Milarepa Guru Yoga and approximation retreat

[JKhedrup]

Hello there,

I am wondering if it is a common practice in Karma Kagyu to do an approximation retreat of Milarepa's mantra (reciting 100,000 times) and then completing the practice with a fire puja.
I'd be interested to know if anyone has experience with this, and also access to texts in Tibetan or English for the fire puja and entry rituals. (Of course please PM the texts if they are available).
I received the initiation from HH Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje at the Kagyu Monlam a couple of years ago.

thanks!

[Knotty Veneer]

AFAIK, the Milarepa guru yoga is one of the guru yogas in KK tradition that may be done after completion of the mahamudra ngondro (the others being Karma Pakshi, Gampopa or Marpa). In the KK 3-year retreat all four are done together after ngondro and before Dorje Phagmo practice.

With a guru's permission, one could do a retreat of any length on Milarepa - as the mantra is very short, a 100,000 could be accumulated in a few days of full-time retreat. I've never heard of a fire puja in conjunction with the MIlarepa guruyoga. For the most part, I have seen it done as a tsog offering. For example, in Kagyu Samye Ling (in Scotland) it is performed at the end of the annual New Year Nyungne retreat.

To do the practice one would have to have the rlung for the text and the khrid for how to use it in addition to the empowerment of course.

[JKhedrup]

Thanks the lung for the text was given. The khrid might be harder to manage, as I don't know any Karma Kagyu lamas affiliated with Karmapa UTD in this part of Europe (Netherlands/France). But, one day...

The liturgy itself is beautiful and elegantly presented, I like it very much. The same can be said for the Kamtsang Ngondro (which I am still chipping away at, very slowly- it will be years with my other practices and duties as translator).

[Knotty Veneer]

Thanks the lung for the text was given. The khrid might be harder to manage, as I don't know any Karma Kagyu lamas affiliated with Karmapa UTD in this part of Europe (Netherlands/France). But, one day...

The liturgy itself is beautiful and elegantly presented, I like it very much. The same can be said for the Kamtsang Ngondro (which I am still chipping away at, very slowly- it will be years with my other practices and duties as translator).

The sadhana is very beautiful - in particular the invocation to Milarepa - rje mila shes pa rdo rje la gsol ba 'debs so - I've been known to shed a tear.

Only place I can recommend (that I know of, I'm sure there are others) where I am sure you would get authentic instruction on the practice in your part of the world is the Samye Dzong centre in Brussels http://www.samye.be.

There is/was a wonderful lama there, Lama Rinchen Palmo, who has spent more than 20 years of her life in retreat.

[Tanaduk]

Hi JKhedrup
Dharma centre affiliated with Karmapa UTD in Allmuthen (Belgium):

http://www.benchen.org/en/benchen-phunt ... -lama.html

[conebeckham]

JKhedrup-
It's not the mantra that's accumulated, per se, but one of the prayers. If one is approaching the Mila LaDrup as one's main daily practice, there are instructions for completing the "Nyentsam," or "Approach/Approximation." One recites many of the prayers more times than one would when doing the practice as a group tsok, and the mantra as well, but one of the prayers in particular is what you're accumulating.

There's also no "Jinsek" at the end.....one does a Group Tsok at the conclusion of the Approach recitation.

There are a few places that have the text....I don't know of any on-line except TBRC if you can read Tibetan. It's in Kongtrul's Gyachen KaDzo. KDK sells a pecha format Tibetan/English translation/Phonetic version at www.kdk.org and you can call or e-mail them to order it, I believe.

You can ask a Kagyu Lama for instruction on how to do the practice, as pretty much every Karma Kagyu Lama has done this practice in retreat, regardless of which monastery they may be affiliated with.

[Clarence]

Gawang Rinpoche in Friesland might be able to help. If you let me know in time, I might be able to play driver. I haven't been there before but would like to see it.

[JKhedrup]

Thanks guys for all the helpful replies! Now just have to sort out some time to check out the various teachers mentioned.

Personally in terms of guru yogas this is the one that moves my mind the most, and the prose is some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. (I would put it right up there with the Gelug "Lama Chopa" for deep meaning and poetic beauty). Also the visualization is very simple and the metre of the verses makes it easy to recite.

[JKhedrup]

Thanks Cone I will contact them. I prefer to recite the Guru Yoga in Tibetan anyhow since it is so poetic and beautiful, and the metre is easy to chant. For these types of texts I find the Tibetan pretty easy to understand, philosophical tomes- that's another story!

[conebeckham]

Great, JKhedrup. It's a lovely practice, I agree, and the Tibetan is beautiful. There are some melodies, as well, that I find inspiring. May we all meet with the blessings of Je Mila Shepa Dorje!

[lama tsewang]

i know you , khedrup , so feel comfortable sharing this practice with you. there is acommentary , written for it , write me personally about it. of course, i have done it
tsewang

[JKhedrup]

Thanks so much Lama Tsewang. I remember you are one of the people who completed the 3 year where this was included!