Mila Gathers Wood
NAMO GURU
Once, while at Chonglung Garuda Fortress, dwelling in a state of luminous Mahamudra, the powerful lord of yogis, Jetsun Milarepa, rose to prepare his provisions and saw that not only was there no tsampa,*1 salt, water, or seasonings, there was not even a bit of wood in the wood bin. There being no water or fire for the stove, Milarepa thought, “It seems my abandonment of provisions has become too intense. I’ll go out to gather some wood.” He then set out.
When he had found enough wood to fill the lower part of his robe a strong gust of wind suddenly came up. When he held his robe, the wood blew away, and when he held the wood, his robe blew away. At this, he thought, “Even though I have been in retreat so long, I have not abandoned my self-clinging. What’s the use in dharma and practice without giving up self-clinging?”
He said out loud, “If you want my clothes, take them! If you want my wood, take it!” Relinquishing them both, he sat down. Then, because of his lack of nourishment, he was overtaken by a wind-condition*2 and fainted. When he came to, his garment was hanging at the top of a tree, waving in the breeze. A feeling of disillusionment overcame him, and he sat and meditated on the flat surface of a rock that was the size of a sheep.
From the direction of Drowo Valley in the east, a white cloud began to appear. Milarepa thought, “Under that cloud is the hermitage of Drowo Valley. It is there that my guru, the translator Marpa Lotsawa, lives.” Remembering how in the midst of his guru, his guru’s consort, and their retinue of vajra brothers, sisters, and friends, he had received the explanations of the tantras, abhishekas, and key instructions, he thought, “How nice it would be, if he’s there now, to go and meet him.” Where before he had felt disillusionment, powerful memories of his guru brought an immeasurable feeling of sadness. Shedding many tears, he sang this melody of sadness and longing, “The Song of the Six Remembrances of the Guru”:
Remembering you, father Marpa, dispels my anguish;
This beggar’s song of longing just suddenly came:
In the east at Chonglung Red Rock
A white rain cloud hovers above.
Underneath that floating white cloud
Lies the great site, the hermitage of Drowo Valley.
In back is a mountain like a great majestically poised elephant,
And the mountain in front is like a great majestically poised lion.
Upon the throne of the great Amolika Rock,*3
Upon a cushion of krishnasara deer*4 skin,
Who is it that sits in that place?
It is Marpa the Translator who sits there.
If, right now, I could meet you, how happy I’d be!
Though my devotion is weak, I wish to meet him,
Though my longing is weak, I wish to meet him.
Whenever I think, I remember the noble guru.
Whenever I meditate, I remember Marpa Lotsawa.
Lady Dagmema, who is dearer than my own mother,
If right now I could meet you, how happy I’d be!
Though the journey is long, I wish to meet her.
Though the path is hard, I wish to meet her.
Whenever I think, I remember the noble guru.
Whenever I meditate, I remember Marpa Lotsawa.
The profound tantra of Hevajra,
If right now it could be taught, how happy I’d be!
Though my prajña is slight, I wish to hold it.
Though my intellect is slight, I wish to recite it.
Whenever I think, I remember the noble guru.
Whenever I meditate, I remember Marpa Lotsawa.
The four symbolic abhishekas of the whispered lineage,
If I could receive them now, how happy I’d be!
Though my offerings are small, I wish to receive them.
Though I cannot offer an initiation gift, I wish to request them.
Whenever I think, I remember the noble guru.
Whenever I meditate, I remember Marpa Lotsawa.
The profound instruction of the Six Dharmas of Naropa,*5
If right now they could be taught, how happy I’d be!
Though my fortitude is weak, I wish to receive them.
Though my endurance in meditation is feeble, I wish to receive them.
Whenever I think, I remember the noble guru.
Whenever I meditate, I remember Marpa Lotsawa.
Dharma friends gathered with faith from Ü*6 and Tsang,
If I could see you now, how happy I’d be!
Though my experience and realization are slight, I long to discuss.
Though my understanding is inferior, I long to discuss.
Whenever I think, I remember the noble guru.
Whenever I meditate, I remember Marpa Lotsawa.
Though this beggar knows that within devotion we are inseparable,
I am unable to bear this torturous longing
Of remembering my guru within my heart.
My breath is seized in my chest, I cannot speak!
Kind one, please take away your son’s sorrow!
