Milarepa - From Murderer to Meditator (Dhyana Yoga)

Dadi**: "Guddu, can someone who has done terrible things become a saint?"

Guddu**: "I don't know... maybe if they're really sorry?"

Dadi**: "Tonight I'll tell you about Milarepa - Tibet's most beloved saint - who killed thirty-five people before he found enlightenment."

Guddu**: "Thirty-five people?! And he became a saint?"

Dadi**: "His story shows that no one is beyond redemption. When Milarepa was young, his father died. His uncle and aunt stole everything - the house, the lands, the wealth. They made Milarepa, his mother, and sister into servants."

Guddu**: "That's so cruel!"

Dadi**: "His mother was consumed by bitterness. She sold jewelry to send Milarepa to learn black magic. 'Destroy them,' she commanded. 'Show no mercy!'"

Guddu**: "He learned magic for revenge?"

Dadi**: "He became a powerful sorcerer. On the day of his cousin's wedding, when the entire family was gathered, Milarepa sent a spell that collapsed the house - killing thirty-five people."

Guddu**: "That's horrible!"

Dadi**: "His mother was satisfied. But Milarepa was destroyed inside. The weight of his actions crushed him. He realized he had become worse than those who had wronged him."

Guddu**: "He felt guilty?"

Dadi**: "Terribly! He knew his karma would condemn him to endless suffering. Desperate, he sought a teacher who could help him. He found Marpa the Translator - a master known for both wisdom and harshness."

Guddu**: "Did Marpa accept him?"

Dadi**: "Not easily! Marpa made Milarepa build houses with his bare hands, carrying stones up mountains. When each house was almost complete, Marpa would say, 'Tear it down. Build it somewhere else.'"

Guddu**: "That seems mean!"

Dadi**: "Milarepa's back became a mass of sores. His spirit nearly broke. 'Why does he hate me?' he wept. But Marpa's wife explained: 'He's not punishing you. He's purifying you. Each stone you carry, you carry out karma.'"

Guddu**: "Building and destroying was cleansing his sins?"

Dadi**: "After years of this labor, Marpa finally accepted him. The teachings came quickly then - powerful meditation techniques, secret instructions on energy and awareness."

Guddu**: "Then what?"

Dadi**: "Milarepa retreated to caves in the Himalayas. For years, he meditated so intensely that he ate only nettles - his skin turned green! He wore only thin cotton in freezing cold, learning to generate inner heat through meditation."

Guddu**: "Green skin from nettles!"

Dadi**: "Disciples asked him: 'Can anyone achieve what you achieved?' Milarepa replied: 'I started as a murderer. If I could awaken, anyone can. The requirements are not learning or virtue but perseverance and sincerity.'"

Guddu**: "That gives hope to everyone."

Dadi**: "He composed hundreds of songs about meditation and compassion. He lived to eighty-four, surrounded by disciples. His life proved that no crime is beyond redemption, no darkness too deep for light."

Guddu**: "The murderer became the saint."

Dadi**: "Through meditation. Through facing himself. Through honest, relentless practice. He didn't pretend his past didn't exist - he worked through it."

Guddu**: "Dadi, what can I learn from this?"

Dadi**: "Two things. First, don't judge people by their past - everyone can change. Second, no matter what mistakes you make, there's always a path forward. The only requirement is the courage to walk it."

Guddu**: "Even for murderers?"

Dadi**: "Even for murderers. That's the radical promise of spiritual practice. Sit. Watch. Persist. The rest is grace. Now sleep, and may you never need such a dramatic transformation - but know it's always possible."