Milarepa's Doha

Dharma talk on 30th June 2008 in Singapore
- transcribed and edited by Venerable Aneja


The Doha that we are going to discuss today is Milarepa’s doha which he has given the last instructions to his heart son, Gampopa.

In order to engage in proper Dharma practice, the teacher gives the instructions and the student listens to the instructions. Both parties need to generate bodhicitta in order to help limitless sentient beings uproot samsara and its causes, thus leading them to Buddhahood.

In the term “Mahayana”, “maha” means great and “yana” means vehicle. Why is this vehicle great?

Its greatness lies in it having the special quality of loving kindness and compassion for all sentient beings, whether they are friends, enemies or strangers. These sentient beings have all been our parents in countless previous lives. However, these beings are now wandering and suffering in samsara, hence we have the responsibility to help them. You are a Mahayana practitioner when you can practice with such motivation. If not, you are just a practitioner.

Milarepa is the greatest yogi in Tibet. He performed many difficult practices and went through a lot of hardship. By adhering to the instructions of his guru, Marpa Lotsawa and through his own practice, Milarepa gained enlightenment in one lifetime. His life story was amazing, therefore his dohas hold amazing meaning. Writers, philosophers and professors can write marvelous things, but they may not necessary experience them. In contrast, Milarepa’s dohas were based on his own experience.

Milarepa’s songs are very meaningful, when you read them, you’ll find them very touching and his teachings can change your life. This is the lineage of blessing. Therefore, even if we only discuss it briefly, it is already very helpful.

Milarepa’s life story demonstrated the proper way of practicing the Dharma. In this degenerate age, we are not able to imitate his practice. His attainment of enlightenment in one lifetime is logical and can be accepted.

Although Milarepa did not go to school to study philosophy, he had pure and profound devotion to his Guru without a single doubt. Upon his Guru’s instructions, he meditated in solitude to help sentient beings. We have already received blessings simply by reading his life story. This is better than doing big pujas, receiving initiation or being blessed by using holy objects to touch our head, shoulders or neck. Therefore, we should read his life story and dohas repeatedly. Even if our understanding is incomplete, whatever we have understood would help us progress in life. This is the blessing of Milarepa.

Unfortunately, in today’s society, especially the Tibetan society, very few people are interested in Milarepa’s songs. His songs were sung in the name of fun during the New Year, but not really for learning or practice. It is only recently that some masters encourage people to learn these dohas.

Milarepa said, “In the future, the hearing of my name would be beneficial to any Dharma practitioner who is unable to practice Dharma properly.” We are very fortunate to be able to see the image of Milarepa, read his life story and hear his doha.

In the Mahamudra, the supreme blessing is to receive Guru’s blessings through devotion without doubt. This essential blessing is our practice. We should do what these masters have done, practice just as how they have practiced, generate bodhicitta just as how they have generated, meditate just as they have meditated, in order to receive the essential blessing.

In the Mahamudra lineage prayer, there is a line that says, “Please bless us, we will uphold the lineage practice.”

This means that in order to receive the full blessing of the lineage and the guru, we need to have commitment. The commitment in this context is different from the commitment we have to abide when we take an initiation. Rather, this refers to the dedication and promise to practice, meditate and follow the guru’s instructions. In this way, there is no doubt that you can get the guru’s blessing.

The unbroken lineage refers to the lineage whereby the guru teaches his close disciple, the disciple practice seriously and when he attains the same realization as the guru, he then transmits the teachings to the next student. The unbroken lineage does not refer to an oral lineage whereby the teachings were simply passed on by speech. These great masters were not trained to sing the dohas in particular tunes or melodies but they sing them spontaneously as a result of their realization. Thus, these songs can benefit sentient beings immediately upon hearing them because of the composer’s realization and its profound meaning. When we hear these dohas, we experiences openness and joy in our heart because we know that we are practicing on the right path.

This doha of Milarepa contains 6 stanzas which I will now explain briefly.

“Son, when emptiness arises in the individual’s mind, do not try to follow the word. Why? If you simply follow the word, then you may be trapped by its worldly meaning. Therefore, you should rest in the state of non-arrogance.”

The word “son” refers to Gampopa, the heart son of Milarepa. The realization of emptiness arises spontaneously at any moment. When this realization arises, do not be trapped by words like “emptiness”, “Mahamudra”, “Maha Ati” and other terms. We have attachment and desire toward these big words. This also means that once you have realized the true nature of the mind, terms like Mahamudra, Maha Ati would become meaningless. When you realize one, you realize all. If you cling on to these Dharma terms, it will not be beneficial to your realization. These words are just skilful means to explain the method to beginners. Once you have realized the true nature of the mind, these terms are no longer useful.

“Son, when self liberation (tib: rung tol) arise in individual’s mind, do not employ the practice of logic (valid cognition). If you do this, you may be wasting your time or earnestness. Therefore, once self liberation arises, rest in the state of thoughtlessness.”

