Milarepa, Old and New - a Reflection from Chaitanya Keerti in Delhi

Milarepa was and is Tibetan Buddhism's most renowned yogi-saint. He is also Tibet's most beloved spiritual singer. His 'The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa', extemporaneously sung 900 years ago to disciples and followers in the snowy Himalayan wilderness, has been translated into many languages.
Milarepa is famous for having attained the perfect awakened Buddhahood in a single lifetime through decades of solitary meditations in mountain caves, dressed only in white cotton robes. His example as a spiritual practitioner has been the inspiration for countless generations of lamas, from the eleventh century until today.

According to a blessing, Milarepa uttered towards the end of his life, anyone who but hears the name Milarepa even once attracts an instant blessing and will not take rebirth in a lower state of existence during seven consecutive lifetimes. Saints and Buddhas of the past made this prophecy even before his lifetime.

Today, Milarepa is the name given by Osho to one of his musicians who became his disciple. He is one of the top New Age musicians whose albums - Heartbeat Of The Universe: 'An Experience With An Enlightened One' and 'Ten thousand Buddhas' are top sellers worldwide and on the Net.

Milarepa tours internationally each year, leading meditation and music events throughout Japan, Australia, Europe and the USA. His joy is sharing Osho's vision of meditation, music and celebration has become legendary. One Sky, his band, is an international group of talented musicians familiar with the subtle art of creating silence from sound. (The live music of Milarepa and OneSky will feature during Osho's Birthday Celebration at Oshodham, on the outskirts of New Delhi in December 2004. There will be live music dring Evening Satsang daily, live Nataraj Meditation and live music during Sannyas initiation celebration.)

Milarepa once asked Osho, 'I hear your blessed music, but I don't see your guitar. Beloved Master, what is your instrument?' 'Milarepa, neither the music is mine nor the guitar, Osho replied, 'The music belongs to existence, and the guitar belongs to you. You are the guitar, and this whole vast universe is the music. 'I am at the most just a passage for the music to reach to the guitar. That's why you don't see my guitar'because you don't see yourself. Who are you? On whom am I playing my music? You hear my words and you ALSO hear my silences, and naturally you feel a certain music surrounding me. That music is your response, your love, your trust.

'Milarepa, you are my instrument. Your guitar is my guitar. Your fingers playing on the instruments are my fingers. Can't you allow that?'

'Milarepa, you hear my music; that music comes from the beyond. I cannot claim any monopoly, any copyright on it. And you want to see my guitar!' — just look at your guitar, just look at your hands. In deep love a synchronicity happens. You start doing things which my deepest being wanted to do, but I don't know music; I cannot even recognize which is a guitar and which is a harmonium and which is a saxophone! .
'I have never been a singer, not even a bathroom singer. I have lived in many houses in this country with many friends, and many times people have asked, "At least we were thinking you will be singing in the bathroom, but you don't sing?" 'I don't know singing' — I am a song. I don't know singing you will have to sing in me. You will have to allow yourself to be totally available to me,' said Osho.

Swami Chaitanya Keerti
http://www.oshoworld.com

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