Small Introduction to Milarepa
Jetsun Milarepa was a Tibetan siddha who, in his youth, was well-known for being a killer. Nevertheless, he converted to Buddhism and rose to become a brilliant pupil. He is regarded as one of the most well-known yogis and spiritual poets in Tibet, and many Tibetan Buddhist schools are familiar with his teachings. He was a prominent player in the development of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and a pupil of Marpa Lotsawa. In addition, he is well-known for having climbed Mount Kailash.
Brief Introduction to Milarepa
The dangerous tantrik of Tibet who killed about 80 people in one night and destroyed the entire village, yet how did that killer become the only person to reach the peak of Mount Kailash? When he came down after reaching the peak of Kailash, what did he tell about the mystery of Mount Kailash that even today people in Tibet consider him a form of God and such an incident happens in his life that he turns from a dreaded tantrik to a revered saint.
This is the story of that dangerous tantrik which will force you to think because this is the story of Mila Repa, the only person to successfully climb Mount Kailash. Amidst the mysterious and dangerous mountains of Tibet, a name emerged who not only made a place in the pages of history because of his black magic but also became revered as God by touching the heights of self-realization.
So let us take you on a journey of such a mysterious life where an ordinary boy turned the urge for revenge born out of tragedy into a saint. In the fire. He molded himself as a dangerous tantric But the end of this story is not as simple as you are thinking There was a time in the cool winds of Tibet when life was full of peace and prosperity In the second half of the 11th century, in a village in the southern part of Tibet, Thop Ga was born, who we know as Milarepa.
He grew up in a happy and prosperous family His father was a successful landlord whose wealth Land and livestock were a symbol of prestige in the village Mila Repa’s childhood was spent in comfort and love Being the only son of his parents, he got every happiness and comfort. He also had a younger sister with him and the family’s life was happy but no situation in life remains static.
Everything changes and the same happened with Milarepa. When Mila Repa was only 7 years old, his father suddenly passed away. This death shook the family financially and emotionally. In his last days, his father had to bear a lot of trouble. The father made a will which stated that until Mila Repa grew up, her uncle and aunt would take care of the family and manage the property.
This will was made with the hope that the family would not face any difficulties. But soon after her father’s death, the situation changed completely. The uncle and aunt who had earlier pretended to have good relations had now completely changed. They took over the property and forced Mila Repa’s mother and children to work like servants. The house which was once theirs had now become a prison for them.
Their life had fallen from respect to humiliation and poverty. Mila Repa’s mother who was once a respectable woman was now forced to endure humiliation and suffering. Her mind was filled with the feeling of revenge. She tried again and again to get her property back but failed every time. The people of the village were silently watching this injustice but no one dared to help. Finally, her mother started a conspiracy. He took a tough decision and said to Milarepa that if we cannot get our wealth back then we should take revenge from those who have ruined us.
These words and feelings were going to change the direction of Milarepa’s life. The feeling of revenge had deeply rooted in his mind. Following his mother’s orders, Milarepa decided to learn tantric knowledge. He went away from his village to enter the world of mantra. His aim now was only one – to take revenge from his uncle and aunt. Milarepa’s journey was not easy. He went to many tantric gurus and after many difficult sadhanas, he mastered tantric knowledge.
This is not just the story of a tantric but a journey that will take Milarepa on the path of enlightenment, penance, and liberation. So stay tuned with us because now we are going to start the real journey of Milarepa. Before moving forward in this story, I have a small request for you. If you like this video, please like it and subscribe to our channel. Your small support helps us a lot. Mila Repa’s life started as an ordinary boy in the valleys of Tibet.
But who knew that the same boy would one day enter the deep mysterious and dark world of Tantra Vidya. After the untimely death of his father and the loss of the family’s wealth, every happiness in Mila Repa’s life turned into sorrow. His uncle and aunt pushed the family into a quagmire of poverty and humiliation. And then his mother fueled the fire of revenge. Inspired by the bitter words of her mother, insult, and sorrow, Mila Repa took a tough decision. She resolved to learn Tantra Vidya.
Her guru was Yung Na, a fearsome Tantric whose powers were considered to be unique. Under the tutelage of Yutan, Mila Repa took deep Tantric education. Now the only purpose of her life was revenge. And this fire of revenge made her Pushed him on the path of learning the mantra of death The mantra of death After learning this mantra, Mila Repa could kill his enemies without facing them He also learned to control natural forces, especially to call hailstorms and he used this knowledge in his uncle and aunt’s village where heavy hailstorm destroyed the crops of the whole village.
