100,000sng Milarp-V1

This book is a treasure. I humbly suggest to readers with any kind of spiritual inclination that reading this book with care, attention, and some willingness to learn will earn one a lifetime companion. The nature of that companion (oneself, God, the Buddha-mind...) I leave to the scholars.Milarepa is interested in practice and real work in the phenomenal world, even as he abandons the imperatives of that world order. Meher Baba asserted that Milarepa had attained the highest state of consciousness (or being, if you prefer) possible for one in human form to attain. Milarepa is important. His teaching style and emphasis on nondualism bears useful comparison to Sri Ramakrishna (see The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) and Meher Baba (see God Speaks).Good stuff. Enjoy!

In May 1992 I discovered Volume Two of this title on a shelf at Border's in Philadelphia. I opened the book and saw these lines: "The woes of life succeed one another Like the sea's incessent waves -- One has barely passed, before The next one takes its place. Until you are liberated, pain And pleasure come and go at random Like passers-by encountered in the street." (page 635) I felt in love with the text. I read the book from cover to cover and spent three months to track down Volume One and read it. If there is ever a marriage between Passion and Devotion, this book is an example. I wish Garma were still alive.

Milarepa is considered by Tibetans of all four of the main Buddhist sects (Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug and Sakya) to be probably the most exemplary Buddhist practitioner in Tibetan history. A great sinner early in his life, he deeply realized impermanence and the constant immanence of death, and the limitless spiritual potential of human life, and practiced so intensely that he achieved complete Enlightenment. This book is a centuries-old collection of his "vajra songs" and spiritual teachings as he wandered through the mountains and villages of 12-century Tibet. To this day, these beautiful songs of realization are among the most popular topics of teachings by Tibetan lamas, particularly of the Kagyu sect.

Garma C.C. Chang, the translator of these songs, single-handedly preserved this book for the West, for it surely would have disappeared, overlooked by religious popularizers. The degree, Cha Gyur Khan-po, 'professor of translation,' was conferred upon the late Professor Chen-Chi Chang by his guru, a living Buddha, Kong Ka Lama, at the Kong Ka Monestary at Meia Nya, Tibet. The monastery is of the Kargyutpa School, which descended directly from Milarepa's line of gurus. C.C. Chang was more than a translator, however. He was among the greatest Buddhist scholars and teachers of the twentieth century. His studies of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism are powerful because they are unvarnished. Unfortunately, not all his works are still in print. As he brought Milarepa to the West, he also brought what is perhaps China's greatest contribution to Buddhism (and recall, it was China that gave us Zen), the teachings of the 8th century Hwa Yen school, which is contained in C.C. Chang's book, still in print: The Teaching of Totality. I was deeply fortunate to have known Professor Chang, and I remember his reverence for Milarepa, his delight at the songs. I remember him imploring his students to delve deep into these teachings, from one of Tibet's greatest masters. Now there is this new edition. By itself, the story of Milarepa is magnificent, a tale of naive cruelty, healing, heroic effort and finally mercy and enlightenment. Milarepa is the psalmist of the Himalayas, and the late Professor's translation is a triumph of the heart. The book is a monument and a refuge.

This classic, originally a collection of folk narratives, is the myth and history of one of Tibet's legendary reclusive saints. The translation has a fluid and musical quality, and is easily accessible to the contemporary reader. There is much material here to fuel contemplation, particularly the stories concerning the courage to face inner fears and temptations. Meditators and followers of all spiritual paths will find the book most useful, but it is engrossing enough as a folk tale to keep anyone's attention. It is my personal favorite among the world's bibles, and I am delighted to see it reissued.