Chapter 4: Milarepa meets his lama

The deed of meeting his lama

Then, He said, “If you need hail, go see Yungton Trogyal,” and so I went. I said to the lama, “I received a letter saying that now I need to cast hailstorms, so please think kindly of me.” “So be it,” he said, and he gave me the instructions, and I practiced them in an old retreat cell. After seven days, I thought it was possible to cast hailstorms by pointing my finger. This was the deed in which he annihilated his enemies, the three chapters that are his ordinary deeds.

and at that time, the lama said, “Either you take care of my disciples, and I will take up the path of your higher rebirth and liberation, or, you practice dharma yourself and take up the path of my higher rebirth and liberation. I will provide the necessary provisions.” And so my wish was accomplished, and I requested to practice dharma myself. “So, since you are young and show great perseverance and faith, you must practice perfectly pure dharma.”

He gave the initiations and instructions, and I thought, “I also must be a fortunate person whose past actions have created favorable circumstances,” and filled with pride, I stayed in bed without meditating, and when several days had passed, and the lama said, “It’s true what you say, that you are a great sinner who has come from To. That bragging about my teachings is a bit too much, and so I have not been able to guide you. Now,

In Marpa’s dream Panchen Naro appeared and granted initiation. He gave him a five pronged vajra slightly soiled with dirt and a golden vase filled with nectar, and said, “Wash the dirt of this vajra with the vase water, and mount it at the top of a victory banner. With that you will accomplish the aims of self and other.” Marpa woke up. His wife also had a dream like that, and so he thought that the dreams were equivalent, and he was really overjoyed. To his wife, he said, “I’m going to plough the fields on the path down there, so bring me lots of beer.” She brought him a full jar of beer, and he said, “I’ll drink this myself, bring beer for a guest.” She brought another full jar and he hid that in the ground and covered it with a hat. While plowing the fields he relaxed and stayed there sitting. 

Meanwhile, beginning in the lower valley of Lhodrak, to whomever I met I asked “where does the most excellent Marpa Lotsawa live?”, and from among those herdsmen, a youth said, “Do you speak of my father? If so, my father bought gold using all of our wealth and took it to India. He returned carrying many gem studded volumes as gifts. Considering this logically, I thought, “it’s kind of [him]” and I felt distracted. On one road, I reached a big bodied heavyset cleric with wide-set eyes and a magnificent air, was there plowing. As soon as I saw him, an inconceivable bliss that’s indescribable arose. I asked, “It’s said that the Translator Marpa Lotsawa lives in this area – where does he live?” The cleric said, “Where are you from? What do you do?” I said, “I am a terrible sinner from the To region of Tsang, and I have come to ask for the holy dharma.” He said, “So, I will introduce you to Marpa, but you, plow my field,” and he took the beer hidden in the ground from under his hat, and gave it to me. It was helpful and tasty.  Telling me to try and plow this field, the cleric left. I drank the remaining beer and then tried hard to plow the field. After a while the youth I had spoken with among the herdsmen came to call me. Then I joined the youth and went inside. The cleric I had met earlier was sitting there. I thought, “This is the very same one as before. Where is the lama sitting?”, and I looked around. The lama said, “I am Marpa. Prostrate yourself!” I prostrated to him, touching his feet to my head, and I said, “Precious lama, I am a great sinner from Nyima Lato, and so I offer my body, speech, and mind, the three, and I request of the lama food, clothing, and dharma. Please look upon me with kindness so I may attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.” If you choose that I give you dharma, but whether or not you are awakened in this lifetime depends on your persistence.” I said, “So, since I came to the lama to receive the dharma, I will seek food and clothing elsewhere.” This is the deed of meeting the lama. It is the first supreme deed.