Drinking the Mountain Stream
All the water and drink you've consumed
Through beginningless time until now
Has failed to slake thirst or bring you contentment.
Drink therefore this stream
Of enlightenment mind, fortunate ones. ..................................................Milarepa
Redeemed from a life of evil, Milarepa became one of the most celebrated saints of all time. Known for his penetrating insights, wry sense of humor, and ability to render any lesson into spontaneous song, Milarepa wandered the rugged terrain of eleventh-century Tibet and Nepal guiding countless followers along the Buddhist path through his songs of liberation.
More than any other collection of his stories and songs, Drinking the Mountain Stream reveals Milarepa's actions as scathingly direct, his humor and wisdom more acutely penetrating as he cuts through the evil of illusion. Verse after verse, like Milarepa's original followers you too will be drawn to the deepest source of inspiration.
Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet's Beloved Saint, Milarepa; Milarepa; Wisdom Publications; Paperback; 205 pp; $16.95
Jetsun Milarepa, Tibet's renowned and beloved saint, is known for his penetrating insights, wry sense of humor, and ability to render any lesson into spontaneous song. His ability to present complex teachings in a simple, lucid style is astonishing. When his patrons and disciples made a request or asked him a question, he answered in spontaneously composed free-flowing poems or lyric songs. It is said that he composed 100,000 songs to communicate his ideas in his teachings and conversations.
CONTENTS: Drinking the Mountain Stream
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Preface
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ix
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Introduction
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1
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Milarepa's World
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3
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The Buddhist System of Liberation
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7
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The Kagyu Lineage of Buddhist Practice
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15
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Milarepa's Personal Style
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33
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The Songs
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35
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About the Songs
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37
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1. Milarepa Tells His Story
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43
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2. Song for Poor Patrons
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55
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3. Mila's Song in the Rain
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61
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4. Mila Meets a Yogi
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67
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5. Symbols for Yogic Experience
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75
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6. Song of the Path Guides
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81
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7. Song of Experience in Clear Light Cave
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87
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8. Rechungpa's Confusion
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93
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9. Mila's Meeting with Dampa Sangye
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101
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10.Song of the Horned Staff
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107
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11.Elimination of Desires
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113
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12.Mila Gains a Young Woman Disciple at a Village Feast
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121
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13.Mila Resurrects an Old Woman
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127
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14.From the "Six Vajra Songs"
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137
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15.Mila Visits a Religious Center
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147
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16.Confrontation with a Bon Priest
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161
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17.Mila's Journey Inspired by a Dream
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171
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18.Is Milarepa Dying?
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181
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Closing Verse
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187
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Notes
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189
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Glossary
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195
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About the Translators
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205
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