This is the continuing story of Milarepa and his disciple Rechungpa, first encountered in volume 18 of the Complete Works. As portrayed in The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Rechungpa is a promising disciple, but he has a lot to learn, being sometimes proud, distracted, anxious, desirous of comfort and praise, over-attached to book learning, stubborn, sulky and liable to go to extremes. In other words, he is very human, and surely recognizable to anyone who has embarked on the spiritual path. He all too often takes his teacher’s advice the wrong way, or simply ignores it, and it takes all of Milarepa’s skill, compassion and patience to keep their relationship intact and help his unruly disciple to stay on the path to Enlightenment.
In the story that begins this volume, matters come to a head when Milarepa burns the books that Rechungpa went all the way to India to acquire, but by the end of the volume, Rechungpa is able to set out on his own mission to teach the Dharma. Much happens in between.
Sangharakshita’s commentary, based on seminars given in the late 1970s and early 1980s, draws from the stories of Milarepa and his wayward disciple much valuable advice for any would-be spiritual practitioner.
Rechungpa’s Repentance
1. Are my books being burned?
2. A wondrous vision
3. Persistent indignation and silence
4. A lost mind is hard to catch
5. Try to correct your wrong ideas
6. Those worthless books
7. My Guru’s words are absolutely true
8. The light of the Dakinis’ teaching
Heartfelt Advice to Rechungpa
1. First listen to my song
2. The endless view
3. A Guru with Lineage, a disciple with capacity
4. Rechungpa, are you thus convinced?
5. In Samsāra true happiness can ne'er be found
6. What need have I to follow your customs?
7. The Great Perfection has no dogmas
8. The Great Middle Way cannot be described
Rechungpa's Journey to Weu
1. Compare the father with the son
2. Listen with care, my son Rechungpa!
3. Lend your ear to this old man
4. We may never meet again
5. How will you walk on your way?
6. An egg ripens quicker in a warm place
7. May these Three Gems bless you forever
8. May Rechungpa soon exceed his father
9. An undisciplined disciple
10. An accomplished Guru
11. But written words
12. The transiency of all beings
13. The golden treasure underground
Rechungpa’s Departure
1. The heart-son-disciple
2. Rechungpa now felt deeply grateful
3. I now confess in full
4. Think of your Guru upon your head
5. The Path of Joy