Self-liberation is the liberation of oneself. No one can help to liberate you. It is not as if you are in jail and someone comes to release you. Through studying, meditating and following the instructions of the guru without doubt, liberation arises spontaneously and effortlessly. Therefore, there is no use for valid cognition. We only need valid cognition to establish our conviction in something. Thoughtlessness does not refer to a state of fainting, but instead refers to the natural state of the mind.

“My Son, Gampopa, when understanding on the experience of selflessness arises, do not mental proliferate… go further into thinking whether selflessness is one entity or two. If it is one, then there will be many, do not differentiate... (Rinpoche had problems translating this part, so he did a rough translation based on his understanding) Because if you do, this leads to differentiation. Instead, rest in the state of emptiness, the natural state of the mind.”

When you are unable to experience selflessness, you go much further (mental proliferate).

“Son, when you meditate on Mahamudra, do not be too diligent to accumulate virtuous deeds of the body and speech. This may cause diminution of the natural wisdom of non-thoughts. Instead, rest in the state of unfabricated awareness.”

This means that once you have realized the Mahamudra, all activities will spontaneously become virtuous and there is no need to do prostration, chant mantras, perform circumambulation or offer mandalas. These may instead hinder the Mahamudra or Maha Ati practice.

We claim to be practitioners and go to the temple to pay respect to the Buddha’s statue, do prayers, offer butter lamps and incense. Whether you are engaged in dharma practice depends on your mind, not the body or speech. If we do virtuous actions with our body and speech, but the mind is non-virtuous, this is not proper Dharma practice. You are your own judge because others cannot judge your mind. Therefore the Buddha says that the mind is like the king while speech and body are its attendants. Once the ordinary mind transforms into the Mahamudra, the speech and body will become virtuous as well.

Therefore, you should not be attached to meritorious actions of the body and speech and think that they are important. If you are attached to them, the virtues of non-thoughts will be diminished. Therefore, if you experience non-thoughts, hold it and rest in that state.

There is a story about a practitioner of the deity Vajrakilaya. This practitioner chanted the mantra “Om Vajrakilaya” wrongly as “Om Varja chili chili ya”. A non-practitioner heard his chanting and corrected him. The Vajrakilaya practitioner said, “Never mind, I don’t care. Last time I chanted ‘chili chili ya’, now I chant ‘chili chili ya’, in future I will continue to chant ‘chili chili ya’.” Then he took out his phurba and threw it at the nearby rock wall and the phurba remained stuck on the wall. This practitioner chanted with his mind, not with his speech. This shows the importance of the mind. Vajrakilaya wants you to chant with your mind and is always with you when you do that.

“My Son, Gampopa, when you receive indications, visions and prophesies due to your practice of the Mahamudra, do not feel excited or proud. Sometimes these prophecies are given by demons. Please rest in the state of non-destruction (non-attachment).”

This applies to all forms of meditation. Sometimes we may feel different, have certain dreams or visions and we become attached to them. Instead, we must think of these indications as hindrances and obstacles. When we feel good about having such visions or prophecies, we are the ones who inflate ourselves. You should inform your guru about these indications and he/she will instruct you accordingly.

“My Son, when you pacify your mind, do not generate attachment to the practice itself. If you do, the practice may be taken away by the devil of destruction. Therefore, rest in the state of non-expectation. ”

We have expectations when we do our practices. We hope to be free from sicknesses, mental defilements, enemies and some may hope to gain miraculous powers, to be able to move through rocks. These expectations are great hindrances to our practice. Thus, we should stay away from expectations. We just concentrate on doing the practice well and the results will come spontaneously.

The great master Jawa Jamgonpa of Drupa Kagyu said that if one holds expectation for meditation, one’s meditation would not be developed. Expectations hinder meditation. Without expectation, one’s meditation will progress at a faster rate.


Abstracted from “The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa”,
Translated and annotated by Garma C.C. Chang. Pg 494

“My son, when the Realm that is beyond
Playwords in your mind appears,
Do not let yourself indulge in talk
Lest you become proud and garrulous,
Carried away by worldly claims.
It is important to be humble and modest.
Do you understand, Venerable Monk from Weu?

When Self-liberation appears within,
Engage not in logic and speculation
Lest meaningless activities involve you,
Son, rest yourself without wandering thoughts.
Do you understand, Venerable Monk from Weu?

When you behold the void nature of Mind,
Analyze it not as one or many
Lest you fall into the void-of-annihilation!
Son, rest at ease in the sphere beyond all words.
Do you understand, Venerable Monk from Weu?

When you practice Mahamudra,
Practice not virtuous deeds with mouth or body
Lest your Wisdom of Non-distinction vanish.
Son, rest at ease in the non-doing state.
Do you understand, Venerable Monk from Weu?

When revelations and prophesies are disclosed,
Be not be conceited or overjoyed
Lest you be deceived by devilish presages.
Son, rest at ease in the non-clinging state.
Do you understand, Venerable Monk from Weu?

When you observe your mind with penetration,
Stir not ardent passion or attachment
Lest the devil of desire possess you.
Son, rest at ease and without hope.
Do you understand, Venerable Monk from Weu?