Madonna del Sasso ed eremo di San Genesio

Percorso ad anello da Mondonico passando per:
- Crosaccia
- Aizurro
- Eremo di San Genesio

- Madonna del Sasso (7.3 km)
- Campsirago




we should follow the Bon way, go in the opposite direction, and make
another circle." "Well, that will depend on how great your power is,"
replied Milarepa. The priest then said, "It seems that your power is
greater than mine this time. But we should still try our strength fur-
.ther." Saying this, he lifted up a huge rock, as big as a yak, in front
of the hill. Then Milarepa came forward and lifted up the priest as well
as the rock. The priest then said, "This time you win again. But to win
once or twice means nothing. We should continue our contest." Mila-
repa replied, "The stars may try to emulate the light of the moon and
sun, but the darkness covering the Four Continents will be dispelled
only by the sun and moon. You may try to emulate me, but you
can never match me. Now, Di Se Mountain belongs to me. It was to
please you that I revealed my miraculous power. Everyone can now
see that the Buddhist practice is superior."
Thereupon, the Jetsun sat in the Lotus Cave on the western side of
Castle Valley, while the Bon priest sat in a cave on the eastern side.
Milarepa stretched his leg from the west side of the valley and reached
right in front of the cave where the priest was sitting. He then called,
"Now, you do the same thing!" The priest also stretched out his leg,
but it did not even reach the brook! Whereupon, the Non-men spec-
tators in the sky all laughed heartily at him.
Although the priest was now a little ashamed and embarrassed, he
cried out, "I still want to fight on!" Saying this, he again started circling
the mountain in the Bon way. The Jetsun also resumed the circling in
the Buddhist way. This time they met on the south side of Di Se. When
it began to rain, Milarepa said, "We need a shelter to protect us. Let us
now build a house. Would you like to lay the foundation stone and floor,
or do you prefer to put on the roof?" The priest said, "I prefer to put
on the roof. You do the foundation work." Milarepa agreed. Then he
pointed to a rock as big as three persons standing up together, and said,
"Let us go over there." When they reached it, the Jetsun began to lay
the foundation. He saw that the Bon priest had split a giant rock, as big
as the body of an eight-year-old child. Whereupon, Milarepa made a sign,
a mudra of Conquering, and the rock held by the priest split down the
middle and broke in half. Milarepa then said, "Now, you can bring the
roof here." "But you have already broken it!" cried the priest. "Well, it
was because of our contest of miracle-working that I did it," replied
Milarepa, "but this time I shall let you prepare another rock and will
not repeat the gesture of breaking. This time you may bring me the pre-
pared rock." Accordingly, the priest split another rock and was about to
lift it up, when Milarepa immediately made a gesture of pressing-down.
The priest was surprised, as he tried to lift the rock,to find that it had
become extremely heavy. So he stopped trying and made an excus
THE HUNDRED THOUSAND SONGS OF MILAREPA
saying, "I have already prepared the rock-roof. Now it is your turn to
carry it to the other side." Milarepa replied, "My job is to lay the foun-
dation; yours is to put on the roof. Now try to lift it up and bring it
here." So the Bon priest tried again. He used all his strength, struggling
with distended eyes to lift the rock, but he could not move it an inch.
Seeing this, Milarepa said, "I am a yogi who has attained both the Com-
mon and Ultimate Accomplishments. My miraculous powers are differ-
ent from yours. Though you have achieved the miraculous power of the
Common Accomplishment, it can never emulate mine. If I make an-
other subduing-gesture, you will not even be able to split the rock any
more. The reason that I did not do so in the beginning was simply be-
cause I wanted to amuse the spectators. Now look at me and see how I
lift it up!" So saying, Milarepa merely used one hand to pick up the
giant rock and put it on his shoulder. Thereby, his handprint was found
impressed in the rock. Then he stood on it and left his footprints. Final-
ly he put the rock on his head and left his headprint and [more] hand-
prints upon it. Later on, this cave was called the Cave of Miracle-Work-
ing and became very famous. It was then that the Bon priest admitted
his defeat.
The Jetsun had many other contests with Naro Bhun Chon. His per-
formances were far superior to, and much more wonderful, than the
priest's. Finally, Naro Bhun Chon said, "You said that I am a magician;
but from what I can see, you are the magician. I am not convinced by
your miracle-working. Now, on the fifteen of this month, we shall have
a race to see who can first reach the summit of Di Se Mountain. The
winner will be recognized as the host of the mountain. This will also
decide, beyond dispute, the one who has really attained the Ultimate
Accomplishment." "Very well," replied Milarepa, "we will do as you
wish. But what a pity that you Bon priests think your little bit of mystical
inner experience is the Ultimate Accomplishment! To attain the Ulti-
mate Accomplishment one has to behold the nature of his own mind.
If one wants to realize this, he should follow and meditate on the teach-
ings of my School - the Practice Succession." The Bon priest replied;
"What difference is there between your mind and mine? Is yours good
and mine bad? What difference is there between Bonism and Buddhism?
Although your practice and mine are alike, you may be more proficient
in the art of delusive magic. Therefore, so far, it looks as if you are su-
perior. Anway, the race to Di Se will settle everything once and for all."
Milarepa replied, "All right! Very good! That will settle everything."
Whereupon, Naro Bhun Chon concentrated his mind to pray to his
god diligently and undistractedly, while Milarepa just carried on natur-
ally. When it came to the fifteenth day, in the very early morning, Naro
Bhun Chon, wearing a green cloak and playing a Bon musical instru