Then, on the point of a cloud stretched out like a banner of five-colored cloth sat Lord Marpa before him, riding on a white lion adorned with many ornaments, and appearing even more splendorous than when Milarepa had been with him in the past.
“My son, Great Sorcerer,*7 why have you called out to me with such anguish? Have you lost trust in the supreme jewels of the guru and yidam? Have you been chasing your thoughts—the objects of adverse conditions? Have the obstacles of the eight worldly concerns corrupted your retreat? Are the demons of hope and fear getting to you?
“Above, have you offered service to the guru, the supreme jewel; below, have you shown generosity to the sentient beings of the six realms; in between, have you purified your own obscurations and negativity and given rise to excellent qualities? Have the conducive conditions for these not arisen?
“Whatever it may be, you and I are inseparable. So, through your practice, benefit the teachings and beings.”
At this vision, with unbearable joy, Milarepa sang this song in reply:
Seeing my father guru and hearing his speech,
This beggar’s depression dawned as a wondrous experience.
Remembering my guru’s life example,
From deep down, devotion and realization arose.
I truly received his compassion and blessings,
And nondharmic appearances, all of them, ceased.
My longing song of remembering the guru
Pained the ears of the Jetsun*8 and yet
This beggar couldn’t help it; I would do it again.
Please continue to hold me with your compassion!
The practice of persistence and endurance in hardship,
This is the service to please my father guru.
Wandering alone in mountain retreats,
This is the service to please the dakinis.
The genuine dharma, free of self-regard,
This is the service to the Buddha’s teaching.
Making life and practice entirely equal,*9
This is how I’m generous to protectorless beings.
With endurance, I’m joyful when sick and I’m happy to die:
This is the broom that sweeps away karma, obscurations, and nonvirtue.
The austerity of giving up food obtained through harm,
This is the conducive condition for experience and realization.
Father Guru, I repay your kindness through practice.
Protect your son with compassion, Lord Guru.
Grant your blessing that this beggar may keep to mountain retreats.
Thus he sang. With a lucid and happy mind, he took his robe and brought a handful of wood back to his retreat place. When he arrived at his hut, there were five iron-atsaras*10 sitting with eyes agape, the size of saucers.1 One was sitting on the Jetsun’s bed teaching dharma, two of them were listening to him, one was preparing food, and one was engrossed in reading Milarepa’s texts.
At first, a flash of shock came over Milarepa. Then he thought, “These must be apparitions of displeased local spirits. Wherever I’ve stayed, I have never not offered torma,*11 and I have never not offered praises of the place. I should offer a praise to this site.” And so he sang this song of realization in praise of that site:
E MA!*12 In this solitary place in remote mountains,
A place where Victorious Ones found enlightenment,
There are traces of siddhas*13 who stayed here before,
Here where this human stays all alone.
At Chonglung Red Rock Garuda Fortress,
Above, southern clouds*14 whirl and swirl.
Below, the river curves and twines.
Between, the vultures float and drift.
Myriads of plants are scattered about.
Trees all dance relaxed and loose.
Bees buzz with gentle hum.
Sweet-scented flowers—ah! A delight!
Melodious birds chirp and tweet.
Here at Chonglung Red Rock Fortress
Birds and chicks train the skill of their wings.
Monkeys and langurs train their skill.
Deer and antelope train the skill of their feet.
I, Milarepa, train in the skill of experience.
I train in the skill of the two bodhichittas.
I’m harmonious with the deities in this retreat.
Gather here, all you bhuta*15 spirits,
Drink this nectar of love and compassion
And then be off to your own lands!
After he sang this, the atsaras, with hostile countenance toward Milarepa, looked at each other with angry glances. Then, two more atsaras came to join, bringing their number to seven. Some of them stood in front of him biting their lips with a wrathful expression. Some of them bared their fangs wrathfully. Several laughed and yelled with booming voice. Together, all of them swiped and stabbed in the air, attempting to intimidate Milarepa. Then he thought, “These spirits are making obstacles for me.” So, with a wrathful gaze, he recited powerful mantras, but they didn’t go anywhere. Then, giving rise to great compassion, he taught them dharma. But when they didn’t give it any heed, Milarepa thought, “Marpa of Lhodrak has pointed out to me that all phenomena are one’s own mind, and that mind itself is luminosity-emptiness; I have completely resolved that this is so. Therefore, to take these demons and obstacles as external and delight over making them leave is useless.” Then, manifesting fearless confidence, he sang this song of realization, “Having Confidence in the View”:
Father, victorious over the armies of the four maras,*16
I bow at the feet of Marpa the Translator.
