Monte San Martino e corno Regismondo da Lecco Rancio

Monte san Martino e corno Regismondo da Rancio, quartiere di Lecco, Nonostante il chilometraggio breve, l' escursione ha richiesto circa quattro ore in quanto si tratta per lo più di sentieri impervi e irti, si procede lentamente e il dislivello è consistente. Il sentiero per il corno Regismondo è classificato come EEA, alla fine prima della vetta c'è un tratto attrezzato con catene




THE HUNDRED THOUSAND SONGS OF MILAREPA
place. We will provide all the food you need without any effort on
your part."
Among the guests was a teacher called Shaja Guna, who said to
Milarepa, "If you would be kind enough to remain here in Dreloon
Joomoo, the valley of ghosts, it would help you and would also help
us. I shall try my best to serve you." A layman exclaimed, "How won-
derful it would be if we could have the great Yogi staying with us!
I have a fine cattle farm, but the demons and ghosts are becoming so
bold that they actually appear [even in the daytime]! They are so
vicious that even I do not dare to go near the place any more. I be-
seech you, in your kindness and grace, to vist my farm very soon." All
the guests then made obeisance to the Jetsun, begging him to go to
the farm.
Milarepa replied, "I will go there at once-not because of your farm
and cattle, but in obedience to my Guru."
"We are satisfied as long as you have promised to go," they declared.
"Now, let us prepare the best food and arrange for your departure."
Milarepa then said, "I am accustomed to solitude ... I dwell in a
hermitage and need neither companionship nor good food. But please
accept my gratitude for your thoughtfulness in offering it. First, I
should like to go to the far:m alone. Afterwards, you may come and
see what has been done."
When Milarepa arrived at the foot of the mountain, the Non-men
created frightful hallucinations to harass him. The path to the top of
the peak, which seemed to reach to the sky, quaked and tossed. Angry
thunder rolled, jagged lightning struck all around, and the mountains
on both sides trembled and shifted. The river suddenly became a rag-
ing torrent and burst its banks, turning the valley into a vast lake,
in later years called Demon Lake. Milarepa arose and made a gesture,
and the flood at once subsided. He went on to the lower part of
the valley. The demons shattered the mountains on both sides, and
showers of tumbling rocks fell like heavy rain. Then the Hill Goddess
created for the Jetsun a path like a running snake along the range,
a track later called Hill Goddess Path [or Oakini's Ridge). This sub-
dued all the lesser demons, but the greater and more powerful demons,
angered by their failure, gathered round the end of Hill Goddess Path
to unleash a new attack. Milarepa concentrated his mind, and made
another mystic gesture to subdue them. Suddenly all the evil visions
disappeared. A footprint was impressed in the rock where Milarepa
had stood.2 He had gone only a few steps when the whole sky cleared.
In an exalted mood, he then sat down at the top of the hill; he
entered the Samiidhi of Mercy,3 and an immeasurable compassion
toward all sentient beings arose in his heart. Because of this, Milarep
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.