Flying Monks?

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koan
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Flying Monks?

Post by koan »

Has anyone heard of Milarepa, and do you think he could really fly? (Tibetan guru who lived in the mountains and ate only nettles...for a very long time.)

:yh_worshp
koan
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Flying Monks?

Post by koan »

Since no one else replied to this...I'd like to tell you that when I read his biography, written by a direct student and devotee of Milarepa, I experienced an altered state when I finished the book (and throughout the reading of it). He was a poet and communicated mostly through poetry. I will try to find one that I copied out. It is quite beautiful.

Whether he could really fly or his students were sharing an hallucination, I think the man was very enlightened. Perhaps light enough to fly. It was also said that he was recorded to be seen in two places, simultaneously, of great physical distance.
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Tombstone
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Flying Monks?

Post by Tombstone »

koan wrote: Since no one else replied to this...I'd like to tell you that when I read his biography, written by a direct student and devotee of Milarepa, I experienced an altered state when I finished the book (and throughout the reading of it). He was a poet and communicated mostly through poetry. I will try to find one that I copied out. It is quite beautiful.

Whether he could really fly or his students were sharing an hallucination, I think the man was very enlightened. Perhaps light enough to fly. It was also said that he was recorded to be seen in two places, simultaneously, of great physical distance.


Hi Koan,

I enjoyed reading about this - opened my eyes to new names and events. I can't reply to this because I know nothing about it! :wah:
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koan
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Flying Monks?

Post by koan »

Haven't found the poem I wanted to post yet but I did find a good site with some photos and info on Milarepa's life. Forget what the site is but will look it up again.

According to a blessing Milarepa uttered towards the end of his life, anyone who but hears the name Milarepa even once attracts an instant blessing and will not take rebirth in a lower state of existence during seven consecutive lifetimes. This was prophesied by Saints and Buddhas of the past even before his lifetime.


Milarepa of Tibet

Milarepa is one of the most widely known Tibetan Saints. In a superhuman effort, he rose above the miseries of his younger life and with the help of his Guru, Marpa the Translator, took to a solitary life of meditation until he had achieved the pinnacle of the enlightened state, never to be born again into the Samsara (whirlpool of life and death) of worldly existence. Out of compassion for humanity, he undertook the most rigid asceticism to reach the Buddhic state of enlightenment and to pass his accomplishments on to the rest of humanity. His spiritual lineage was passed along to his chief disciples, Gambopa and Rechung. It was Rechung who recorded in detail the incidents of Milarepa's life for posterity. The narrative of his life has thus been passed down through almost a millennium of time and has become an integral part of Tibetan culture. In addition to Rechung's narrative of his life, Milarepa extemporaneously composed innumerable songs throughout his life relevant to the dramatic turns of events of himself and his disciples in accordance with an art form that was in practice at the time. These songs have been widely sung and studied in Tibet ever since and have been recorded as the Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa. His faithful devotion, boundless religious zeal, monumental forbearance, superhuman perseverance, and ultimate final attainment are a great inspiration today for all. His auspicious life illumined the Buddhist faith and brought the light of wisdom to sentient beings everywhere.
kensloft
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Flying Monks?

Post by kensloft »

koan wrote: Haven't found the poem I wanted to post yet but I did find a good site with some photos and info on Milarepa's life. Forget what the site is but will look it up again.


When I first read the name of the threads I thought that it was referring to the monks in Tibet that were renowned for flying? As in the air with mechanical means.

Like in the air of the west, deaths were many. They flew upon huge kites from the mountain tops of the region filled with mountain tops.

I was wrong, but, thank you for a very, beautiful post. :yh_worshp :yh_worshp :yh_worshp
koan
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Post by koan »

Found it!!!That's what happens when you pack up your household. Hate to see what's in the fridge, though.

This and his other songs were the way Milarepa taught his disciples. They contain the thoughts and lessons of enlightenment.

Songs of Experience in Clear Light Cave

Homage to my holy lama!

I, the yogi Milarepa,

Offer my experience and realization

To all meditators of the ten directions.

My mind is relaxed in its natural state

Without rigidity or tension

Through gentle, undistracted cultivation.

I look straight ahead with the eye of critical awareness,

Station behind the watchman of recollective awareness,

And hold body and mind comfortably alert.

My mind rests in its natural state

Unaffected by drowsiness or mental sinking,

The aberrations of my mind's eye

And the various experiences during quiescence

Dissolved and sent back to their natural place.

In the experience of thought-free quiescence

The clear mind possesses its own force,

Naked - limpid and pure.

This is correct quiescence experience.

Some claim this is insight,

But I don't agree.

So upon the horse of good quiescence

I mount awareness which comprehends

The selfishness of both persons and things

Through fine inspection by analytic wisdom.

