The Gyalwang Karmapa Imparts the Essence of Milarepa's Life Story - Part 1 of 2

April 4, 2014 -- New Delhi, India The International Buddhist Confederation invited the Gyalwang Karmapa to give a day of teachings on Milarepa, the great Tibetan yogi, in the lovely and intimate theater of the Sri Sathya Sai International Center. On the stage, a painting of Milarepa hung behind the Karmapa's chair, flanked by bouquets of lush white flowers. After a welcome by Lochen Tulku, the well-known Buddhist singer, Vidya Rao, sang the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit, the Buddha's words arising and sinking back into silence, evoking the ancient link of Buddhism and the land of India. In the beginning, the Karmapa emphasized that since it would be difficult for us to imitate the life style of Milarepa, we can emulate Milarepa's great qualities of complete renunciation, a sincere motivation, and great determination. We should not leave Milarepa's life example on the page of a book, but incorporate it in our lives, making it present in our own experience. Engaging a more scholarly discussion of the dates for Milarepa, the Karmapa explained that they are calculated based on the dates for Gampopa, which are clear and certain. Then dividing Milarepa's life story into two parts, the worldly and the spiritual, the Karmapa began with the first one, narrating the early life of Milarepa: how his aunt and uncle stole his inheritance; how he, his mother and sister were forced into servitude; how Milarepa learned and practiced magic; and how he had remorse for the killings and destruction he had perpetrated. The Karmapa noted that in sending her son off to learn sorcery, Milarepa's mother was following the worldly custom of supporting your friends and relatives and defeating your enemies. In turn, Milarepa was fulfilling his worldly duty by accomplishing the wishes of his mother. Further, he accomplished his spiritual goal of full awakening through his deep devotion, his one-pointed conviction, and his unrelenting determination.