“Milarepa was a person of crazy wisdom and certainly a competent mahamudra master. But he was able to handle day-to-day living situations. And the reason why he is able to do that is the warmth of compassion. That he has ordinary logic or samsaric nature. He could think in the same logic as samsaric mind could comprehend, as well as the same kind of logic which the enlightened mind could also relate with. That kind of coordination, that kind of sophistication is largely due to the compassion aspect, or the joy, or “mahasukha” as it is known in the vajrayana tradition.”
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Dear Friends of the ChögyamTrungpa Institute,
In celebration of Milarepa Day, the Digital Library is thrilled to release three new seminars on Marpa and his chief disciple Milarepa: two very important figures in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
ChögyamTrungpa gave the seminar Message of Milarepa over several days in July 1973. This seminar takes us through the life and experiences of the yogi, poet, and Kagyu lineage holder Jetsun Milarepa (1040-1123 CE), one of the most well-known and inspiring meditation masters in Tibetan Buddhism (who we celebrate on Milarepa Day each year!). In these talks, Trungpa Rinpoche presents Milarepa’s various challenges and breakthroughs as teachings for modern-day practitioners on the path. Fortunately, the seminar was filmed, thanks to Jeffrey Krouk, a student of Rinpoche’s. The footage captures the beauty of summertime in Vermont and the intimacy of hearing these teachings under the tent at Karmê Chöling.
Read More and Access the Playlist
In the Message of Milarepa seminar, Trungpa Rinpoche speaks to Milarepa’s inspiration for “keeping the living oral instruction, and for the oral teaching to flourish and continue.” At the Digital Library, we aspire to do just that: bring the teachings of Trungpa Rinpoche to the world in his own voice. If you are inspired by our work, please consider a donation. Every contribution brings us closer to releasing all of Rinpoche’s recorded talks.
Happy Milarepa Day!
The Digital Library Team