The villagers were terrified and they could not understand where this disaster came from But this was Mila Repa’s first victory and now they did not stop Then came the day when Mila Repa took the most terrible form of revenge It was the day of his uncle’s son’s wedding The whole village was gathered and Mila Repa chose this opportunity He used the mantra of death Suddenly snakes, spiders and other poisonous creatures started appearing in the wedding ceremony.
There was chaos and the roof of the house collapsed Nearly 80 people were killed and Milarepa’s revenge was complete Milarepa’s mother was proud She announced in the village that her son had taken revenge But Milarepa had something else in mind Burning in the fire of revenge Milarepa was now realizing what he had lost. He was surrounded by guilt Many innocent people had been killed and the satisfaction that should have come from revenge had now turned into a terrible remorse. This is where Milarepa’s spiritual journey began He realized that black magic and tantric powers could not give him peace.
Now he wanted to move towards spiritual liberation During this time he met a Buddhist Lama who guided him towards spiritual knowledge This Lama suggested sending him to Marpa, the great guru of Buddhism Mila Repa’s journey of repentance and enlightenment began from here. A major turning point in Mila Repa’s life journey came when he experienced deep remorse after taking revenge on his enemies through Tantra Vidya and black magic.
He realized that these methods had only pushed him towards destruction and suffering. Now the desire for spiritual liberation and peace arose in his mind. At this time he met a Buddhist Lama who advised him to go to Guru Marpa Lat Saw. Marpa was a great Buddhist Guru who had received deep teachings of Buddhism from India. He was also known as a translator in Tibet because he had translated important texts of Buddhism. When Mila Repa reached Guru Marpa’s village, he met the children there.
He asked the children where is Marpa the musician. A child replied, come with me, I will introduce you to him. The child took him to a field where An ordinary farmer was plowing his land. Mila Repa could not understand that the farmer was actually Guru Marpa. The Guru gave country liquor to Mila Repa and asked him to drink it and then plow the field. Without asking any questions, Mila Repa obeyed the Guru. After completing the work, when the child told him that this person was Guru Marpa, Mila Repa was very surprised. He fell at the feet of the Guru and expressed regret for his sins and his desire for spiritual liberation.
But instead of teaching him immediately, Guru Marpa made him go through difficult tests. Mila Repa bowed down and said to Marpa, “I want initiation into religion from you. I am looking for a system and a ritual that will give me knowledge in this life and break my bondage. I do not want to go through the cycle of the next life. I offer you my body, my mind, and my speech. Please give me food, clothes, and knowledge in return. This was really a beautiful thing. Often people go to the Guru and say They say that they surrender their souls but in reality, it is very easy to give something which is not yours.
To say that I give you my soul is so easy but to surrender what you really have, your body, your mind, and your speech is a very big step. Marpa listened to Mila Repa carefully and then said, you are giving me your body, mind, and speech. In return, I can give you food and shelter but for knowledge, you will have to look for someone else or I can give you knowledge but you will have to arrange for your food and shelter from somewhere else.
Mila Repa immediately said, okay I want knowledge. I will arrange for my food and shelter. After this Mila Repa set out for alms so that he could arrange for food for the whole year. He kept begging far and wide and collected a sack full of wheat.
He also bought a traditional copper vessel. When he was carrying a heavy sack, he saw that the sack was full of wheat. When they returned to Marpa’s house with the sack, the sack fell down by mistake and a loud sound was made which angered Marpa. Marpa said, “By your behavior, it seems that you will ruin this house like your uncle’s house. Now go away from here.” Mila Repa pleaded, “I told you that I will bring food and I kept my promise.
The sack was heavy so I could not handle it.” Marpa said seriously, “Your behavior is judged by the way you hold the sack.” A big turn came in Mila Repa’s difficult journey when he pleaded for help from his Guru Marpa’s wife Dag Mema.
Dag Mema showed sympathy towards him and said to Marpa, “Why don’t you teach Mila Repa? He is serving us well.” Marpa replied, “If he builds a three-cornered house for my son, I will teach him, but the condition is that he will have to build it alone without anyone’s help.” Marpa gave Milarepa his first task. He had to build a circular tower. He had to do this work alone without anyone’s help. Milarepa started this work with full devotion. He cut wood, collected stones, and started building the tower without any help.
After many months of hard work, when the tower was almost complete, Marpa suddenly said, demolish this tower and put all the stones and wood back where they were brought from. After the first test, Marpa gave him the second task to build a half-circular tower. Milarepa again accepted this task and built it with full hard work. But when this tower was also ready, Marpa again said, demolish this too.
