Carcano

Giro del lago di Alserio partendo da Carcano, paesino sulla collina sopra Alserio. In realtà il lago si vede solo in due o tre punti , soprattutto ai giardini a lago di Alserio e al casin del lago sulla sponda sud, per il resto si tratta di una camminata in campagna e nei boschi




experienced great spiritual growth and inspiration. Later, the place
where he sat was called the Hill of Mercy.
Milarepa then went to the bank of the river [lit.: Good River],
where he practiced the Flowing-River Yoga [Samadhi].4
On the tenth day of the autumn moon of the Fire Tiger Year, a
demon from Nepal called Bha Ro, leading a vast demonic army
which filled the earth and sky in the valley of Good River, came to chal-
lenge Milarepa. The demons shifted the mountains and threw them
down upon the Jetsun, and attacked him with thunderbolts and a rain
of weapons. They screamed at him, abusing him with threats: "We'll
kil1 you! We'll tie you up and chop you into pieces!" and on and on.
They also appeared in hideous and dreadful shapes to frighten him.
Sensing the evil purpose of the demon army, Milarepa sang "The
Truth of Karma":
I take refuge in all gracious Gurus,
And pay homage to them.
Through mirages and illusions,
You pernicious male and female devils
Can create these fantastic terrors.
You pitiable Ah Tsa Ma demons,5 hungry ghosts,
You can never harm me.
Because your sinful Karma in the past
Has fully ripened,6 you have received
Demonic bodies for this life.
With minds and bodies so deformed,
You wander in the sky forever.
Driven by the fiery Kl~as, 7
Your minds are filled with hostile and
vicious thoughts.
Your deeds and words are malignant and destructive.
You screamed, "Ki11 him! Chop him! Beat him!
Cut him up!"
I am a yogi who is devoid of thoughts,8
Knowing that there is no such thing as mind.
Walking valiant as a lion,
Actions fearless as the brave,
THE HUNDRED THOUSAND SONGS OF MILAREPA
My body merges with the body of Buddha,
My words are like the true words of the Tathagata,
My mind is absorbed in the Realm of Great Light.9
I see clearly the void nature of the Six
Groups.10
A yogi, such as I, ignores the abuse of
hungry ghosts!
If the Law of Cause and Effect is valid,
And one commits the deeds deserving of it,
The force of Ripened Karma 11 will drive him down
Into the miserable Path
Of suffering and grief.
It is distressing and woeful that you
ghosts and demons
Should not understand the Truth! 12
I, the plain-looking Milarepa,
Now preach to you the song of Dharma.
All sentient beings who live by nourishment
Are my fathers and my mothers!
To afflict those to whom we owe gratitude
Is indeed senseless and foolish!
Would it not be a happy and a joyous act
If you were to renounce your vicious thoughts?
Would it not be a blessed and joyful thing
If you were to practice the Ten Virtues?13
Remember this and ponder its meaning,
Exert yourselves and carefully consider it.
The demons then scoffed at Milarepa: "Your rambling talk will
not deceive us. We refuse to cease our magic and set you free." They
then multiplied their supernatural weapons and increased the force of
their demonic army to afflict him. Milarepa pondered awhile and then
said, "Hearken to me, you army of demons! By the grace of my Guru
I have become a yogi who has fully realized the Ultimate Truth. To
me, the afflictions and obstructions caused by demons are the glories
of a yogi's mind. The greater such affliction, the more I gain in the
Path of Bodhi.14 Now listen to my song of 'The Seven Adornments'