotions, I foresee that thou wilt be assailed by a very great physical danger; when that cometh, look thou into this, but open it not till then.” And thereupon he handed to me a sealed scroll. Every word that my Guru uttered at this time produced a deep and lasting impression upon my heart, and each word helped me in my subsequent devotion.

'Then the Guru said, “Damema, Milarepa is going tomorrow, make suitable preparations for the occasion; though it is sure to depress my spirits, I must go some distance to see him off.” To me he said, “Sleep thou near me this night. We two, father and son, shall converse.” And I did so. My Guru’s lady, upon coming to join us, at once began to sob and weep. The Guru said to her, 'Damema, why weepest thou? Seeing that my son hath received the Precious Truths in full, and goeth to meditate on them in solitude, what cause is there here for tears? If thou consider how all sentient creatures, though potentially Buddhas, through ignorance of their high origin and destiny suffer pain and sorrow and die in anguish, and more especially how human beings, once having won [in virtue of their human birth] the mighty opportunity of bettering their condition, forgo it, and die without Enlightenment, then indeed mightest thou weep, yea, even unceasingly.”

'The lady replied, “Thou speakest truly, but difficult is it to hold fast to compassion such as that. I weep now because I cannot help it. I was deprived by Death of a son, perfectly accomplished in both temporal and spiritual affairs, who would have fulfilled the wishes both of himself and of others. And now this son, so faithful, energetic, and intelligent, so kindhearted, willing, and faultless from every point of view, is going to be separated from me while yet living. How can I help weeping?” And she wept still more bitterly as she said this. I, too, was overwhelmed with weeping, and my Guru likewise.

'The night was passed in similar expressions of sorrow, and we had no really serious talk. The next morning the whole party, consisting of thirteen persons, came to see me off, up to a distance of about four or five miles. All were sad, and expressed their sorrow in words and tears. When we came upon a hill-top called Chhö-la-Gang (Hill of Religion), which commanded a good view of the country all round, we halted and took our meal. This over, my Guru held my hand, and said, “My son, I should have liked to send thee in the company of some reliable comrades, because thou art going through Ü and Tsang, and it is said that robbers infest the Silma Pass in Tsang, but I see that thou are destined to go alone. But I will pray for thee, and entreat the Tutelary Deities to watch over thy safety as thou goest. Be thou very wary on the way. Go thou hence to Lāma Ngogpa, and compare notes with him regarding the sacred texts thou hast received, noting all differences. Having done this, thou mayst proceed straight to thy home. Spend no more than seven days there. Then proceed at once to the wilderness to meditate and carry on thy devotions, which thenceforth must be thine only duty. By that alone wilt thou benefit thyself and all living creatures."

'Then I sang to my Guru these verses of an extempore psalm:

“O Lord, Thou the Immutable, O Dorje-Chang,
For the first time, as humble mendicant, I go to Tsang,
For the first time, as Thy Humble Shishya, to my home I go.
O Kindly Lord and Father, Thy Gracious Love provideth,
On Silma's Pass, an escort of twelve mountain goddesses;
Adoration unto Thee, O Gracious Lord.

Trusting to the power of the Precious Trinity,
Escorted by hosts of Ḍākinīs,
And by a pure and sincere heart accompanied,
I guarded by Divinities;
What need have I of fear of mortal foes?

I have, howe'er, a prayer to urge:
That Thou wilt be my Constant Guide
In this as in the future life;
Bless Thou my body, speech, and mind,
And safely keep them from temptation.

Grant Thine Approval to my prayer,
And seal it by Thy Spiritual Power;
Make me to realize the Truths Profound.
[Likewise] I crave Thy Blessing for a long and healthy life.
Thy suppliant's fate lieth in Thy Hands;
Bless him, that he shall steadfastly remain in solitude.”

'When I had offered up this prayer, my Guru said, “My son, thy words are sweet. Now shall I impart to thee my best-prized and last instructions; bear them ever in thy heart.” Then, placing his hand upon my head, he sang to me the following hymn:

“Obeisance unto all the Gurus!

High-minded, noble, righteous son,
May thou the Dharma-Kāya gain;
May thy nectar-like and prayerful speech
In the Sambhoga-Kāya reach perfection full;
May thy righteous heart, so pure and grateful,
The Nirmāṇa-Kāya realize.⁷

'May these, my last and precious words,
Unerring as the Eternal Law,
Sink deep and rest within thy heart;
And may the benedictions of the Devas and the Ḍākinīs
Invigorate thy life and mind,
And the Protecting Spirits watch o'er thee.

May this, my prayer, bear speedy fruit:
By pious ones mayst thou be ever loved,
And may the escort of twelve goddesses
Attend thee o'er the Silma Pass,
And Guardian Angels guard thy path
Throughout thy journey of the following days.

In the sad sight of thy home and fields
There is a preacher of ‘tis vanity’.

Among thy sister, aunt, and kith and kin
There is a tutor who'll dispel fond dreams [of family ties].

Amid the lonely solitudes of caves
There is a mart wherein thou canst exchange
This whirlpool life for bliss eternal.

Within the temple of thy form inspired
There is a meeting-hall of deities.⁸

Within the wholesome feast of nettle soup⁹
There is nectar pleasing to the gods.

Within the scientific system of thy texts
There is a harvest yielding precious fruits.

