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Milarepa

Jetsun Milarepa, 1052-1135 (approx) was one of one of Tibet's most famous yogis and student of Marpa Lotsawa.

Born in the village of Kya, Ngatsa in Tibet to a prosperous family, but when his father died Milarepa's uncle and aunt took all the family's wealth. At his mother's request Milarepa left home and studied sorcery. When he head his Aunt and Uncle were having a party to celebrate the coming of age of their son, he took his revenge by causing the house they were in to collapse, killing 35 people. The villagers were angry and set of to look for Milarepa, but his mother got word to him, and sent a hailstorm to destroy their crops.

Milarepa knowing that his revenge was wrong set out to find a teacher and was led to Marpa the translator. Marpa proved a hard task master, and before he would teach him had Milarepa build and then demolish three houses in turn. When Marpa still refused to teach Milarepa he went to Marpa's wife, who took pity on him. She forged a letter of introduction to another teacher, Lama Ngogdun Chudor, under whose tutillage he began to practise meditation. However when he was making no progress, he confessed the forgery and Ngogdun Chudor said that it was vain to hope for spiritual growth without the guru's approval. Milarepa returned to Marpa, after many years of ascetic practises Milarepa became enlightened and himself became a great teacher.

References

• The life of Milarepa, translated by Lobsang P . Lhaungpa, Book faith India, 1997,ISBN 81-7301-046-4
• in comic book form.