Online: 100,000 Songs of Milarepa

A DHARMAKAYA CENTER RETREAT

Milarepa, Tibet’s renowned and beloved enlightened master, was known for his ability to present complex teachings in a simple, approachable manner through song and poetry. Through his famous 100,000 songs he guided his followers along the Buddhist path. This program is a rare opportunity to study Milarepa’s teachings with Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche, who is considered to be an emanation of Milarepa. In this program Rinpoche uses eight of Milarepa’s songs as a framework for his teaching. To intensify our understanding, we sing the songs together; we also meditate on Milarepa’s messages. It is a unique, engaging, and powerful weekend.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Milarepa, known in Tibetan as the Lord of the Yogis, reached the highest attainable illumination. From this achievement he was able to teach untold numbers of people. His story is one of a great sinner who became a great saint. But his story is also the story of Tibetan Buddhist teachings, and a guide to those who search for personal liberation. It is the story of the quest for enlightenment in one lifetime. And his ability to render any lesson into spontaneous song is one of his great legacies.

In each of the four weekend sessions, Rinpoche will give teachings on two songs, and we will sing those songs together. As Rinpoche explains, singing these texts helps us really understand and internalize the teachings within them. Because Milarepa’s actual music was not passed down, we have created new contemporary music to accompany the teachings. We distribute this music and the words approximately one month before the program to help you prepare and enable you to participate more fully.

For each song:

• Rinpoche sets the context: Where was Milarepa, to whom was he singing, what were their circumstances?
• Everyone sings the song together
• Rinpoche gives a teaching, explaining the meaning of the song so that we can understand it properly
• Everyone sings the song again, now with a far deeper understanding
• Rinpoche answers questions from retreatants

Through this process, you will gain a deeper appreciation both for Buddhist teaching and for Milarepa and his legacy of illumination through song.

The Ganachakra Feast

In a ganachakra feast, practitioners gather to sing, make offerings, and share a meal as part of a sadhana or spiritual practice. During this program, we hold such a feast twice; our meal will be symbolic, including a small cookie and a few sips of wine.

Sample Song

Some songs from previous years are available on our YouTube channel. Here is a sample; click the image to visit the YouTube page.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
• Group singing
• Tsa-Tue yoga practice
• Ganachakra Feast
• Small group discussion (organized by language and region)
• Chinese translation

OPEN TO ALL

There are no prerequisites for this program; it is appropriate for all.

PRE-READING

There is no requirement to study or read in advance of the program, but many people have asked for recommendations. Over the weekend, the texts and songs will be drawn from:

100,000 Songs of Milarepa
Tsangnyon Heruka, translated by Christopher Stagg

We will supply the lyrics and recordings of the songs in advance of the program, so you can familiarize yourself with them.

SCHEDULE

(subject to change)

All times in the schedule below are provided in the Eastern Time Zone. For the first session global starting times are:

USA West: 4:15 PM, May 27
USA East: 7:15 PM, May 27
London: 12:15 AM, May 28
Berlin, Paris: 1:15 AM, May 28
New Delhi: 4:45 AM, May 28
Kathmandu: 5:00 AM, May 28
Bangkok: 6:15 AM, May 28
Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing: 7:15 AM, May 28

Saturday, May 27

Sunday, May 28

Monday, May 29