Life Story of Milarepa: Tibet's Poet Saint

Milarepa was a Buddhist saint who lived in Tibet 900 years ago. The story takes place along the northern slopes of the Himalayas. It is based in large part upon true events in his life. Tibetans in particular, and others who are familiar with Tibetan Buddhism, place Milarepa in an exalted status, as both a folk hero, and a living Buddha. He stands squarely within one of the four main pillars of Tibetan Buddhism, namely the Kagyu lineage, which is an unbroken succession of lamas (lama, meaning: spiritual teacher) dating from ancient times. This story also offers insights to cultural quirks of long-ago Tibet, and to the type of Buddhism mixed with the Bon animistic beliefs that were prevalent at that time. Some episodes may seem outlandish, but the listener can decide whether those parts are true-to-life depictions, or whether they're embellishments that one might expect from centuries of re-telling a story of such epic proportions. This text does not attempt to cover the myriad details of Milarepa's life, nor does it try to explain the intricacies of Buddhist philosophy. Rather, it attempts to tell the story of a unique man, and the challenges in his life. Endorsements "Among the great realized yogis of Tibet nobody touched people through the centuries like 'Laughing Diamond,' Milarepa Shepa Dorje. Enjoy his words and find inner freedom!" Lama Ole Nydahl, author, Entering the Diamond Way and The Great Seal "As a Russian who travels arount Tibet, researching Milarepa and Marpa, and such places where they roamed, I was very happy to read this version of Milarepa's life and found it very inspiring, concise, and touching --unlike more academic editions." Boris Erokhin / Buddhism.ru "I really enjoyed the audio book. The story is so grounded in simple human reflection. It had a sobering effect on me to perceive of such a larger-than-life character such as Milarepa having such simple problems like me, and be perplexed like me. It made me laugh and let go in some ways." Gabriel Lopez, Seattle