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Marpa - His Life
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Part Four Through manifesting his realization, Marpa benefits sentient beings and the teachings
Thirteenth Chapter : In general, guru Ngokpa and the other worthy disciples assembled there are ripened and freed through abhisekas and oral instructions. In particular, by means of sadness and renunciation at the death of his son, Marpa strengthens everyone's practice.Having offered
thanksgiving feasts upon the guru's return from India, most of the disciples
and attendants departed to their own homes. The guru, the father and all
his sons, dwelt in strict retreat according to the commandprophecy of
Naropa. The guru dwelt in the upper pan of the castle. Below him dwelt
his son Tarma Dode. Below him dwelt some of the great son-disciples. The
other son-disciples also practiced sadhana in strict retreat. Marpa's
wife, Marpa Goiek, and Bawachen of Parang served them. One day as a dog barked, someone knocked on the door of the castle. From his window, the son saw a tall man dressed in white carrying a bow and some arrows. Tarma Dode's mother went out to meet him and the man said, "The annual Ngamochushul fair is the day after tomorrow. Your older brother is sponsoring it. Earlier, Marpa was offered the fame and honor of presiding over both the fair and the feast. I have come to invite the guru, the father or the son, whoever is free to come. One of them must come no matter what." Thus he spoke insistently. Dagmema gave him good food and chang, and while he was eating she said, "It is very wonderful that you people are giving both a fair and a feast. But, as I told you before, our guru Marpa says that he "must fulfill the command-prophecy of Lord Naropa. So the father and sons must all live in strict retreat for three years. Since only one year has passed, it is quite unlikely that the father or son will go. We might send one of the great son-disciples below them, an important one." The mother also spoke with insistence. The man said drunkenly, "It must be the father or the son. No one else shall preside. If the gum was going, I would go along as his attendant. However, since he is not going, I will leave, but I have delivered the message anyway. Don't say I didn't deliver it!" He abruptly dusted off the bottom of his chuba and left. The son thought, "Now, from society's point of view, I have the most prominent parents. Because of my family, relatives, and attendants, I have no sorrow or burdens and I am learned in the dharma. Therefore I am well suited to go to this year's fair. But if I ask my father and mother, they will not give their permission. I will have to sneak out." Two days later, everyone from the upper valley came by on their way to the fair, wearing elegant clothing and jewelry. Thinking, "I must leave in such a way that my father and mother don't hear," the son got out of bed and prepared to leave. Then he thought, "It is said, 'The higher the mountain, the deeper the abyss. The greater the gain, the greater the risk. The more profound the dharma, the more profound the mara. My father will chastise me. When the obstacles of Mara arise, there is great danger." Thus, he stayed in his bed. Just then there came three old women, their mouths toothless and their heads as white as conches. They said, "We have seen the great Ngamo-chushul fair of Lhotrak again and again and Marpa Benefits Sentient Beings and the Teachings still it is not enough. The time of death comes without warning, so we don't know if we shall see it again." Tarma Dode watched them go by swinging their staffs, their knees wobbling. Not realizing that the three old women were a magical creation of Mara, the son thought, "If even old ladies like these arc going, why shouldn't I go, since I am young and the favorite child, loved by my father and mother?" Throwing a white cloak over his shoulders, he suddenly left his retreat. His mother happened to be bringing him some hot refreshment and met him. She said, "Son, you are not permitted to leave your retreat so suddenly. Where do you think you're going? Go back up and keep to your practice." The son was
afraid that his mother would grab him, so he ran down the stairs. Since
his mother had food in her hands, she could not grab or stop him, and
the son ran by. The son thought, "Well, if my mother gives me advice,
I must listen. But if she tells me to stay, I should go." At the
threshold of the gate, he mounted a horse and turned around. The son replied, "O mother, as it is said, 'When the moon is bright, it is in its first phase. When the parents are alive, the child is in his first phase.' I also have neither illness nor suffering. Therefore I am well suited to go to the fair. Please let me go there just this time." The mother