People call me a human, but
I am the son of the great snow lioness.
In my mother’s womb, I perfected three powers.*17
When I was a baby, I slept in my den.
When I was a youth, I guarded its gates.
As a full-grown lion I wander in snowy heights.
I have no fear of stormy blizzards.
I’m not afraid of steep rocky cliffs.
People call me a human, but
I am the son of the garuda, king of birds.
While inside the egg, I developed my wings.
When I was a baby, I slept in the nest.
When I was a youth, I guarded its gates.
A full-grown garuda, I fly in the sky.
I have no fear of the sky’s expanse.
I’m not afraid of narrow ravines.
People call me a human, but
I am the son of the colossal whale.
In my mother’s womb, my golden spots grew.
When I was a baby, I slept in the nest.
When I was a youth, I led the school.
A full-grown great fish, I roam the vast sea.
I have no fear of the sea’s mighty waves.
I’m not afraid of hooks or nets.
People call me a human, but
I am a son of the Kagyu gurus.
In my mother’s womb, I gave rise to faith.
When I was a baby, I entered the gateway of dharma.
When I was a youth, I put effort in study.
An adult, I wander in mountain retreats.
Though ghosts may be savage, I am not afraid.
Though demons play many tricks, I am not afraid.
When the lioness stands in the snow, her paws do not freeze.
If the lioness’s paws froze in the snow,
Her perfected three powers would be of little use.
The flying garuda cannot fall from the sky.
If the great garuda could fall from the sky,
Its broad wingspan would be of little use.
When the whale swims in water, it cannot drown.
If the great whale succumbed to the water and drowned,
Being born in the water would be of little use.
Iron boulders cannot be destroyed by stones.
If iron boulders could be destroyed by stones,
For smelting and refining, they would be of little use.
I, Milarepa, have no fear of ghosts.
If Milarepa had fear of ghosts,
Realizing the abiding nature would be of little use.
You band of ghosts, demons, and obstructing spirits here,
How sublime it is that you’ve come at this time.
Don’t hurry; relax and stay for a while.
Let’s chat about everything under the sun.
You’re hurried? Aw! You can stay just one night!
We’ll vie in a contest of all our three gates
And we’ll see the difference between virtue and nonvirtue.
I won’t let you leave until you’ve made some obstacles.
If you should go back without making obstacles,
How ashamed and embarrassed to have come here you’ll be.
After he sang this, Milarepa got up with confidence in his practice and charged in amongst the demons. The atsaras glanced, blinking, back and forth, in fear. The force of their quivering bodies made everything inside the cave shake slightly. Then, all of the atsaras swiftly dissolved into a single remaining one, and with one strong gust of wind, he too vanished.
Then Milarepa thought, “The king of obstructing spirits, Bhinayaka, really gave it a go! The gust of wind that blew away my wood and clothes before was also his magical doing. But because of the guru’s compassion, he was not able to get to me.” Then his practice was enhanced beyond comprehension.
This single cycle has three different names: “The Attack of Bhinayaka, King of Obstructing Spirits,” “The Six Remembrances of the Guru,” and “The Red Rock of Chonglung.”
VIRTUE!
*1 Roasted barley flour, a Tibetan staple.
*2 T: bser ma. This is the equivalent of cold prana (or qi in the Chinese tradition) and literally means “wind,” or “air.” When the prana becomes imbalanced then various health problems ensue.
*3 Amolika is a type of stone connected with celestial realms that is often referred to in Tibetan literature (Kunsang 2006: 213).
*4 Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, is traditionally depicted wearing a krishnasara deer skin over his left shoulder and heart to symbolize love and compassion. Deer skins, generally, also serve as meditation seats for Buddhist yogis. “As an asana [or seat], the deer-skin is believed to enhance the solitary tranquility and awareness required by an ascetic, with the purity of sattvic energy of the deer being absorbed by the practitioner” (Beer 2003: 62).
*5 Taught to be the condensed practices of the tantras, the Six Dharmas are chandali, illusory body, dream yoga, luminosity yoga, practice of the bardo, and transference.
*6 Ü is the central region of Tibet.
