The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: The Life-Story and Teaching of the Greatest Poet-Saint Ever to Appear in the History of Buddhism [Hardcover]

Garma C.C. Chang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 1999

Tibetans accord The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa a classic status comparable to that of the Mahabharata and the Bible, and revere its author as probably the best single exemplar of the religious life. Milarepa was an eleventh-century Buddhist poet and saint, a cotton-clad yogi who avoided the scholarly institutions of his time and wandered from village to village, teaching enlightenment and the path to Buddhahood through his spontaneously composed songs. Wherever he went, crowds of people gathered to hear his sweet sounding voice "singing the Dharma."

The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, says the book's translator, "has been read as the biography of a saint, a guide book for devotions, a manual of Buddhist yoga, a volume of songs and poems, and even a collection of Tibetan folklore, and fairy tales." With titles like "The Salvation of the Dead," "A Woman's Role in the Dharma," and "Challenge from a Wise Demoness," Milrepa's poems are filled with fascinating tales of miraculous encounters and colorful imagery, and present a valuable insight into the living quality of Tibetan Buddhism. Central as this book is to Tibetan culture, the arcane dialect and obscurity of many original passages daunted translators for centuries; this was the first complete version of the classic to appear in the West.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Call it mystic superhero hagiography if you want, but the punch lines in The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa pack enough wattage to blow out the lights of the universe. . . . What a magnificent gift this book is! If there's justice at all in this precious home we call life, then may we all get to taste Milarepa's wild nettles and pure mountain water before we die."— Manoa

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Tibetan

Product Details

• Hardcover: 736 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (June 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570624763
• ISBN-13: 978-1570624766
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 2.2 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Garma C.C. Chang brought Milarepa to the West., November 3, 1999

By 

James W. Chan ([e-mail]) (Philadelphia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: The Life-Story and Teaching of the Greatest Poet-Saint Ever to Appear in the History of Buddhism (Hardcover)

In May 1992 I discovered Volume Two of this title on a shelf at Border's in Philadelphia. I opened the book and saw these lines: "The woes of life succeed one another Like the sea's incessent waves -- One has barely passed, before The next one takes its place. Until you are liberated, pain And pleasure come and go at random Like passers-by encountered in the street." (page 635) I felt in love with the text. I read the book from cover to cover and spent three months to track down Volume One and read it. If there is ever a marriage between Passion and Devotion, this book is an example. I wish Garma were still alive.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that established Tibetan Buddhism in the West, June 28, 1999

By 

Jeffrey L. Shear (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: The Life-Story and Teaching of the Greatest Poet-Saint Ever to Appear in the History of Buddhism (Hardcover)

Garma C.C. Chang, the translator of these songs, single-handedly preserved this book for the West, for it surely would have disappeared, overlooked by religious popularizers. The degree, Cha Gyur Khan-po, 'professor of translation,' was conferred upon the late Professor Chen-Chi Chang by his guru, a living Buddha, Kong Ka Lama, at the Kong Ka Monestary at Meia Nya, Tibet. The monastery is of the Kargyutpa School, which descended directly from Milarepa's line of gurus. C.C. Chang was more than a translator, however. He was among the greatest Buddhist scholars and teachers of the twentieth century. His studies of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism are powerful because they are unvarnished. Unfortunately, not all his works are still in print. As he brought Milarepa to the West, he also brought what is perhaps China's greatest contribution to Buddhism (and recall, it was China that gave us Zen), the teachings of the 8th century Hwa Yen school, which is contained in C.C. Chang's book, still in print: The Teaching of Totality. I was deeply fortunate to have known Professor Chang, and I remember his reverence for Milarepa, his delight at the songs. I remember him imploring his students to delve deep into these teachings, from one of Tibet's greatest masters. Now there is this new edition. By itself, the story of Milarepa is magnificent, a tale of naive cruelty, healing, heroic effort and finally mercy and enlightenment. Milarepa is the psalmist of the Himalayas, and the late Professor's translation is a triumph of the heart. The book is a monument and a refuge.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Milarepa - Boddhisattva of Poetry and Song, October 20, 2000

By 

Michael Schelb (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: The Life-Story and Teaching of the Greatest Poet-Saint Ever to Appear in the History of Buddhism (Hardcover)

Garma C.C. Chang created a fluid and readable translation of this classic work, which is useful to any student of religion and folk tales. Central to the translation is the message of transforming human frailty into buddhahood. As a poet and musician, Milarepa chose to guide through song. Milarepa was both radical and loving to all whom he encountered. Mila, too, amply revealed his human frailty during the process of enlightenment. He not only overcame a series of personal tragedies, but also evolved into the consummate example of mastering the poisons of anger and revenge - transforming enemies into friends and bringing many to the dharma.

Milarepa is highlighted as an example of how anyone can achieve enlightenment through hard work and perserverance despite his or her past. He shows us that we can all transform our hearts.