The Life of Marpa the Translator by Tsangnyon Heruka

Author:Tsangnyon Heruka
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House LLC (Publisher Services)

1. This prophecy by Tilopa, Nāropa’s guru, is given in full on p. 88. It is also found in Nāropa’s biography, p. 95

2. According to Tāranātha in his Sgyu-’phrul chen-mo’i khrid-yig rgyal-ba’i lam-bzang, one can do this practice based on either the expanded, intermediate, or abbreviated sādhana written by Kukkurīpā. Tāranātha then goes on to present a brief but detailed synopsis of the three yogas. The inferior yoga of form (dman-pa dbyibs kyi rnal-’byor) involves visualizing oneself as Mahāmāyā, who appears as inseparable appearance and emptiness, like a rainbow. The profound yoga of mantra (zab-pa sngags kyi rnal-’byor) uses the complex practices of the illusory body of nāḍī, prāṇa, and bindu. The ultimate yoga of dharma (mthar-thug chos kyi rnal-’byor) concerns the ordinary and extraordinary bringing of whatever occurs to the path. See the Bka’-brgyud sngags-mdzod, vol. 3, no. 11, pp. 281-293.

3. Understanding, experience, and realization (T: go, nyams-myong, rtogs) are three stages in the practice of mahāmudrā. They are also called “the three stages of birth’ (T: skye-lugs gsum). In the Nges-don phyag-rgya-chen-po’i sgom-rim gsal-bar byed-pa’i legs-bshad zia-ba’i ’od-zer (fol. 329A), Trashi Namgyal writes:

According to Lord [Tsangpa] Gyare,

“Understanding arises from analytical

investigation; the experiences are

strong and weak bliss and luminosity;

realization is recognizing things as they are.”

See also Guenther’s The Royal Song of Saraha, pp. 116-7, n. 42.

4. Striking phenomena with mudrā (T: snang-ba rgya-yis-thebs): this refers to an awareness that abruptly brings one back to sacred outlook, the view of mahāmudrā. Phenomena are not regarded as something separate from mahāmudrā, therefore there is no dwelling on any experience of great bliss.

5. Life force (T: srog-rtsol) and descent (T: ’pho-ba) refer to different aspects of caṇḍālī practice. Life force refers to the inner heat that is generated and that blazes up, causing the bodhicitta to descend as great bliss.

6. According to Tāranātha’s commentary on the Mahāmāyā, the three illusions are: (1) illusion of phenomenal appearances (T: snang-ba sgyu-ma), (2) illusion of dream (T: rmi-lam sgyu-ma), and (3) illusion of pardo (T: bar-do sgyuma). See Bka’-brgyud sngags-mdzod, vol. 3, no. 11, Sgyu-’phrul, pp. 291:3-292:5.

7. This line refers to the difficult hardships that Marpa put Milarepa through in order to purify him of his previous evil deeds and make him a worthy vessel for the teachings. Marpa promised to give Mila teaching after Mila had built a small castle, or tower, for his son, Tarma Dode. (The name Sekhar literally means “the son’s castle.”) However, Marpa changed his mind two times and each time he had Mila take down his construction, which was partially completed, and start over again. In building these towers and continually anticipating his receiving the teachings only to be disappointed, Mila was pushed to the limits of physical and mental exhaustion.

When at last the Sekhar was completed, Marpa hosted a large ceremony in which his son’s coming of age was celebrated and the Sekhar was consecrated. (In fact, the song on pp. 69-70 is included in Mila’s biography). It was the day after this celebration that Mila finally gave up hope of ever receiving teachings and was ready to kill himself.

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