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| Nima Öser, one of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava |
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Repa Shiwa Ö
(twelfth century) was one of the eight great heart sons of Milarepa, the most famous yogi-saint of Tibet. The story of his meeting with Milarepa (1052-1135) is told in "The Meeting At Silver Spring", one of the The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa (Oriental Studies Foundation 1962), translated by Garma C.C. Chang.According to the Songs, Dharma Wonshu, the person who was to become known as Shiwa Ö, was the young scion of a wealthy Tibetan family. Although aware of Buddhist practices, he was preoccupied with his life as wealthy playboy. As a rich Tibetan nobleman, he owned, inter alia, immaculately tailored clothes, expensive jewelry, a fine steed, estates, an exquisitely adorned bow and arrow, and an extraordinary knife in a jewel-encrusted sheath. On his way on horseback one day to meet some friends, Dharma Wonshu approached a river. There he saw Milarepa, barely clothed in his beggar's rags, laying by the riverbank. Professing feebleness due to old age, Milarepa requested Dharma Wonshu to help him across the river, but the latter, repelled by Milarepa's appearance, declined. Dharma Wonshu then attempted to ford the river with his horse, but as his horse floundered in the current, he was amazed to see Milarepa walk by him on the water, across the river. Realizing that Milarepa was an accomplished master, he petitioned Milarepa to accept numerous offerings in exchange for providing him with teachings. He offered Milarepa his various possessions, including his horse, clothes, jewelry, weaponry, and estates. Milarepa successively declined each offering, with verses such as the following: "Listen to me, ingenuous young man!
From my hut's roof in the snow mountain
Flows the quintessence of milk and nectar.
Though it is not made of gold or jewels,
I would not pour it into earthenware. Around this waist of mine, the poor man of strong will
Is tied to a cotton belt of fanatic devotion!
The absence of pretense and hypocrisy
Is the pattern of my belt
Bright wisdom is my knife,
Its sheath, the confidence of the Three Measurements.
Faith and diligence in Dharma is my gold-and-silver cord.
The beauty of the Dharma is the glory over all. Lest goddesses punish me,
I have never asked for wealth or money
When teaching in the past,
Nor shall I do so now.
Dear boy, you may go home;
I do not want your gifts. Milarepa,
The Hundred Songs of Milarepa, translated by Garma C.C. Chang (Oriental Studies Foundation 1962), at p. 172. In this way, Milarepa again and again pointed out that when one had accomplished the dharmic equivalent of every material possession, Dharma Woshu's material offerings had no value. Desperate, Dharma Wonshu offered to indenture his sister to Milarepa as a servant, but still Milarepa declined, again telling Dharma Wonshu to go home. In despair, Dharma Wonshu realized that material possessions were of no value to Milarepa, and confessed the error of his misguided attempts at offerings to Milarepa, even suggestion he would commit suicide should Milarepa refuse to instruct him in the correct path. In response to Dharma Wonshu's sincere plea, Milarepa relented. Pursuant to a prophetic dream, Milarepa knew that Dharma Wonshu had the capacity to become a great disciple. With his strong connection to the path, Milarepa saw that Dharma Wonshu was capable of benefiting from the teachings. Milarepa gave him instructions to free himself from attachment. Dharma Wonshu practiced diligently for four months. At Milarepa's instructions, he obtained various teachings and initiations from Bhari, the translator. Then he lived and studied with Milarepa for five years. Milarepa transmitted to him the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Mahamudra of Maitripa, and after he accomplished these, Milarepa transmitted to him the pith instructions. Milarepa renamed Dharma Wonshu Repa Shiwa Ö. Repa Shiwa Ö from that time never wore leather shoes, never dressed himself in anything other than one piece of cotton as clothing, never accumulated more than two days of provisions and never returned to his homeland. He abstained from fixating merely on words and practiced continuously. Eventually, he attained the perfect enlightenment in his lifetime. The Yogi Melong Dorje  |
