Milarepa: Lessons from the Life and Songs of Tibet's Great Yogi

Description

Renowned meditation master Ch gyam Trungpa retells the stories and realization songs of Tibet's best-known and most-beloved religious figure--and reveals how they relate to our everyday lives. Milarepa (1040-1123) is Tibet's much-beloved Buddhist poet and teacher. His realization songs are widely revered and studied, and he is remembered for having achieved enlightenment in a single lifetime. Ch gyam Trungpa presents this great historical figure as an example of someone who was able to overcome immense difficulties and obstacles through his discipline, dedication, and practice. And further, the challenges Milarepa faced, though of a different time and place, hold insights for practitioners today. Trungpa retells colorful stories of Milarepa's life, highlighting his struggles, his awakening, and his teachings. Through these stories Trungpa reveals the history, traditions, and principles that formed the background for Milarepa's journey, including teachings from the mahamudra tradition from which the realization songs arose. Trungpa also illuminates the meaning of many of Milarepa's remarkable songs, always coming back to relevance of Milarepa's life to practitioners today.

CH GYAM TRUNGPA (1940-1987)--meditation master, teacher, and artist--founded Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, the first Buddhist-inspired university in North America; the Shambhala Training program; and an international association of meditation centers known as Shambhala International. He is the author of numerous books, includingShambhala- Sacred Path of the Warrior,Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, andThe Myth of Freedom.

"Trungpa Rinpoche's expansive take on the traumatic and colorful life of Milarepa as a template for our own lives takes the reader on a roller-coaster journey through ancient Tibet-and our own inner depths. If you are already a practicing Buddhist, this book will give you strength. If you are not, it will inspire you to get started as soon as possible."-Norman Fischer, Zen priest, poet, and co-author of What Is Zen: Plain Talk for a Beginner's Mind "How wonderful that Trungpa Rinnpoche's teachings on Milarepa have been gathered and presented in this way. This book will both interest and delight anyone wishing to explore the fascinating stories of Milarepa and other Tibetan masters from a practice perspective."-Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness "In his trademark insightful and inspiring voice, Vidyadhara Trungpa Rinpoche here offers a true feast of wisdom nectar that distills the life and lineage of Milarepa, the greatest master of Tibet, to illuminate how we can transmute our lives into pure dharma. This volume is captivating, poetic, contemplative, and enlightening-all in one."-Tulku Thondup, author of The Heart of Unconditional Love