Buddhist Audio Books

From Chapter 2, Finding the Sangha

In ‘The Tale of Red Rock Jewel Valley’ we encounter Milarepa at a comparatively early stage in his career, when his practice is still quite a struggle and he is still more or less clothed. As we shall see, he also still possesses some books. Even so, he has evidently been practising meditation in solitude, following the practice of mahãmudrã – the union of bliss and emptiness – according to his guru’s instructions, for a long time. And in this episode his practice suddenly bears fruit through an unexpected, if apparently trivial, turn of events, of which Milarepa is able to take advantage by means of a very basic practice: mindfulness.

It is clear that his practice of mindfulness is very effective because he is so quick to observe his instinctive reaction when his robe blows apart, and to realize what that reaction implies with regard to his spiritual development. The incident is so trivial that most people, even most practising Buddhists, wouldn’t think twice about it, beyond perhaps noticing their momentary frustration at trying to do the work of three hands with two. But Milarepa is keeping a close and unremitting watch over himself, and it is the brief conflict in his mind that draws his attention to the deeper issue. Seeing beyond his frustration to the fundamental delusion underlying it, he realizes that while he is literally clinging to his robe, he is clinging to his ego just as tightly. As the wind snatches his robe from him, he observes himself possessively clinging to his meagre property and says to himself, ‘What is making me cling to my robe in this way? It is because I feel that it is mine, it is my robe, my body needs it for covering. I need it.’ At once recognizing this as evidence of a still active ego, he gives up his robe to the importunate tugging of the wind.