said, "Have you asked your father?" As he was about to leave, the mother said, "Son, since you are going without listening to me at all, let us, mother and son, make a vow. Keep these in the center of your heart. Today don't sit at the head of the row. Don't accept offerings as the guest of honor. Don't give the dedication speech. Don't give a discourse on the dharma. Don't drink chang. Don't ride horses. Come back no later than noon. These are the seven vows between the two of us, mother and son. You must keep them in mind." The son said hurriedly, "It will be done," and rode off. Then Dagmema sent a party of four trustworthy students, led by Jetsiln Mila and Marpa Goiek, to attend Tarma Dode, and insisted that they make sure the seven vows were kept. When the mother was alone, her heart was troubled as never before and she shed many tears. She thought, "Before, even if my son went away for a month for the benefit of others, I wasn't upset like this. If I am so upset now when he is going away only for one day, isn't some terrible accident going to happen?" When the
young master and his attendants arrived at Ngamochushul, the people were
assembled in many rows. The master and attendants took a place at the
end of the spiritual teachers, but at the head of the laymen. The wise
old lamas who were at the head of the rows were perplexed and said, "Isn't
that the son Tarma Dode?" They sent someone to check whether it was
the son. When they knew that it was the son, they invited him to take
the seat of honor, but Tarma Dode did not want to go. Therefore Tarma Dode had to take the position of honored guest, accept the gifts, and give the dedication speech. He also had to give a discourse on the dharma in answer to the questions of the spiritual teachers, and it became obvious that he was learned. Then, one by one, the noblemen offered him chang very insistently, so that he had to drink a little each time. By then it was past noon and Jetsun Mila said, "Precious guru, it is said, 'The feast and fair should end before it becomes too good, otherwise the gathering will conclude in a fight. ' Most of your mother's commands have been violated. Now that it is past noon, we should definitely go." The son replied, "Older brother, Great Magician, you are quite right!" As Tarma Dode was getting ready to leave, his uncle, who was the wealthiest man in Lhotrak, but had no children, came up leading a horse named White-Shouldered Raven. This horse was the swiftest in Lhotrak and had splendid saddlery. His uncle said, "Nephew, stand up! In the dedication speech and the rest you excelled in your knowledge of dharma. Now excel in horsemanship! Ride this horse." And he put the reins into Tarma Dode's hand. The son said, ' 'Later I'll do what you say in any way I can, but don't ask me to ride this horse now. As I was coming here, my mother gave several instructions and I have already violated most of them. If I ride now, I shall have violated all of them." His uncle replied, "Your mother Dagmema is very powerful, but she is my sister. However insignificant I may be, I am still her older brother. Since you obey your mother, why not me? The proverb says, 'If the river carries your uncle away, don't grab him by the hair.'* That is very true, so by all means you must ride this horse. After you ride I will give him to you, along with the saddlery." His uncle pulled him by the hand and forced him to mount the horse. Thus Tarma Dode was unable to avoid riding. As he galloped the horse, Tarma Dode's composure was magnificent and his skill was great. Thus, he was the very best in both spiritual and temporal ability, and many offerings were repeatedly pressed on him. For a while he felt satisfied with himself. Then Jetsun Mila earnestly requested the son, "Sir, you have now violated all the vows you made to your mother this morning. It is said, 'Before you win over the crowd, rein in your horse.' We should definitely go before the crowd leaves." Thus the master and disciples departed, with Tarma Dode riding the horse his uncle had given him and Jetsun Mila holding the halter. Tarma Dode said, "I am neither old, decrepit, sick, nor incapable of controlling this horse. You don't have to hold the halter. Go on ahead." The disciples had gone a good distance ahead when they descended into Shen valley. On one side of the path were rapids, making it a dangerous passage. On the other side, among the rocks and boulders, was an abundance of bushes. Among the bushes was a partridge nest. As Tarma Dode was passing by, the sound of the horse's hooves startled the mother partridge and six little ones and they took flight. At the sound of their wings and their shrieking, the horse was startled and jumped. The son fell from his horse, and one of his feet caught in a stirrup. The horse dragged the son among the rocks the distance of an arrow's flight, and his skull was broken. From his head burst forth brains and a great deal of blood. When the horse bolted, Jetsun Mila looked back and saw the riderless horse running off in the distance. He thought, "The son has been thrown from his horse." Holding his prana, Mila ran and caught the horse, and tied it to a tree. He released Tarma Dode's foot from the stirrup. Seeing that Tarma Dode was