*7 “Great Sorcerer” was Marpa’s nickname for Milarepa because of the sorcery he had learned and used to take revenge on his own townsmen.
*8 Here, “Jetsun” refers to Marpa.
*9 Making life and practice equal means to practice throughout one’s entire life.
*10 In this context, “atsara” is a type of demon.
*11 Tormas are small offering cakes that are traditionally offered to protectors and local deities.
*12 “E MA!” is an exclamatory word indicating amazement.
*13 Literally, “accomplishes”; realized ones who have attained great accomplishment in practice.
*14 On the Tibetan plateau, rain clouds generally come from the south.
*15 A formless spirit that causes harm to others.
*16 The four maras, or demons, are the mara of the skandhas, the mara of the Lord of Death, the mara of the afflictions, and the mara of the godly son (or worldly pleasures).
*17 The three powers are “the powers of body, speech, and mind” (Goldfield, in Stories and Songs: 21)
第一篇 密勒拾柴记
译者：张澄基
敬礼上师!
大瑜伽行者密勒日巴尊者，一时，在宝窟大鹏洞中，浸习在光明大手印定里。有一天，他觉得有点饥饿，应该准备点食物来吃，就在洞中找寻了一下，不用说油盐和面粉，就是洞口的柴和灶边的水也一点不剩了。他自忖道：「我对世界上的琐事也未免太忽略了些。现在让我出洞去拾些柴回来吧！」等他捡毕柴薪回洞的时候，山间忽然刮起一阵暴烈的狂风，吹他破烂的衣衫四处飘掀。他想用手拉住衣衫，但手中的柴又差点被风卷去；他想用手紧紧的抱住柴薪，但狂风又把他那褴褛的衣衫吹得四散飞扬。于是他自语道：「唉！我已经在山穴中修行了这许多年了，但如今我仍不能完全放下这个『我执』之心，一个人如果不能割舍『我执』，那么他所谓的修行又有什么意义呢？风啊！你要喜欢吹走我的衣衫，就请你吹走吧！你要喜爱我的木柴，就请你卷走它吧！」说毕，他就放下一切不管，静坐在地；但是因为长期的苦行和营养不足，一阵冷风吹来，人支持不住，密勒日祈祷；对下，你要时时于六道众生悲愿济度。自己应该时常精勤于忏罪积福的种种作业而累积向道的顺缘资粮，无论如何，你应该知道，你我师徒是永远不会分离的。你应好好的修行，准备做弘法利生的事业。」
密勒日巴得了这个启示后，心中无比的欢喜兴奋，雀跃的心情使他禁不住唱道：
亲见师容聆训时，穷子心风自然生。
心风生生不已故，殊胜觉受自开显。
思维上师之传记，自然涌发大信心。
上师大悲加持力，现前感受入我身，
非法妄念一时灭。难禁念师深恩故，
我今和泪歌此曲，父师天耳岂不闻？
祈赐加持作悲护！
一贫如洗此穷子，愧无少物供恩师；
惟以苦行及恒毅，取悦父师之慈怀。
独居山穴经年月，以作空行之供奉，
不顾性命而修法，以作佛法之供养，
