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The Life of Marpa the Translator: Seeing Accomplishes All

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Nearly every spiritual aspirant has read about Milarepa, the master yogi of Tibet. Now there is information about his guru Marpa, the translater and actually importer of Buddhism from India to Tibet. Marpa stands in the lineage of Naropa, Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa and then the Karmapas. But Marpa was no regular saint or yogi. He was married and had an awkward personality. His tough and difficult character made it possible to persevere unbearable hardships of traveling, finding a guru in a remote country and following that gurus path. And it was no easy task to become accepted by Naropa as a pupil. And it was no easier to deal with his own pupil Milarepa. Marpas power has proved to outlast history: The Karmapas are still around and they are no easier to deal with today.

Adventure, courageous effort, dedication, humor, tragedy, magic, and enlightenment. Must reading for anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism and Tantra in particular. Read the biographies of Naropa and Milarepa to get a larger picture of this lineage of masters. For those involved in Dharma practice reading these biographies gives a clearer sense of what hard practice is, and what a life in Dharma may be like for sincere practitioners. It is always refreshing to hear about the actions and words of truely clear headed masters.

Marpa holds a rare and special place in the pantheon of historical Tibetan gurus as he is considered a father of tantric Buddhism in Tibet, particularly that of the Kagyu tradition (a practice lineage today headed by H.H. the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Thaye Dorje). Marpas story is particularly relevant for Buddhist of today as he was a lay practitioner - as opposed to a monk - and thus proved that the highest realizations are achievable without the impositions of celebacy and monastic asceticism.

The book details his remarkable life and quest for enlightenment finally achieved through an unshakable faith in his teacher, the great Indian Mahasiddha Naropa. Marpa made three visits to India and spent a dozen years with Naropa to finally receive and realize the full breadth of the tantric teachings, the same teachings which he then translated, carried with him to Tibet, and transmitted to other great Tibetan saints such as Milarepa.

The story is by Western standards highly unusual and may be difficult to follow for non-Buddhists, although the translation is exceedingly clear considering the complexity of the content. Fortunately the book includes an outstanding glossary at the end, which comprehensively explains most of the important Buddhist concepts used in the narrative. This glossary is probably the best I have seen in terms of scope and content (incidentally it was written by the late great Chogyam Trungpa as was the preface).

On the other hand it is quite possible to enjoy the book as a tale of adventure and discovery with a spiritual twist, if one is not too taken aback by the use of technical terms in sanskrit and a host of Buddist concepts that may be difficult grasp.

For all Buddhist the book is clearly a must-read and very highly recommended.

Marpa the Translator brought Indian Tantric Buddhist traditions to Tibet and founded the Kagyu lineage. This biography deals with Marpa's journeys to India, his travails, his apprenticeship with Naropa and other Buddhist masters and his life and teachings in Tibet.

It recounts how Marpa's persistence helped him secure knowledge of Tantric tradtions and later spread Buddhism in Tibet. It details his relationship with his teachers like Naropa, Kukuripa, and others, particularly the special spiritual relationship he shared with Naropa.

The story of his journeys and apprenticeship is filled with interesting anecdotes, songs and humour and yet captures the spiritual essence of the teachings. Marpa literally sings his way to Tibet and back and breaks into songs (quite beautiful ones) to explain his learning or to acknowledge his humility.

Much of the later part of the book deals with his teachings in Tibet and revolves around his relationship with his disciples, his son, and his wife and the tragic story of his son's death which lead to his attainment of a higher understanding of transcendce of all things and universal compassion.

The biography contains beautiful descriptions of the transference of the soul from one body to another, travels, sceneries, and spiritual experiences. The book is free from heavy philosophical jargon and explains Tantric philosophy in a lucid manner.

I found this book very useful and interesting. A must read if you are interested in the period when Buddhism was spreading to Tibet in the 11thC.