unconscious, Mila placed his head on his lap and examined it. It was broken into eight fragments and there was a great deal of brains and blood. Since there was nothing to be done, Mila sat there, crying. Then the other great son-disciples arrived. Holding Tarma Dode's hands and feet, they called his name and wept a great deal. Finally, they conferred, decided that Tarma Dode was unable to ride a horse, and so planned to carry him on a siretcher. They took a length of silk that had been offered to Tarma Dode and bound it around his head. While the disciples were making a stretcher, a fresh breeze was blowing and the son regained consciousness. His eyes opened, and seeing Jetsun Mila, he said, "Brother, Great Magician, it is good that you have come. I've been thrown from my horse and it seems I have hurt my head. What are you all doing?" They answered, "The guru is unable to ride the horse and can't walk, so we are preparing a stretcher." Tarma Dode said, "As is said, 'Even though a gentleman is hungry, he must keep his gamda's horns. ' I will try to ride the horse. Take this sash off and rip it in half. '' They took it off and ripped it as he said. With half they bound his head, and with the other half they refastened his chuba. "Now put me on the horse," he said. After they put him on the horse, he said, "Uncle Goiek, you are the oldest, so lead my horse. You other two, support me on the left and right. Elder brother. Great Magician, you go ahead and tell my father and mother the story of how I became a little injured." They did as he said, and then the master and students went forward slowly. Jetsun Mila went ahead and came before the gum on the top floor of the castle. After prostrating, he said, "Precious guru, I have something to tell of which I don't dare to say even three words." The guru said, "Whenever you arrived before, I felt joyful. This time my heart is unhappy. What has happened? Tell me! " Jetsun Mila was unable to speak and wept. After a while Mila told the gum the whole story. "My son went to the fair this morning?" Marpa asked. "Yes sir, he went." Where did he break his head?" "It was broken in Shen valley." "This valley called Shen has lived up to its name. He is not dead yet, is he?" Marpa asked. "He has not died and is coming." "How did you bandage him?" "We ripped his sash in two lengthwise. We bound his head with half, and refastened his chuba with the other half, '' Mila replied. "Then this is a sign that the father and son must be separated. Last night I dreamt that a black man came to me and said, 'Naropa commands you to tear out your heart and give it to me to take to him.' I thought, 'I must obey this command of the guru.' Tearing out my heart, I gave it to him. He was delighted and put it in a skull cup. Covering it with a hooked knife, he went away. Also, I dreamt that a hole developed in the center of a mandala, that the sun and moon simultaneously decayed in the midst of the sky, and that a lake ofrakta dried up. "Even if I go out to meet him, it will have no effect. However, there is still the samaya bond between father and son. Therefore, I must go out of compassion," Marpa said. He then went out and met his son as he arrived in the courtyard. The son said, "I went to the fair this morning. I hurt my head. Please see if it's serious or not.'' Tarma Dode put his head on his father's lap. His father loosened the sash binding his head and examined it. Marpa saw that the skull was broken into eight fragments, that the cranial membrane was torn and the brains were spilling out. He thought, "My son will not live for long. '' Again the son became unconscious and fell into a coma. The father laid his son's head in his lap, and turning him on his right side, he sang into his ear this song which clarifies the ejection of consciousness: Listen
son, Prince Dodebum. Now eject your consciousness into the heart center of your venerable father. Thus Marpa sang. Tarma Dode's mother overheard all this from inside and thought, "The guru was practicing on the top floor of the castle, but now in the courtyard, he is singing a song which clarifies the ejection of consciousness. Has some obstacle befallen my son?" She hurried to the courtyard and saw her son, with his bloody head resting on his father's lap. She fainted and was un-conscious for a while. Regaining consciousness, she said to the father, "You are learned in the eightfold way of medical practice. Will our son live or die?" The guru replied, "Though I am expert in the eightfold way of medical practice, there is no way to cure a body without a head. As is said, 'When the karma of sentient beings in the three realms comes due, the buddhas of the three times are powerless. ' I have no means of curing him. If you know how, you cure him." He rested the son's head in the mother's lap and said, "You have spilt on the wall the one precious drop of oil in the cauldron of water.* Who else but you would have sent him to the fair while he was in the middle of his retreat? In general, as is said, 'A woman leading a meeting, a goat leading the way, a prairie dog acting as sentry, a heap of ashes as a cairn, or a lump of butter in the hot sun—there is nothing cheerful in any of these analogies.' " Covering his head, Marpa remained sitting there. The mother thought, "I am not to blame, but now is not the time to argue because it might be harmful to my son's practice. Tarma Dode did not eject his consciousness into his father, venerable Marpa, who is also his guru who gave him mind transmission. However, because I am his mother who gave birth to his body and mind, he may, out of love, eject his consciousness into me." Bringing her mouth close to her son's ear and weeping, Dagmema sang this song which clarifies the ejection of consciousness: Precious,
