Milarepa’s Cave
A few days ago I came across these 4 photos of Milarepa’s cave. This cave, also known as Namkading, is part of a monastery called Nyelam Pelgye Ling. This monastery was destroyed in the 1960s and then recently restored again.
Before the monastery was destroyed there were over 70 monks who lived there. The monastery is actually built around the cave where Milarepa (1052-1135) spent most of his life in and attracted many students who came to seek the great Tibetan Buddhist philosopher for teachings. These students later founded important lineages themselves.
Today only seven monks live in the same monastery. Out of these 7 monks, 2 guard the cave where a Milarepa statue is kept enclosed in a glass case.
The cave over looks Lapchi Gang. It is a hidden valley and if you do a google search you’ll see how rich it is with healthy vegetables, flowers and crops growing and flourishing in that area. The colours are beautiful and spectacular to look at, especially when the surrounding lands are quite harsh.
The cave is really simple..The structure is of an overhanging rock that provided good shelter for Milarepa. If you had the good fortune to look inside, there is an impression on the inner side of the cave of Milarepa’s handprint and his sitting meditation posture.
The Vajrayana mahasiddha, Milarepa, was not an ordinary Tibetan saint. He killed many people in the younger part of his life through sorcery. This was out of revenge on behalf of his mother for the injustice towards his family he had growing up. Under Marpa of Lhobrag (or Marpa the Translator), he realized that revenge was wrong and studied under him for the rest of Marpa’s life.
Milarepa is said to be the first to achieve the state of Vajradhara in one lifetime.
He is famous for his songs and poems, which he composed himself. If you take a look at posture, he is cupping his ear with his right hand. This “listening” posture symbolizes his way of teaching the dharma through songs.
Tsem Rinpoche
This photo depicts Milarepa in the cave listening to someone who needs help and advice.. his skin is green in colour because for many years he lived eating nettle soup which made his skin appear greenish (Photo extracted from: http://danzanravjaa.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/04/paintings_of_th.html)
A thangka painting of Milarepa
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Milarepa’s Cave is a cave where the Tibetan Buddhist philosopher, and Vajrayana Mahasiddha, Milarepa spent many years of his life in the eleventh century. Milarepa’s Meditation Cave is located at Nyalam village, 450km from Shigatse. Milarepa was a beloved Tibetan singer-poet, mystic, teacher, and saint who used to wear in thin white cotton. He was famously known as a murderer when he was a young man, before turning to Buddhism and becoming a highly accomplished Buddhist disciple. He wrote many songs and poems that remain jewels of Tibetan literature. Milarepa mastered Mahamudra teachings and realized great enlightenment. His transformation and Guru devotion has inspired many.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Milarepa was a Tibetan master, yogi, and poet who led an inspiring life of spiritual progress and human accomplishment. Despite his past as murderer turned to Buddhism to become an accomplished Buddhist disciple. He is considered as one of Tibet’s most famous yogis and poets, serving as an example for the Buddhist life. Milarepa’s Cave is where the great yogi spent many years of his life in long meditation. This meditation cave has a long history and magical story. Through meditation practice, he realised the true nature of mind was the only way to gain liberation from suffering.
How i wish to visit this sacred cave in future.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing .
Milarepa’s story is always interesting as there is the sorcery and violent part. But it is also a story of hope that we ourselves can overcome our self created or inflicted karma with the help of an attained Guru. This shows that one’s negative karma can be purified if one transform immediately, realising with deep remorse and regret and then change, one can definitely change one’s karma. Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for this wonderful write up and pictures??
Milarepa’s Cave or Namkading Cave is a cave where the great Tibetan Buddhist philosopher, Milarepa, spent many years of his life.Milarepa’s story is inspiring and interesting in which he became a student of Marpa of Lhobrag after killing so many people out of revenge and gain Enlightenment in one lifetime. His transformation and Guru devotion has inspired many and example to many. Its never too late to learn and practice Dharma afterall.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this short post with beautiful pictures.
Milarepa’s story is always interesting as there is the sorcery and violent part. But it is also a story of hope that we ourselves can overcome our self created or inflicted karma with the help of an attained Guru.
But underlying it is the story of how much we achieve is how much we are willing to work for it – no cheating allowed, the Buddhas and Karma are watching.
So, when we can we take bigger steps, when we can’t we take smaller steps, but the key is to keep moving forward.
Thanks for the pictures and photos of the monastery and area of Milarepa’s cave. Glad to know that the location was not lost but is actually being well kept and revered.
Great Post about an inspirational teacher, thank you !!
Please enjoy my animated introduction to the life and poetry of Milarepa The Yogi –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn_ixPiERwI
Best Wishes ~
I READ THE BOOK TIBETAN YOGI MILAREPA. IT IS JUST EXCELLENT!
Milarepa is the most celebrated I think because of his great turn around. With the killing of so many people, his karma must be tremendous and his Lama had to really purify him and also break his ego so that he would be successful with the Tantric practices.
