Marpa LotsawaMarpa Lotsawa Retreat--May 2003"Marpa the Translator, the eleventh-century farmer, scholar, and teacher, is one of the most renowned saints in Tibetan Buddhist history. In the West, Marpa is best known through his teacher, the Indian yogin Naropa, and through his closest disciple, Milarepa. This lucid and moving translation of a text composed by the author of The Life of Milarepa and The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa documents the fascinating life of Marpa, who, unlike many other Tibetan masters, was a layman, a skillful businessman who raised a family while training his disciples. As a youth, Marpa was inspired to travel to India to study the Buddhist teachings, for at that time in Tibet, Buddhism had waned considerably through ruthless suppression by an evil king. The author paints a vivid picture of Marpa's three journeys to India: precarious mountain passes, desolate plains teeming with bandits, and greedy customs-tax collectors. Marpa endured many hardships, but nothing to compare with the trials that ensued with his guru Naropa and other teachers. Yet Marpa succeeded in mastering the tantric teachings, translating and bringing them to Tibet, and establishing the Practice Lineage of the Kagyus, which continues to this day. We hope that presenting Marpa's life example will be of use to those who are practicing Buddhism, as well as to those who are purely interested in how Buddhism comes from one culture to another. We have done this translation in the hope that it may enlighten people through the profound and powerful messages that come across in the example of Marpa's activity." Excerpt from the book During Marpa Retreat Courses, Lama Ole gives teachings on Marpa's biography and shows how it applies to the way we practice the Dharma in the West today. Marpa's life is an especially important example for all Diamond Way students in the modern world, as he did not outwardly renounce so-called "worldly life". He had a spouse and children, owned land, and worked within society on a daily basis as most of us do today. He is an example that we can all reach full enlightenment within one lifetime through the skillful means of the Diamond Way--even if we lead a "normal" or "traditional" way of life. Through Marpa's life we also see how the Dharma came from India to Tibet (after the Moslem invasions) and eventually became an integral part of Tibetan society, much like it has migrated from Tibet (after the Chinese invasions) into the West during the 20th century. Between lectures and question/answer sessions, we all do various Diamond Way meditation practices together as a group. Check Lama Ole's Travel Plan for upcoming Marpa retreats. Click here to learn about Other Retreats that Lama Ole gives around the world.
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