supreme, and authentic nirmanakaya The venerable
father, Marpa the Translator, Keeping
nothing secret, the venerable father taught them to you, son. This composite
body of flesh and blood Thus his mother sang this song. Because his consciousness was still impaired, she thought that he did not hear even a word and she shed tears the size of peas. Because these tears fell into the son's ear, and also due to the close relationship between mother and son, Tarma Dode regained consciousness and opened his eyes. He had understood the song, sung by his mother, which clarifies the ejection of consciousness. The son said, "Older brother, Great Magician, help me stand up. " He stood up and bandaged his own head, which had been broken into eight fragments, and said, "Older brother, Great Magician, my face does not feel well. Wipe it off." While the jetsun was wiping the son's face with his cloth, the son said, "I thought that in this life I would be able to repay my parents' kindness. But now, not only have I not repaid their kindness, I have made my parents upset. Since this has happened, I want to offer a few meaningful words asking my parents not to be upset. Accompany me as I sing." The jetsun said, "Please don't talk like that. It might bring obstacles to your life." "Older
brother. Great Magician, what obstacles to life do you mean? Isn't this
an obstacle? Now the time has come to go upon the great universal path
of sentient beings known as the pardo of becoming, the long and dangerous
passage, which is like a narrow tunnel. Most beings must undergo terrifying
sufferings there. But, by the kindness of my father, Lord Marpa, I have
the power of going directly to my next place of birth, and so do not have
to undergo the sufferings of the pardo of becoming. Then Tarma Dode offered this song of entreaty: Precious
lord guru, endowed with the three qualities, The tantras
and commentaries taught by my lord father In unborn
simplicity, mahamudra, Please
give the tantras and commentaries of gurus Thus Tarma Dode sang his reply. The father said, "My son, if you had remained here, in every direction there would always be excellent harvests and animals. Rain would fall in the right season. Epidemic diseases of humans and animals would cease. In particular, the oral instructions of the ejection and transference of consciousness that bring enlightenment without effort in meditation would have flourished in Tibet. Sentient beings would have benefited by attaining abundant bliss and happiness. However, suddenly, obstacles of Mara have arisen. Then they carried the son inside. The father, mother, and sondisciples all circled around him. Lady Paimo and some others endowed with faith requested him to perform the transference of consciousness for the sake of sentient beings. The son said, "If you want these oral instructions of the ejection and transference of consciousness that bring enlightenment without effort in meditation to flourish in Tibet, find me the corpse of a pure youth that is without any wounds." The son-disciples dispersed to the four directions and searched. However, since the oral instructions of the ejection and transference of consciousness that bring enlightenment without effort in meditation were not destined to spread in Tibet, they could not find even one male corpse without a wound. One tantric student brought the corpse of an old woman who had died of a goiter and requested Tarma Dode to eject his consciousness into it. Tarma Dode said, "This cannot benefit sentient beings. I will not perform the ejection of consciousness." Another disciple, a shepherd, found the corpse of a pigeon amongst the ruins of a temple. It had died from exhaustion after being chased by a hawk. He brought it to Tarma Dodc and requested him to eject his consciousness into it. Tarma Dode said, "Performing the ejection of consciousness into an animal will not benefit beings. Do you want me to be sent to such an inferior birth? I will not eject my consciousness into a pigeon." Because Tarma
Dode did not want to perform the ejection of consciousness, disbelief
arose in some of the disciples and in the shepherd. They said, "The
great being, Marpa Lotsawa, claims that he has oral instructions that
will bring enlightenment in one lifetime, but it does not seem to be true.