He was sincerely and although he slipped, he returned to his lama and resumed his practice to startling results. His struggles and hardships are immortalized in his story which are legendary and one that particularly inspiring for ordinary practitioners who’s spiritual practice is fraught with ups and downs due to our ego and refusal to go all the way with our practices and beliefs.
I have always love hearing such amazing stories like this. It is always more inspiring to read stories of those that were once condemned, shun, losers, black listed by society who made a 360 turn and became a great inspirations in our world. And like Milarepa who became a saint and enlightened in one lifetime even though he killed so many due to him surrendering all the way to his Guru and the Dharma.
This shows that one’s negative karma can be purified if one transform immediately, realising with deep remorse and regret and then change, one can definitely change one’s karma. Milarepa’s example of transformation and Guru devotion is a source of inspiration to so many and being one of the first to achieve the state of Vajradhara in one lifetime gives us proof that Buddhahood is not something of a fantasy if one really applies pure Dharma.
Beautiful! Milarepa’s story is an inspiration to me. His Guru Devotion and determination never fades…I wish to gain his qualities through my practice!
Milarepa’s story as described here gives me much inspiration and hopes.
As much as I understand, killing brings forward much negative karma. Yet, through following the teachings and instructions of his guru, Milarepa was able to purify his negative karma and achieve enlightenment in one life time.
While the monastery and its surrounding look very simple, yet for me these pictures exude incredible amount of mystery and sacredness at the same time.
The story of Milarepa is outstanding and left a deep impression from the very first time I heard of him in Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s teachings “Gurus for Hire, Enlightenment for Sale” which provides a wide array of Dharma information and inspiring stories. The comic book as mentioned by Jean Mei “The Magic Life of Milarepa, Tibet’s Great Yogi” also clearly illustrates the story of Milarepa concisely and comprehensively.
Milarepa’s example shows us the compassion and hope Dharma gives to all sentient beings. Therefore, regardless of how devastated we perceive our situation to be, we always stand a chance for true freedom in the Dharma. It is all in the choices we make and the action we take following those choices.
Therefore our destiny, like Milarepa’s, is more in our own hands than many of us imagine. This is very liberating because, with this, we are the masters of our karma and our life 🙂
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing Milarepa’s Cave with us and for imparting the teaching of His life story so generously.
Thank you for this very inspiring blog!
Milarepa shows us that we all have the Buddha eed in us amd we like him have a choice whether to cultivate the land, plant and nuture the “Seed”.
I agree with Shirley, I love Milarepa’s story!
I like how in his life story (I cheated…I read his comic book :)) it portrays how he was like anyone else. He was just another human being, who grew up with a normal lifestyle…filled with hardship.
Since it’s easy to relate to Milarepa, his story really inspires people – how he did evil, studied evil..but did it without knowing that it was evil. Just like a lot of people in samsara, we do things or are brought up in a way where what’s right and what’s wrong predominantly falls in grey areas.
It’s almost like his life story has the message that: ‘It’s never too late to do dharma’. I feel that some people might feel scared stepping into dharma because if they know that they did many bad things in life, they’re probably not ready to face it in case all that will happen after will be that their life will go downhill. It’s hard to face the facts and reality.
Milarepa shows otherwise.
He’s so mystical…I love it!
I love Milarepa’s life story very much. It is immensely inspiring!
Yes, even a murderer can gain Enlightenment in one lifetime if he/she truly devoted himself/herself to the path completely.
Marpa, Milarepa’s Guru, gave him many chores and tasks to do. I especially remember the part about Milarepa having to build the tower over and over again. Imagine building it and then demolishing it and starting all over again. However Marpa had Mliarepa perform many of these very challenging tasks in order to purify his intense bad karma. I.e. Milarepa’s killing of so many people.
Not everyone would be able to endure what Milarepa had gone through. But if anyone could, then he or she will receive real attainments just like Milarepa.
Milarepa’s life-story is filled with perseverance, Guru Devotion and pure determination. Marpa truly pushed him beyond his own limits, until he broke his own limits and set himself free.
Thank you for sharing all these beautiful pictures. It’s so true how all the vegetation and flowers in that area are particularly lush and green, even though the entire area is very un-conducive to plants. Not to mention the weather itself.
I guess, the area is truly and greatly blessed. And it shows!
Thank you very, very much Rinpochela!
Dear Rinpoche, thank you for posting this. Dear Rinpoche, I have a question why after killing so many people, Milarepa can still gain realization in just one life time?
Because Milarepa decided to do 100% Dharma with Marpa as his teacher. Milarepa already had phenomenal abilities before entering Dharma, and Marpa knew if he could break Milarepa’s stubborn, ego-centric mind, he would be a fantastic Dharma practitioner.
Marpa never gave up on Milarepa, and Milarepa had to build 13 houses with his bare hands, collecting all the materials. This activity broke his ego completely and he was able to practice tantra after this, which he went into his cave and completed.
Thank you very much Josh Akers for your answer on the question I post, I have a better understanding now. Thanks.