Carrying as provisions my lama's blessings,

Which were sought with plaintive prayer,

I'm accompanied by wisdom and method

With personalities of voidness and compassion.

Driven on by the profound, great iron goad

Of strongly motivated good wishes,

I look again and again at basic reality

With gentle, undistracted cultivation

Free from hope and from despair.

Know that having traveled this good meditation path

I see it now with insight.

Know I've arrived in the untraveled country;

Know I have flour without grinding.

Know that I watch the unseen spectacle.

Know that I've found an auspicious homeland.

Know that I've found a constant consort.

Know I provide welfare for myself and others.

There are the treasures of Milarepa;

If I'm on the wrong path, please set me straight.

Eh ma! Till you practitioners of the ten directions

Attain perfect buddhahood

Don't deny cause and effect of action!

Till you've realized the actual state

Don't make senseless, empty talk!

Till you are able to exchange your interests with others'

Don't say, "I've obtained the enlightenment-mind."

Till your body's reflected as deity's body

Don't say, "I've attained the productions stage!"

Till both stages are attained

Don't say, I'm a yogi of secret mantras!"

While quiescence experience is still jumbled

And illusory appearances in dream confused,

Don't give out meaningless prophesies

Claiming to have supernormal perception.
lime-sterman
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Flying Monks?

Post by lime-sterman »

Yes he studied the black arts so he could get revenge on those who had misappropiated his inheritance, he also used his black arts to kill bandits who were attacking people in the area! his Guru Marpa instructed him to do this as far as I can remember,...............I was a young man when I read this book, it was an inspiring read for me at that time in my life!.............thanks Koan for bringing it back to my attention.
kensloft
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Flying Monks?

Post by kensloft »

Thanks koan for the poem of Milarepa. It is nice to read the depths(heights) that he describes.
Paula
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Post by Paula »

I am not one of them....shut up. :yh_liar
Everyone has these on their face? TULIPS.
koan
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Post by koan »

I am glad to have brought Milarepa back to the minds of at least a few people. I'm glad for those who appreciate.

Paula.

No you are not a flying monk but the picture in my head of you as the Flying Nun was priceless! Wimple askew.
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pemalah
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Post by pemalah »

lime-sterman;39572 wrote: Yes he studied the black arts so he could get revenge on those who had misappropiated his inheritance, he also used his black arts to kill bandits who were attacking people in the area! his Guru Marpa instructed him to do this as far as I can remember,...............I was a young man when I read this book, it was an inspiring read for me at that time in my life!.............thanks Koan for bringing it back to my attention.


Hello, I'm new here and being a lover of the story of Milarepa I wanted to share a little.

Milarepa was taught "the black arts" by his first guru and when he realised what harm he was doing, he sought a true guru and found Marpa the Translator.

Yes, Mila could fly and manifest in different places and it's not all superstition or fairytales as I have seen many things myself. I've been a disciple of Lama Thubten Yeshe (who passed away in 1984) and have seen some things that many people would say are impossible.

The basic method for Yogis and Yoginis is to master the four elements in their body: air, fire, water, earth. Once these are totally controlled then one can also control the outher elements.

The motivation must be for the welfare of all living beings.........

Just a short reply. :D:yh_yinyan
koan
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Flying Monks?

Post by koan »

Welcome!

I wish I could say I've been exposed to as much knowledge.

I was contacted by another member a long time ago who wanted to know if I could teach him how to fly... for the sake of being able to fly. I agree motivation is important. :)
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pemalah
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Flying Monks?

Post by pemalah »

Wanting to fly just for the sake of it would only increase the dissatisfied mind, I think. I imagine it would take many years and many lifetimes of living Dharma to be able to do such things.

BTW, I like your "Koan" signature at the bottom and the wise saying. How do you load a little banner like this?

Peace and love.

:yh_flower
koan
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Flying Monks?

Post by koan »

I think you'd have to stop seeking the power to fly well in advance of gaining it. Flying isn't a physical accomplishment. Physical accomplishments are based on scientific rules.

You should be able to upload a signature through your control panel. There are size limits and my siggy is a photoshop created image.
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pemalah
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Flying Monks?

Post by pemalah »

koan;1382670 wrote: I think you'd have to stop seeking the power to fly well in advance of gaining it. Flying isn't a physical accomplishment. Physical accomplishments are based on scientific rules.

You should be able to upload a signature through your control panel. There are size limits and my siggy is a photoshop created image.


Absolutely! Any desire to achieve something for no real purpose cannot be done and after all, flying is meditating so there would be no thought.

Thanks for the info about your signature, I'll see what it will do for me.

:yh_flower
koan
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Flying Monks?

Post by koan »

Sometimes, when I feel most bound to the Earth, people arrive who give me wings. And I wasn't even looking for them.
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