The Life of Marpa. Marpa the translator, the 11th century farmer, scholar, and teacher, is one of the most prestigious saints in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. In the West, Marpa is best known for his teacher, the Hindu yogi Naropa, and his closest disciple, Milarepa. This moving and lucid translation of a text composed by the author of The Life of Milarepa and The Hundred Songs of Milarepa documents the fascinating life of Marpa, who, unlike other Tibetan masters, was a layman, a skilled businessman who raised a family while training his disciples.
As a young man, Marpa was inspired to travel to India to study the Buddhist teachings, because at that time in Tibet, Buddhism had been greatly diminished by the suppression of an evil king. The author paints a vivid picture of Marpa’s three journeys to India: precarious mountain passes, desolate plains full of bandits, greedy tax collectors. Marpa endured many hardships, but nothing compared to the tests he had to endure with his teacher Naropa and other teachers. Nevertheless, Marpa managed to master the Tantric teachings, translate them and bring them to Tibet, and establish the practical lineage of the Kagyu, which continues to this day.
CHÖGYAM TRUNGPA (1940-1987) – meditation master, teacher and artist – founder of Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, the first Buddhist-inspired university in the United States; the Shambhala training program; and an international association of meditation centres known as Shambhala International. He is the author of several books including “Milarepa”, “Crazy Wisdom”, “The Torch of Certainty”.
Author: Tsang Nyön Heruka
Language: English
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Binding: Soft Cover
Paperback: 263 pages
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