Grazzano Badoglio

Escursione collinare nel Monferrato partendo da Grazzano Badoglio (Asti) e passando da Ottiglio





THE HUNDRED THOUSAND SONGS OF MILAREPA
licking his clothes. Then she put her muzzle under her two front paws
and prostrated herself before him. Tears fell from her eyes, and she lay
down peacefully with the deer.
Milarepa thought, "There must be a sinful person who is following
these two animals. He will probably be here any moment." Before long
a man appeared looking very proud and violent; from under his lashes
his eyes glared fiercely, his hair was knotted on the top of his head, and
his long sleeves flapped from side to side as he ran toward the Jetsun. In
one hand he held a bow and arrow, and in the other a long lasso for
catching game. As he dashed up, one could hear his breath coming in
suffocating gasps and see streams of sweat pouring down his face and
almost choking him to death. When he saw the Jetsun with the bitch
and deer lying beside him, like a mother with her sons, he thought, "Are
the deer and my bitch both bewitched by this yogi?" He then cried angrily
to Milarepa, "You fat, greasy repas and yogis! I see you here, there, and
everywhere! High in the mountain snows you come to kill game; low on
lake-shores you come to hook fish; on the plains you visit towns to trade
in dogs and fight with people. It does not matter if one or two like you
die. You may have the power of keeping my bitch and my deer, but now
see whether your clothes can also keep out my arrow." So saying, the
hunter drew his long bow, aimed at Milarepa, and shot. But the arrow
went high and missed. The Jctsun thought, "If even ignorant animals
understand my preaching, he should be able to understand it too, for
after all he is a man."
So he said: "You need not hurry to shoot me, as you will have plenty
of time to do so later. Take your time, and listen to my song." Where-
upon, in a tuneful voice like that of the Cod Brahma, the Jetsun sang to
the hunter, whose name was Chirawa Cwunbo Dorje:
I pray to all accomplished beings;
I pray you to extinguish the Five Poisonous Kle~as.
You man with a human body but a demon's face,
Listen to me. Listen to the song of Milarepa!
Men say the human body is most precious, like a gem;
There is nothing that is precious about you.
You sinful man with a demon's look,
Though you desire the pleasures of this life,
Because of your sins, you will never gain them.
But if you renounce desires within,
You will win the Great Accomplishment.
It is difficult to conquer oneself
While vanquishing the outer world;
Conquer now your own Self-mind.
To slay this deer will never please you,
But if you kill the Five Poisons within,
All your wishes will be fulfilled.
If one tries to vanquish foes in the outer world,
They increase in greater measure.
If one conquers his Self-mind within,
All his foes soon disappear.
Do not spend your life committing sinful deeds;
It is good for you to practice holy Dharma.
I shall now teach you the Six Yogas of Naropa,
And set you to practicing the Mahamudra.
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While the Jetsun was singing this, the hunter waited and listened. He
thought, "There is nothing to prove that what this yogi has just said is
true. Usually, a deer is very frightened, and my bitch very wild and sav-
age. Today, however, they lie peacefully together, one on his left and the
other on his right, like a mother with her sons. Hitherto I have never
missed a shot during my winter hunting in the snow mountains, but to-
day I could not hit him. He must be a black magician, or a very great
and unusual Lama. I will find out how he lives."
Thinking thus, the hunter entered the cave, where he found nothing
but some inedible herbs; [seeing such evidence of austerity], a great
faith suddenly arose within him. He said, "Revered Lama, who is your
Guru and what teachings do you practice? Where did you come from?
Who is your companion, and what do you own? If I am acceptable to
you, I should like to be your servant; also I will offer you the life of this
deer."
Milarepa replied, "I shall tell you of my companion, from whence I
come, and how I live. If you can follow my way of life, you may come
with me." And he sang to Chirawa Gwunbo Dorje:
The Lamas, Tilopa, Naropa, and Marpa-
These three are my Gurus;
If you they satisfy,
You may come with me.
The Guru, the Yidham,2 and the :Oakini-
To these three Mila pays his homage