Powerful and deeply inspiring, there is no book more beloved by Tibetans than The Hundred Thousand Songs, and no figure more revered than Milarepa, the great eleventh-century poet and saint. An ordinary man who, through sheer force of effort, faith, and perseverance, overcame nearly insurmountable obstacles on the spiritual path to achieve enlightenment in a single lifetime, he stands as an exemplar of what it is to lead a spiritual life.

Milarepa, a cotton-clad yogi, wandered and taught the dharma, most famously through spontaneously composed songs, a colorful and down-to-earth way to convey the immediacy and depth of the Buddhist teachings. In this work, the songs are woven into a narrative that tells the stories of his most famous encounters with his students, including Gampopa and Rechungpa, and recount his victories over supernatural forces in the remote Himalayan mountains and caves where he meditated.

In this authoritative new translation, prepared under the guidance of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Christopher Stagg brilliantly brings to life the teachings of this extraordinary man. This classic of world literature is important for its narrative alone but is also a key contribution to those who seek inspiration for the spiritual path.
Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: A New Translation, Tsangnyon Heruka, Christopher Stagg (Translator), Paperback, 2017, 790 Pages, $45.00

Tsangnyon Heruka (1452-1507), or the "Madman of Tsang," so named for his eccentric behavior in yogic practice, compiled and arranged this most well-known collection of Milarepa's songs four centuries after the death of the great yogin. Tsangnyon spent much of his life wandering in the same region as Milarepa and was considered by some to be his emanation.

Christopher Stagg serves as a translator and interpreter for the Nitartha Institute and Nalandabodhi, both under the direction of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.

CONTENTS: The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
List of Abbreviations		xi
Foreword by the Seventeenth Karmapa		xiii
Foreword by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche		xv
Translator's Introduction		xvii
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa		1
CYCLE ONE: THE BINDING UNDER OATH OF HARM-INFLICTING SPIRITS		3
1.	Mila Gathers Wood	5
2.	Journey to Lachi Chuzang	15
3.	The Song of the Snow	27
4.	The Rakshasa Demoness of Lingpa Rock	43
5.	The Prior Visit to Rakma	59
6.	Kyangpen Sky Fortress	67
7.	The Yolmo Snowy Range	73
8.	The Offering of the Pigeon Goddess Girl	87
CYCLE TWO: THE RIPENING AND LIBERATION OF THE FORTUNATE HEART-SONS AND DAUGHTERS		93
9.	The Prior Visit to Drakya Vajra Fortress	95
10.	Meeting Rechungpa	103
11.	Meeting Tsaphu Repa	111
12.	The Later Visit to Rakma	115
13.	Accepting the Teacher Shakya Guna	127
14.	Meeting Paldarbum	133
15.	Meeting Seben Repa	147
16.	Meeting Drigom Repa	155
17.	Repa Shiwa O	159
18.	Meeting Ngendzong Tonpa	191
19.	Meeting Dampa Gyakpupa	203
20.	Meeting Kharchung Repa	207
21.	Meeting repa Darma Wangchuk	213
22.	Taming Naro Bonchung	223
23.	The Later Visit to Drakya Vajra Fortress	233
24.	Meeting Shengom Repa	247
25.	Meeting Rechungma	267
26.	Meeting Khyira Repa	285
27.	The Offering of the Khokhom King and the Scrutiny of Tseringma	299
28.	The Five Tseringma Sisters' Investigation: Garland of an Array of Pearls	307
29.	The Five Tseringma Sisters' Investigation: Garland of the Light of Amrita	325
30.	The Five Tseringma Sisters' Investigation: Golden Garland of Stupas	349
31.	The Five Tseringma Sisters' Investigation: Garland of Clouds of Bliss-Emptiness Wisdom	377
32.	Repa Dorje Wangchuk	383
33.	Meeting Dharmabodhi	387
34.	Winning the Debate Arisen through Jealousy with Power and Magic	395
35.	Rechungpa and Tipupa	419
36.	Megom Repa	425
37.	Sahle O	431
38.	The Story of the Yak Horn	445
39.	Song of the Wild Asses	465
40.	Lengom Repa	481
41.	The Noble Gampopa	487
42.	Loton Gendun	525
43.	Dreton Repa	535
44.	Likor Charuwa	541
CYCLE THREE: MISCELLANEOUS STORIES		547
45.	Replies to Questions of Students	549
46.	Bonpo Mountain	567
47.	Bestowing Abhisheka and Consecration	575
48.	Shendormo and Lekse Bum	577
49.	Preparing to Have Joy at Death	587
50.	Going for Refreshment, and the Beer-Drinking Song	593
51.	Ramding Sky Cave	599
52.	Rechungpa's Departure for Central Tibet	607
53.	Tongla	629
54.	The Hook of Compassion for the Dead, and Establishing His Sister Peta in Enlightenment	637
55.	Final Advice to the Students of Nyanang	647
56.	The Physician of Yange	653
57.	The Later Journey to Central Tibet	661
58.	Tashi Tsek	673
59.	The Students of Drin	677
60.	Victory Over the Four Maras, and the Response to a Mantrika	683
61.	The Disciple-Sons' Developing Delight, and Displaying Miracles of His Body	689
APPENDIX 1: Summary of Tsangnyon Heruka's Life of Milarepa		701
APPENDIX 2: Tibetan Equivalents for Place Names and Personal Names		715
APPENDIX 3: Tibetan-English Glossary		721
APPENDIX 4: Songs and Stories Translated under the Guidance of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche		729
Notes		745
Glossary of Key Terms		753
Selected Bibliography		763
Index		767