Within the hatred and contempt awaiting thee at home
There is incentive to immediate devotion.

Within the close confinement of a solitude,
By noise of men and dogs untroubled,
There is the boon of quickly gaining Siddhi¹⁰

Within the freedom of one's self-support
There is the heavenly blessing of a peaceful heart.

Within a region undefiled, about a sacred temple,
There is the pleasing prospect of success.¹¹

Within sincerity of faith devout
There is the virtue born of zealous effort.

Within the sacred Garden of Obedience¹²
There is a mine of all success.

'Within the Vital Truths by Ḍākinīs revealed
There is the boundary between Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa.¹³

'Within the School of Marpa the Translator
There is the hope of endless fame.

Within the zeal and energy of Milarepa
There is a pillar of the Buddhist Faith;
Upon the Being¹⁴ who holdeth that Pillar [may there rest]
The blessings of the Noble Succession,
The blessings of the Kargyütpa Saints,
The blessings of the Deities Divine,
Dēmchog, Gaypa-Dorje, and Sang-dü,
The blessings of the Noble Truths,
The blessings of the Vital Truths by the Ḍākinīs revealed,
The blessings of the Gracious Ḍākinīs,
The blessings of the Dwellers in the three Abodes,¹⁵
The blessings of the Noble Guardians of the Faith,¹⁶
The blessings of the Mother Kālī,¹⁷
The blessings of the noble brethren in the Faith.

[Let there be] blessings on thine efforts, of obedience born,
And blessings on thy lineal followers;
And infallible may mine own blessings be.

Bear these [my final admonitions] in thy heart and realize them.”

Having sung this, Marpa was filled with great gladness. Then the Reverend Mother, my Guru's lady, presented me with substantial presents, including clothes, boots, and provisions, saying, “My son, these are a few articles for the time being, as a small token of regard from me. They are my last parting gift to thee, my son. I wish thee a happy journey; and may we meet again in the blessed and holy paradise of Urgyen. Forget not these last spiritual gifts, and this sincere prayer from thy mother, which I now utter”; and, giving me a human skull filled with oblation-wine, she sang the following hymn:

“Obeisance to the Feet of Gracious Marpa!
My patient son, so energetic,
Constant, and long-suffering,
O son of highest destiny,
Drink deeply of the nectar of thy Guru's Divine Wisdom;
In perfect peace and safety go thy way;
And, as friends, in future may we meet
In the blessed Holy Realm.

Forget thou not thy parents spiritual;
Oft and ever pray to them;
Eat all thou canst of heart-sustaining
Sacred texts and sermons deep;
In perfect peace and safety go thy way;
And, as friends, in future may we meet
In the blessed Holy Realm.

Forget thou not thy parents spiritual;
In grateful memory hold them ever,
And of their kindly care oft think;
The warming breath of angels wear,
As thy raiment pure and soft; ¹⁸
In perfect peace and safety go thy way;
And, as friends, in future may we meet
In the blessed Holy Realm.

Thinking of the helpless beings [of Saṃsāra],
Train thy heart to selflessness;
The burden of the Higher Path (the Mahāyāna)
Bear thou e'er with faithful fortitude;
In perfect peace and safety go thy way;
And, as friends, in future may we meet
In the blessed Holy Realm.

Damema, of noble destiny,
Unto her son her last injunctions giveth,
And may he e'er retain them in his heart;
Thee [O son] thy loving dame shall cherish;
May we, the loving son and mother,
As friends, in future meet
In the blessed Holy Realm.

May these good-wishes bring forth fruit,
And may devotion pure repay them.”

'As she sang these verses, tears choked her voice, and the long-pent-up grief of the others burst forth in torrents of tears and sobs. I bowed down to my spiritual father and mother for the last time, and moved backward, keeping my face towards them as long as my Guru's countenance was within view. I saw them standing there with tearful faces, and strong was mine inclination to go back. But when I passed out of their sight, I walked in the usual manner till I came to a knoll whence I could again see them, as a dim grey group. My heart yearned to rejoin them, and it was with a most painful effort that I tore myself away. I thought to myself that I had now obtained the Truths in their entirety, and that henceforth I would commit no irreligious act. As for my Guru, I could always meditate on him [as if he were enhaloed] above the crown of my head ¹⁹ as long as I should live; and as for the next life, he had promised that we should meet again in the Holy Regions. Besides, I was only going away for a short while, to see my mother who had given me birth, and I could hurry back to my Guru.

'Thus I went on communing with myself, in a sorrowful mood, until I reached Lāma Ngogdun-Chudor's house. There, after we had duly compared notes with each other, I found that he exceeded me in the exposition of the Tantras, but that in the actual practice of the rites and rituals pertaining to the Doctrine, and in their application to daily life, I was not far behind him, while I exceeded him in some respects, as possessing the divinely-inspired esoteric teachings which are ear-whispered. ²⁰

'Having done this, I paid him due worship, and expressing a wish for a future meeting started for home. I reached there after three days, feeling somewhat elated at the development in the art of controlling the breath which this betokened.²¹

'Thus did all come about - mine obtaining the Truth in its entirety, my thorough study of it, and, while thus engaged, my being impelled by a significant dream to take leave of my Guru and return home.'

Thus endeth [the narrative which constituteth Milarepa's] Fourth Meritorious Act.²²

Footnotes

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