Anger and Enlightenment

Anger and Enlightenment.

Though anger in the form of Righteous Anger against injustices might begin ones path to enlightenment in any given lifetime it does not end there. Eventually, one must evolve to compassion for all life in the universe and a state of equanimity to complete ones enlightenment. In this state one experiences injustice as ignorance rather than malice as one does as a young person. One realizes that the core of injustice is truly not malice but group ignorance. Therefore, as an enlightened person one looks for ways to address the ignorance of mankind in order to create the permanent end of suffering for all beings. At some point in ones evolution toward enlightenment one must address this problem not only for mankind but for all beings everywhere and every-when.

I would like to give an example of this in the life of Mila Repa who lived in the "Valley of Happiness" in Tibet 1000 years ago. He is the most beloved Tibetan Saint as he attained complete enlightenment in one lifetime which is a very rare occurrence.

Mila Repa was born the son of a rich tibetan man who then died while Mila Repa was just a boy. However, as Mila's father died he entrusted his wealth to his brother so it could be given to his wife and son, eventually. However, as soon as Mila's father died Mila's uncle enslaved Mila, his mother and sister and beat them as his slaves. He took all the wealth and treated Mila, his mother and sister like farm animals.

Mila's mother wanted justice for this travesty of life they were living. So she sent Mila Repa at about age 15 to a Black Magic Sorcerer to gain revenge on Mila's uncle. Within a couple of years of study, Mila Repa stood on a hill near the wedding of one of his uncle's children and brought hail and lightning down upon the wedding party and killed 30 people, including his Uncle and many relatives of Mila's.

Though MIla's mother had her revenge no one would speak to her because they were afraid of her because of what she had done. Her daughter now grown wandered away.

Mila Repa felt great remorse at supernaturally killing so many relatives. Though he felt his uncle deserved this the rest of the relatives were not directly responsible for what had happened to his mother, his sister and himself. When he told his "Black Magic Teacher" what he had done his teacher was very upset with him. He said something like, "Mila, you have endangered us both with this bad karma. I am sending you to a good Dharma teacher. If he accepts you you will be able to work off this bad karma and become enlightened. It is the only way for good to come out of this. I am sending you to Marpa, the Translator, who is the best of the best in this way."

So, Mila dutifully went to Marpa who said he couldn't accept him as a student. However, he said that if Mila built him a house made of stone many stories high that he might consider accepting him as a student.

Mila worked for years building and rebuilding this stone house for Marpa. It is said Mila's back was one massive sore open wound from carrying stones over 100 pounds each on his back that he quarried for Marpa's home. Each time Mila had almost completed the home Marpa would say something like, "I want you to move this home ten feet in this direction or I want you to do this different or that different." So, Mila Repa would cry at the injustice and beg Marpa to reconsider. Marpa, being a taskmaster and a master teacher would not give in to Mila.

Finally, Mila tricked Marpa's wife into helping him out of pity. While Marpa was away she got Marpa's ring, symbol of his authority, and gave it to Mila to take to the first teacher that Marpa would naturally send Mila to for training. Mila took the ring and received both the training and the initiations toward enlightenment. When Marpa returned he was enraged at both Mila and his wife. He said, "Wife, you have ruined everything! Mila had almost worked off enough bad karma to begin his training. Now, it might go badly!"

He then sent Mila to Meditate in a cave for several years and gave him practices to accomplish his goal. While meditating in the cave he had no food so he ate Nettle leaves until his skin turned green from eating so many of them. He grew so skinny that he became just skin and bones but still he persevered on his path to enlightenment. When he had attained his goal he returned to Marpa. Marpa was pleased and told Mila that he had had a dream and that Mila was going to be his foremost student and would change the lives of thousands of people through time toward enlightenment.

After Marpa passed away or before Mila returned home to find his mother. He found her home or hut disheveled and the remains of her body there as she had died alone and uncared for and unburied as the relatives had been to afraid to enter her house because of Mila's powers. He visited her in the Bardo and helped her soul to a good place while sleeping on her bones. He then took her bones and put them in a good place.

Though Mila was sad all this only renewed his quest for even more enlightenment. When he had returned to his cave at one point his sister started to bring him food. She eventually became one of his students. He spent most of his life meditating in caves and growing in spirit until he could heal people and fly and many other wonderful miracles. He was a singer and would create lyrics and song like a Bard to teach people how to move toward enlightenment. People came from hundreds of miles to study and learn from him until today he is he most revered Tibetan Saint who became enlightened in one lifetime! I believe he lived to around 85 years of age.