The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa Quotes

“The seven noble riches, or seven riches of the aryas, are faith, discipline, learning/study, generosity, modesty, decorum/shame, and prajña.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“I remember appearances are examples of impermanence. I see sense pleasures to be like a mirage. I look at this life like a dream or illusion And cultivate compassion for those who don’t realize this.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“the Buddhist term “emptiness” is often described as “openness,” a potential for anything to appear.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“Son, don’t have great anger; it will scorch your mind-stream. Don’t suffer too much; your body and mind will be wasted. Don’t fabricate too much; just rest, relaxed. Repay the kindness of your guru.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“My being unhindered by any object Is a sign of appearances and mind mixing as one.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“What benefit is there in cultivating prajña Where appearances don’t arise as one’s friends?”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“What benefit is there in forced meditation That is not free of the distraction of mind”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“Then the Jetsun reflected, “All you ghosts, as well as all other phenomena that exist, are just projections of the mind. There is nothing that isn’t like that. This is taught in all of the sutras, tantras, and treatises. This very essence of mind that is naturally luminous and free from all elaborations is what was pointed out to me through the nectar of my noble guru’s oral instructions. The nature of mind is free of arising and ceasing. Even if the Lord of Death’s army of millions and billions should surround it and rain down a myriad of weapons, they could not kill, cut, or transform [mind’s nature] into something bad. Even if a billion light rays of the buddhas of the three times and ten directions should gather with their good qualities combined, it could not be fabricated to be made truly existent as the form of something with color or form. [Mind’s nature] is this very uncontrived basic character. “This present body is taken as real due to clinging to perceiver and perceived. And the end of these aggregates made up of the base elements that have been born is death. So, if you devas and ghosts have a need for them, then I will happily give them to you. All things are impermanent and changing phenomena. Right now, while I have control, if I exercise generosity with my mind, then I would do great benefit by giving away my body. “Now, because of the confused concepts of perceived and perceiver, I see all the images of these devas and ghosts here. These appearances of harmers and someone to be harmed are like floaters that appear to an obscured eye. Since beginningless samsara, by the power of ignorance—the cause—obscurations arose through continual habituation to negative tendencies, these concepts which are adventitious coverings like clouds or fog. So then, why do I have such fear and anguish toward them?” Then he rested evenly in the abiding nature—the base—and sang this song of realization about confidence in realization through complete mastery of fearlessness:”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“For six whole years and eight months more. I built for the sake of purification A nine-story tower replete with a courtyard. Then the kind father accepted me. With the ultimate view of Mahamudra I was pointed out the profound abiding nature; He gave me the Six Dharmas of Naropa, the path of means; And the river-flow of the four abhishekas, the path of ripening. For the practices of the glorious Naropa, He gave advice for developing confidence in them. Then, free of any laziness, I renounced this life and meditated. Through that, I entered the gate of perpetual happiness. This is the way I became a yogi.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“prostrate to the father guru. I, the yogi Milarepa, From within the abiding nature will sing you a song. I’ll do a dance in the space free of true existence. Listen, assembly of mamos and dakinis. This reliance on confidence in cause and effect Is faith with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. Staying alone in solitary places Is samadhi with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. This resting evenly, free of perceiver and perceived, Is view with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. This postmeditation that’s free of forgetting Is meditation with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. This mindfulness without perceiver or perceived*3 Is conduct with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. This union of compassion and emptiness Is fruition with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. This clothing that’s free of any feeling of cold*4 Has softness and excellence with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. This samadhi that’s without any hunger Is meat and beer with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. This drinking from the river of enlightenment Is drinking with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. Giving rise to contentment from within Is food and wealth with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare. Marpa Lotsawa, the translator, Is a siddha with whom ordinary ones cannot compare. The