The things that the guru performed before were just trickery. '' "Now, in order to spread the Buddha's teachings and to confirm the powerful teachings spoken by my lord father and also so that you, the shepherd and the others, will not fall into the lower realms, I will perform the ejection of consciousness into the pigeon. "Now I am in the utpattikrama. When I dissolve that into sampannakrama, I will eject my consciousness. If one ejects his consciousness while in utpattikrama, one would commit the root downfall of killing the yidam deity. So now I will dissolve into sampannakrama. Put the pigeon on my pillow and prepare an offering." They prepared an offering as he requested. When the son strengthened his utpattikrama visualization, everyone, even the common people, saw Hevajra with his nine emanation devis bright and vivid. When Tarma Dode dissolved that into sampannakrama and ejected his consciousness, his body paled and the pigeon shook his feathers a little. Once the son had left his body completely, the pigeon suddenly stood up and ruffled his feathers. The pigeon appeared to prostrate to both the father and mother. Then he circumambulated them three times and flew toward the upper part of Trowo valley. The father said, "Son, come back." At that moment the son came back and flew around the castle. Then he landed on his father's right shoulder and remained there. The father said, "Dagmema, such is the occasion that we have to treat this pigeon as our son. Let us bring him into the shrine room and make offerings to him." They brought him up to the top story of the castle, made offerings to him, and let him settle there. They decided to perform a cremation and farewell ceremony together. First, they built a hearth for the cremation. As the father and the great sondisciples performed the fire offering, from the four cardinal and four intermediate directions, eight different rays of light entered the hearth. Music of the gods and demigods and other varieties of music were heard, and rains of different varieties of flowers fell, which everyone witnessed. Then the pigeon, into whom the ejection of consciousness had been performed, was led to the cremation hearth on a path of silk. The father said, "Son, circumambulate the cremation hearth." Accordingly, the pigeon circumambulated the cremation hearth. Everyone there was amazed and saw the father guru and his son as buddhas in person. At that time, Dagmema came in unexpectedly. She was about to jump into the cremation hearth when the disciples held her back. She said, "I am not allowed to jump into the fire, but please allow me to circumambulate my son's cremation hearth." She wept and uttered many heartfelt words of grief as she circumambulated the hearth, supported by the great sondisciples. Seeing this, everyone from Lhotrak could not help but shed tears. Lord Marpa also showed signs of grief. Previously there had been an old man and woman whose only son had died. At that time, the guru thought that he could lessen the parents' grief and so explained many general teachings to them. In particular, he told them, ' 'If you dreamt that you had a son who died, you would feel grief. You would feel suffering for the death of someone who had not been born. Your suffering for your present son is not different from this. Think of all this as a dream, as an illusion, and don't be upset." Now the old man and woman to whom he had said this came to him and said, "Guru sir, when our only child died, you said, "It is a dream, it is an illusion; don't be upset.' The guru still has six sons headed by Tarma Sanuen. Although Tarma Dode has died, it is nothing more than a dream, nothing more than an illusion. Please do not be upset." The guru said, ' 'I explained the dharma according to your situation at that time. It is true, yet I do not suffer from clinging to something as real. If your son had lived, he would first have robbed you of your vitality and taken the food from your mouths. Next, he would have robbed the wealth from your hands, as well as your estate. Finally, he would have cast you into the three lower realms. This is not like my son. If my son had not died, he would have benefited the teachings of the Buddha and sentient beings. Among dreams, this would have been a super dream; among illusions, this would have been a super illusion." When they had finished making the offerings. Lord Marpa remained in meditation. Contemplating where his son would benefit sentient beings, he realized that it would be in India. He made offerings to the pigeon and gave him advice. Then, as witnessed by the whole crowd, he let him fly to India. Marpa remained in .meditation for a while, and then said, "Dagmema, gather the old offerings and arrange new ones. My son has lost his way." He clapped his hands, covered his head, and remained in meditation. That evening, the exhausted pigeon returned