Punta Ala

Percorso ad anello da Roccamare passando per:
- Poggio Peroni (3.7 km)
- Poggio dei Grasceti (4.7 km)









The Holy Gambopa-Milarepa's Foremost Disciple 471
capacity who must go through the successive stages of the Path in a
gradual manner. Great, indeed, are the bounties given to us by the
[Ghadamba] Lamas.8 The animals who heard my drum are my great
yogi disciples who pracice meditation in caves. This vision also in-
dicated that I shall go to my Guru Milarepa and rely solely on his
instructions in the Skillful Path and Mahamudra."
Gambopa and the old man then set out to find Milarepa. In the
course of the journey Gambopa now murmured, now spoke, and now
cried aloud, "Oh, when can I see my Guru?" His yearning to see the
Jetsun was so great that tears never left his eyes, and the thought
of obtaining rest and comfort never entered his mind.
When they arrived at New Place, in Upper Nyang, the old man
fell sick. He said to Gambopa, "I do not know much about the way
from here on. There is, however, a monastery called Sajya [nearby];
you can inquire there." He then left Gambopa to go on alone.
Gambopa walked on like a blind beggar wandering in no-man's
land. When night fell, he covered his face with his hands, bent down
to the ground, and wept bitterly. [Suddenly] the old man [appeared
again] and said, "Do not weep so bitterly! I will show you the way."
Later [Gambopa] realized that all three paupers were Milarepa's
transformations.
Gambopa continued his journey, asking for directions along the way.
When he reached Dronso Charwa, he met a number of tradesmen
from the highlands and asked them about Milarepa. A merchant from
Nya Non called Dawazungpo said, "The master of Yoga, the great
Milarepa, the accomplished Guru whose fame is known all over Tibet,
is now residing at Chu Bar of Orin." Hearing this, Gambopa be-
came so excited that he thought the merchant was Milarepa Him-
self. In wild confusion he hugged the man and burst into tears.
With the newly acquired information, Gambopa now went towards
Din Ri. When he -reached the center of a big plain he became ex-
hausted, and sat down to rest on a rock. But due to extreme hunger
and fatigue his entire Prai:la-system had become so unbalanced and
disordered that he fell from the rock and fainted, lying unconscious
for half a day. When he came to, there was not ·even a single hair
of his entire body from his head down to his feet, which did not
feel painful. He was desperately thirsty, but there was no one to
bring him water. He remained there without food and water for
two days and nights. Then he made this vow: "If I cannot see the
Jetsun in this life, I swear that in the next life I will be born near
him, and that my mind will be united and become one with his. In
the Three Bardos after my death I will look only to him as my sol
THE HUNDRED THOUSAND SONGS OF MILAREPA
refuge." With the greatest sincerity, and in tears, he made this vow.
Before long, a Ghadamba monk from Sha Yul came by, and asked
Gambopa, "Where are you going?"
"I am going to Drin to visit Jetsun Milarepa."
"I too am going in that direction. But aren't you very sick?"
"Yes, indeed, and I am also very thirsty. Could you give me a
drink of water?" The monk gave him a bowl of water and after
drinking it Gambopa was completely refreshed. Then, accompanied
by the monk, he resumed his journey.
Meanwhile, the Jetsun, in a very happy mood, was preaching the
Dharma at Fortune Hill. During the discourse, he would sometimes
remain silent for a time and then laugh heartily. A very well-gifted
lady patron from Drin, called Tsese, asked him, "Why, dear Jetsun,
do you now laugh heartily and now remain silent? Do you laugh be-
cause you see the progress made by some well-gifted disciple, and sit
in silence when you see the wrong thoughts of an incapable one?"
"I am thinking of neither the demerits of the bad disciples, nor of
the merits of the good ones," replied Milarepa.
"Why, then, did you smile and laugh today?"
"This is because my son, the Monk from Weu, has now arrived at
Din Ri. He fell fainting and in pain beside a rock. With tears pour-
ing down his face and in great faith and earnestness, he called to me
for help. Feeling pity for him, I blessed him in Samadhi; then I
became very joyful and burst into laughter." As he said this, his eyes
filled with tears.
Tsese asked again, "When will he arrive?"
"He will get here sometime between tomorrow and the day after."
"Do we have the Karma of seeing this man?"
"Yes. Whoever has the opportunity of preparing his seat upon his
arrival will be sustained by the nourishment of Samadhi. Whoever
has the opportunity of first seeing him will be guided to the happy
Pure Land of Liberation."
When Gambopa and the Ghadamba Lama arrived at the center of
the marketplace they saw a woman weaving. "Do you know where
the great Yogi Milarepa lives?'' asked Gambopa. "Where do you come
from?", she asked.
"From the great sun-like province of Weu, to visit the Jetsun Mila-
repa."
"In that case please come to my house- I would like to offer you
some food."
Tea, cakes, and other refreshments were served them. Then the lady
patron said, "The Jetsun knew, yesterday morning, that you were