view of one’s mind as the face of the deity Is the yidam with which ordinary ones cannot compare. I, the yogi Milarepa, Am a meditator with which ordinary ones cannot compare. This body that’s without any sickness Is a doctor with which ordinary ones cannot compare. Now listen once more, assembly of dakinis: Where nothing is clear, it is clear for me.57 This very luminosity is clear. Where there is no heat, I feel warm. This very single cloth is warm. When there’s nothing comfortable, I feel good, This very illusory body feels good. Where there is no joy, I feel quite joyful, This very dream is so joyful. This yogi here feels better and better. Is Drakya Vajra high, or not? If Drakya Vajra isn’t high, Then how could vultures soar below? If the icy new year’s wind isn’t great, Then how could water in the mountain and valley freeze? If the garment of chandali isn’t warm, How could I feel warm with a single cotton cloth? If I don’t eat samadhi for my food, How could I survive being hungry with an empty belly? If the river of enlightenment isn’t drunk, Then how could I survive being thirsty without water? If the guru’s instructions are not profound, Then how is it obstructions and maras don’t come? If this yogi does not have realization, How could I wander in mountain retreats with no people? This is all due to the kindness of the wise guru. Put efforts in practicing just like this.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“The view of one’s mind as the face of the deity Is the yidam with which ordinary ones cannot compare.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“This union of compassion and emptiness Is fruition with which ordinary ones’ cannot compare.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“Roaming in rugged mountain retreats is the outer Chö. Casting the body away as food is the inner Chö. Cutting to the root of the unique is the ultimate Chö. I’m a yogi who has these three kinds of Chö. Is there a female student here who will request these three?”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“All meditators who practice shamatha Have powerful experiences, vivid and clear, And are happy, thinking that experience is vipashyana.*10 But when the vipashyana of dharmakaya at the time of death is needed, Mother and child luminosity do not meet. That shamatha from before won’t help at death, And again, they’ll be trapped in the animal realm. Upasaka son, supreme protector,*11 now listen! When resting evenly in meditation with the points of body, If appearances cease and you are without thoughts, These are the doings of a lethargic shamatha. But when you rouse yourself with mindfulness, It’s like a candle, self-luminous and shining bright, Or like a flower that’s naturally vivid and clear. Like looking with your eyes at the glow of the sky, Awareness-emptiness is naked, open, and clear. That nonconceptuality that’s luminous and clear Is the arising of the shamatha experience. On the basis of that meditative experience, While supplicating the precious jewels, Gain certainty by studying and contemplating the dharma. Take the vipashyana that brings the understanding of no self And tie the sturdy rope of shamatha to that.*12 Then that strong noble being with love and compassion Through the mighty strength of rousing bodhichitta to benefit others, Having been lifted up with a pure aspiration To the completely pure path of seeing, There, vipashyana directly realizes the purity that cannot be seen And then the faults of mind’s hopes and fears will be known. Without going anywhere, you’ll arrive at the Buddha’s ground. Without looking at anything, you’ll see dharmakaya. Without achieving anything, your aim will be spontaneously accomplished. My upasaka son, work with mind like this.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“Thoughts about the five sense faculties Is the guide on the path of liberating whatever’s encountered.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“Abandon negativity and practice virtue!”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“the meaning of interdependence takes on a special significance. A central practice of the Secret Mantra tradition is “pure vision,” or sacred outlook: seeing the entire world and all beings within it as fundamentally pure and sacred.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“So the meditation here is to relax and let appearances be as they are without the interference of our conceptual labeling. This is what is meant by luminosity free of fixation.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“When meditating on Mahamudra, one does not fixate awareness on any particular thing nor try to fix anything. One simply sustains “nondistraction” and allows whatever arises to be as it is.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“One’s mind must be fully prepared through training in the various preliminary practices before embarking upon Mahamudra meditation as a main practice.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“ULTIMATE VIEW, MEDITATION, CONDUCT, AND FRUITION”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation

“a traditional template for such preliminaries has emerged in Milarepa’s Kagyu lineage codifying the practices of going for refuge, generating bodhichitta,*51 purification, accumulating merit, and most importantly, cultivating devotion and personal connection toward the guru and lineage.”
― Tsangnyon Heruka, The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation