Tales of a Mad Yogi by Elizabeth L. Monson

Author:Elizabeth L. Monson [Monson, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 2021-08-24T00:00:00+00:00

When he finished speaking, the townsfolk laughed, glancing surreptitiously at the geshes who were muttering among themselves. Ignoring them, Kunley ordered another glass of beer. One of the townspeople approached him. Recognizing that the man was from Ralung, Kunley said, “Please join me and tell me the news from Ralung.”

The man sat down. “Well,” he said, “it appears that your cousin, Ngawang Chogyal, is parceling off the land. He’s given some of your land to your fellow practitioners, in case you are interested.” The other townsfolk gathered around, curious as to how Kunley would react to the news.

Kunley thought, “Previously, gurus, siddhas, and spiritual friends renounced their homes for homelessness. But these days everyone is happy for the smallest plot of land! Rinpoche probably also intends to give me some land and he thinks I’ll be happy to receive it. Definitely not! My only possession is a hat made from the skins of wild animals.”

He said aloud, “I renounced all claims to that land many years ago. Ngawang Chogyal knows this. Why would I wish to contest this now?”

Thinking that the local man might wonder if he had really given up all worldly things, Kunley sang a song describing two mental attitudes: one that renounces the Dharma and another that renounces the world.

Namo! The poison tree of monastic property and my homeland spreads the leaves of the five poisons of my paternal relatives.9 Knowing that if I touch those poisonous leaves, they will cause me harm, I turn my back. Through that renunciation, I thought I could practice the divine Dharma. But some chieftains, feeling this was not sufficient, insistently gave me farmlands as offerings. Wherever I go, there are so many villagers. All these flatterers with crooked hearts—they lure me in, just like an old uncle!10

Far more than the happiness I should feel from land granted to me, instead I feel the mental and physical distraction that comes from farming. Being a taxpayer is like being tortured in this life and in all lives to come! Whatever I do, this is only a burden on my mind. One cannot attain enlightenment like this! If I have no attachment or aversion to this plot of land, then the world laughs, “Ha!” If I get caught practicing Dharma only for myself, the divine Dharma laughs, “Ho!”

Even if the kindness of the lord is immeasurable, the noose of samsara binds my mind. Wherever I wander, I am pursued by wealth and possessions. What would it be like if I renounced “own mind”? Being out of harmony with the command of the Buddha, charlatans who claim to possess self-made wisdom will never understand everlasting peace. The profound meanings in the sutras, tantras, and Secret Mantra are like gold that has been beaten, burnt, and smelted in the fire. If the teachings are not examined, relying on blind faith is like shooting an arrow in the dark.

The echo of a parrot’s chatter is no more than words. Clinging to words as the essence of the Dharma, one will not understand that the real essence is ineffable.

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