病来不惧死亦乐，是为修行大坚志；
以此坚志来净罪，是为最胜之忏悔！
亦是证悟之助缘，谨以修行报师恩，
噫戏！慈父大恩师！大悲佑护莫舍我！
加持穷子得山居。
唱毕此曲，密勒日巴满心雀跃，一手收拾他那褴褛的衣服，另一手抱住一捆柴薪，走回山洞来。甫进洞门，就看见五个铁色的印度阿咱马（鬼）。眼睛巨大得像茶杯一样，圆溜溜的。一个端坐在尊者的床上好像说法的样子。另两个坐在下面听法，一个在旁边伺候，还有一个则正在随意的翻阅尊者的经书。密勒日巴一见，最初觉得很惊奇，随即想到这大概是本地的护法山神来捉弄我，弄出来的游戏神变吧？便自忖道：「我在此山已住了相当的时期了，但却从来没有用供食来祭祀过山神；也从未时常的赞颂他们，现在让我来唱一首赞曲吧！」随即唱道：
隐居寂寥此山穴，诸佛如来所喜处，
成就先贤之居所，密勒日巴我独栖；
红崖宝窟大鹏峰，云雾缭绕自悠悠，
蜿蜒藏江流谷底，巨鹏翱翔涧壑中，
灌木簇发山意闹，古松参天境悠闲，
蜜蜂振翅弄嗡嗡，雀鸟声喧竞悦歌，
于此红崖宝窟巅，大小雀鸟习飞翔，
□猴灵猿习跳跃，诸禽百兽习奔驰；
密勒日巴习禅定，勤生觉受与证解，
圆满二种菩提心。隐居此山我密勒，
山神和谐共为友，幽灵山神来此者，
聆此慈悲甘露曲，毕后请各返自居。
但这五个印度阿咱马，听毕密勒日巴的歌后，圆睁怒目，狠狠的盯着尊者；其中两个愤怒狰狞，一个张开獠牙，紧咬下唇；一个咬牙挫齿，威胁的步向前来；另外几个发出可怖的巨声狞笑和怪啸，大家排成一列，蓄势准备向尊者作致命的扑击。密勒日巴自忖道：「原来不过是非人魔鬼前来骚扰而已！」于是尊者就作起密法的忿怒本尊观，用威猛的密咒来驱魔，但毫不生效果，这几个阿咱马竟不离去。密勒日巴不由生起大悲心，就对这五个妖魔讲说善恶因果和佛法，但他们仍然不动。密勒日巴于是想道：「我由上师马尔巴的指示，已经如实通达一切诸法皆为自心之显现，自心即是那空明之体，我已于此得决定不移之见；现在如果仍把这些来扰的妖魔当做真实之外境，岂不可笑吗？」于是尊者就以绝对的自信和无畏的定力，心住正见，唱了下面这首歌：
大力摧服四魔众，恩师马尔巴前赞礼。
喂噫！目前五妖魔，汝等知我是谁否？
我是达生嘎母子，最初住于母胎时，
三力成就得圆满；婴孩时期卧摇篮，
孺童时期守门户，及长常年住雪山，
风暴虽烈我何惧！峭崖虽险我何畏？
喂噫！
目前五妖魔，汝等知我是谁否？
我乃禽王大鹏子，螫卵之时羽毛生，
婴雏之时卧巢穴，幼年时期守门户，
及长展翅任翱翔，天空虽阔我何惧？
涧谷虽险我何畏！
喂噫！
目前五妖魔，汝等知我是谁否？
我是海中巨鲸子，住胎之时金眼动，
婴儿时期卧水床，幼年时期学游泳，
及长遨游遍四海，浪涛虽猛我何惧？
鱼钩虽众我何畏？
喂噫!
目前五妖魔，汝等知我是谁否？
我是口传上师子，住母胎时信心生，
童年一心访法要，及长修行住山穴，
妖魔虽厉我何惧？鬼变眩目我何畏？
雄住雪山之雪豹，其爪不为冰雪冻，
雪豹之爪如冻损，三力圆满有何用？
大鹏翱翔天空时，岂惧其身坠地谷？
大鹏飞翔若失坠，翅翮朋硕有何用？
鱼游海中不窒息，鱼若窒息于江海，
生于水中有何用？巨石不能碎铁器，
铁器若为石所碎，溶火练钢有何用？
汝等障法妖魔众，此番来此甚希奇！
你我畅论生平事，多留片刻莫急离！
事忙今宵亦莫去，黑白两道试竞力，
身口意力来比试，孰优孰劣释汝疑！
汝等来此誓毁我，为作法障中断魔，
若今未成即离去，岂非终生大羞耻？
密勒日巴唱完此歌后，即升起佛慢「心住空性」，向洞中急速的冲了进去，那几个阿咱马魔一见尊者进来，惊骇万状，吓得全身发抖，眼睛东张西望，找寻逃处，慌乱中四个妖魔都消融于一个主魔身中，这个主魔旋即变成一股旋风消失于无形。密勒日巴想道：「原来是大力魔鬼□那牙嘎来寻隙扰乱。方才我在洞外捡柴时的那阵狂风，也一定是他作的怪。蒙上师加持，此番他毫未得逞。」经过这一次的历验，密勒日巴在修行的证境上有了不可思议的进步。
上面所述大力魔鬼□牙那嘎前来侵扰尊者的修行之故事，可名为：「六种思维上师曲」或「密勒日巴采柴记」，亦可叫做「红崖宝窟的故事」。