and nestled in the father's lap. Marpa said, "Tonight, bring the pigeon into the shrine room and make offerings." They did as he said. In the morning, the pigeon was brought to the place where many people were assembled. The father said, "Son, the path you took yesterday was wrong. If you again follow the mountain on the left that looks like a poisonous snake sliding down, you will come to a land of heretics. Don't go there. To the right is a mountain like an elephant lying on its side. Follow the range of those mountains and go that way. At the end of the mountain range, you will find the yidam's light, which will guide you. Follow that light. At the Cool Grove charnel ground, you will find the fresh corpse of a thirteen-year-old brahman boy that has been brought there. Transfer your consciousness into him and work for the benefit of sentient beings." The pigeon circumambulated the father and mother three times, and as a parting gesture, he bowed his head three times. Then he flew off in accordance with his father's command. Everyone shed tears, and felt certainty in the transference of consciousness. All saw Jetsun Marpa as the buddha in person. Since the pigeon flew according to his father's command, he arrived without obstacle in the Cool Grove charnel ground, where the brahman parents had brought the corpse of their only son. The pigeon found it there just as the pallbearers were performing the funeral rituals. Immediately, Tarma Dode transferred his consciousness and the brahman boy stood up. The pallbearers were terrified. Earlier,
by the kindness of his father, Tarma Dode had learned enough of the Indian
language to communicate. He said, "I'm not one of the walking dead.
I have come back to life. Let's go home." The pallbearers said, "A pigeon came up to your son's body. It bowed its head and then died, and then your son came back to life." The mother and father cared for him as lovingly as before, and were very close to him. As he possessed more gentleness in spirit, virtue in the dharma, kindness toward the poor, devotion to his parents and the three jewels, and exertion in virtuous actions than their former son, they realized that he was not their previous son. They asked him how this came about. Tarma Dode told the full story of how he had transferred his consciousness from the pigeon. In the language of that part of India, a pigeon is called tiphu, and because of this miracle, he was called Tiphupa. Thus, the parents did not think of him as their son, but called him their guru. Both old parents served him, and throughout his life he cared for them as their son. Finally, he became a sramanera and studied, contemplated, and meditated. He was a great being who was learned and accomplished, known as Tiphu, the tree of the secret mantra. Later these stories were told by Tiphupa to Rechungpa in India. When Marpa and the disciples opened Tarma Dode's cremation hearth, they discovered that the five devatas of Cakra-samvara had appeared on a piece of his skull. They also found many other representations of body, speech, and mind and many sarlra. Some people felt indifferent and said, "Guru Marpa still has six more sons who will be heirs to his family lineage. As for a dharma lineage holder, he has many excellent great son-disciples. If we think of this wondrous proof of the transference of consciousness, as well as the wonderful representations and sarlra, it is of greater benefit to sentient beings that the son Tarma Dode died than if he had lived." From every direction there came the other great son-disciples, who had not yet arrived. Although they offered their condolences and gifts, Dagmema was still extremely upset. When the great son-disciples assembled for the memorial service for Tarma Dode, the guru said, "Dagmema, if you continue to grieve, these disciples who have come from all directions will be further distressed. In general, death is characteristic of all composite things. This isn't a mishap particular to us alone. Moreover, Tarma Dode's death is in accord with the guru's prophecy. Finally, grieving cannot bring our son any benefit and only causes you pain. This makes it difficult to expound the dharma to others, as in the case of the old man and woman. Now, don't grieve. " Then Marpa sang this song to clear away her grief: I prostrate
to the lord gurus. Many sutras
and other texts written in gold The tantras
and commentaries obtained through hardship, Food and
wealth gathered through frugality Castles
and fields in the fatherland of Pesar Being
polite to relatives of the Mar clan, In general,
it is'characteristic of all composite things There
is nothing other than dharma for us. In accordance
with the prophecy of Mahapandita Naropa, Thus Marpa sang. The grief of Dagmema and all the others there was cleared away, and their realization was heightened.
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