Spiritual Adventures of the Venerated Master Rechungpa (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

Jetsun Rechung Dorje Drakpa, often referred to as Rechungpa (vegetarian), was an 11th- to 12th-century enlightened Master who was responsible for the branching of Rechung Kagyupa Tibetan Buddhism. This is a lineage of the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra, or advanced meditation of the Highest Bliss.

Rechungpa had received Korlo Demchog, or direct spiritual transmission, from one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most well-known yogis, the venerated enlightened Master Jetsun Milarepa (vegetarian), and was regarded by Him as “Heart-Son.” As presented in “The One Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa,” Rechungpa’s relationship with Milarepa is a significant aspect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, reflecting the profound inner connection between Master and disciple. With Milarepa’s guidance, Rechungpa is gradually shaped into a being of great enlightenment over the course of a lifetime.

Rechungpa first encountered His Master at the youthful age of 11. The boy was on Goat Hill in Happy Valley when He heard singing coming from a cave. He approached the source of the melodies, and there was Milarepa. “The One Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa” recounts that as soon as Rechungpa laid His eyes upon the Master, “Samadhi arose within Him, and for a moment, He stood transfixed in ecstasy.” From that moment onward, Rechungpa devoted Himself entirely to Milarepa, staying with Him in order to learn the Dharma and quickly achieving realizations through meditation.

Milarepa, although possessing knowledge of the dark arts, naturally refused to teach this to His disciple and also advised Him that learning the art of debate was a worthless exercise.

Rechungpa became prone to jousts of logic and would often argue with Milarepa and others in an attempt to exhibit His own worth. He pleaded with His Master to let Him go to India again in order to be trained in the art of reason. Milarepa eventually agreed to let Him go, under the condition that He bring back further teachings of the Bodiless Ḍākinī Dharma Series to Tibet with Him, but not the teachings of logic nor sorcery.

Rechungpa went through many dangers to find Tiphupa, such as a “journey over swaying rope bridges, through bandit-infested forests and a plague-ridden Kathmandu valley, where corpses were piled in heaps as if they were compost.” On His return to Tibet, Rechungpa not only came with many books, He also carried with him a lot of pride, which had poisoned His mind. […]