Milerapa: The great ascetic & poet

Mila (1050-1135) received the entire teachings of Vajrayana from Marpa and became his chief disciple. He is believed to have attained Buddha hood in a single life time and his biography is very popular amongst all sects of Northern Buddhism and his life taken as example of the possible hardships faced by a true practitioner. He is known in Tibet and Bhutan as the author of two popular works describing his wanderings in the Himalaya and southern Tibet including Bhutan. He was a peripatetic ascetic and poet who worked miracles and delivered instruction to his votaries in verses composed for each occasion. His autobiography and his so-called 1, 00,000 songs have been translated from Tibetan into Mongol. A full account of these writings may be read in the Nineteenth Century Review for October 1899.

His first name as christened by his father was Thopaga and Mila Zhepa Dorji meaning “pleasure to Hear” and “The Lauphing Vajra” respectively but he is popularly known as Jetsun Milarepa.

Mila was born at Tyod Gungthang Chatsa Koron in Tibet in the year 1050 AD corresponding to the water-dragon year as per the prediction of Guru Padma Jungney who said that “the reincarnation of my teacher, Jampal Shenyen would be born as Mila Reypa at Chatsa Koron”.

His father was Mila Sherab Gyeltshen and mother Nyangza Kargyen who christened him as Thopaga. Mila’s father was a wealthy merchant who died when young Mila was only seven years old; leaving his property in his brother’s charge till his son reached his majority at fifteen. His Uncle Yung Gyel and Aunt Chhung Pal appropriated every-thing to them and left young Mila and his mother destitute and even persecuted them. Young Mila’s mother, therefore, sent son to learn and master mthu the art of destroying people by sorcery (black magic) in order to take revenge against the uncle and aunt. Accordingly, Mila mastered the art of magic and returned to his village and he killed all the enemies through his magic power.

Although he fulfilled the desire of his mother to revenge against for enemies but he repented for the sins that he committed. So, he decided to practice the Dharma in order to relinquish the sin that he committed and reached Drowolung at the feet of the great translator Marpa Chhoki Lodroe as per the prophecy of Rongten Lhagay. Marpa called Mila by the name of Thugchhen, the sorcerer or the great master of black magic.

In the beginning, Marpa showed much hatred and anger to Mila and ordered him to build ten storied stone building to relinquish his sins which was pulled down several times by his masters. Upon completion of the ten storied stone building, Mila was given audience by Marpa in an assembly where all his disciples were present. Instantaneously, all the initiations and precepts of Marpa were transmitted to Mila and he became not only chief disciple but regent of Marpa. Thus, Marpa handed over all the responsibilities of spreading the meditation practices of the tantric lineage to Mila and he was also christened as Mila Zhepa Dorji (Lauphing Vajra).

After departing from his master, Mila practiced meditation at the renowned places of Tanyaphug Dakartaso and Lachhi Chhubar for a long time. In the process, Mila realized the trance of great beatitude and one could be freed from the bond of samsara by merely hearing his name. Mila passed away at the age of 85 in 1135 AD corresponding to wood-hare.

Mila had hundreds of disciples who had attained the path of non-returner (anagamin). Among them, Reychung and Gampopa were considered as the pair of moon and sun respectively. Then there were eight close disciples headed by Upa Tyonpa and twenty-five saints. Eventually, Gampopa was crowned as the regent of primordial Buddha.

Iconographical explanation

Mila, sitting in a cave on an antelope-skin such as yogis place under them when practicing Yoga. He is clad in a single cotton cloth, the dress of the Kagyupa ascetic, which indicates that without any other covering for his body he can withstand intense cold, equal to that of the Artic regions of Tibet. Like Tilopa and Naropa, Mila holds a blood-filled skull, in sign of his own power to confer lokic siddhi. He is singing a hymn; and, therefore, holds his right hand to his ear. The red band across his breast, comparable to a Brahmanical sacred-thread, is a yogic meditation-band such as Tibetan yogis employ to keep legs in the posture (asana) of deep meditation when in the trance-state of Samadhi. Similar meditation-bands are worn by Tilop and Naropa. The lion symbol over the entrance to his cave signifies that the cave is in a high isolated Himalayan wilderness such as the solitude-loving mountain-lion frequents; and Mila is himself ‘The Fearless Lion of the Dharma (Truth)’ – and the cave “The Den of the Lion’.

Source: History of the Druka Kagyed Scool in Bhutan.