The Life of Milarepa (Penguin Classics) by Gtsan-SmyonHe-Ru-Ka (PDF)

Description

One of the most beloved stories of the Tibetan people and a great literary example of the contemplative lifeThe Life of Milarepa, a biography and a dramatic tale from a culture now in crisis, can be read on several levels. A personal and moving introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, it is also a detailed guide to the search for liberation. It presents a quest for purification and buddhahood in a single lifetime, tracing the path of a great sinner who became a great saint. It is also a powerfully evocative narrative, full of magic, miracles, suspense, and humor, while reflecting the religious and social life of medieval Tibet.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.From the Trade Paperback edition.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This is the second translation I have read of this work. The first one kept more of a Tibetan flavor by including technical words and explaining them in end notes.This translator seems quite adept at keeping notes to a minimum and enabling me to read the book as a continuous text without constantly going to end notes. That means that the narrative flows more naturally and the story stands out more clearly from the mechanics of explaining Tibetan culture.Still, it’s an exotic story full of twists and turns. Milarepa, its hero, twice steals from his guru and lies to him. And he doesn’t finish the task that his guru sets for him and he runs away. Nevertheless the author says that Mila has complied perfectly with his guru’s instructions. This is the kind of ambiguity I expect of a genuine document of this type and I enjoy the “straight” efforts to normalize it into some kind of psychic univocality. It has many meanings and my lama, for one, selects one meaning as if it was the only one. Buddhism, among other things, is radical relativism. It is interesting to see the many attempts to narrow its vast scope into one message. This book is a reminder of the interpreter’s task. Our job is to revel in the richness of literature, its ambiguity, its incompleteness, and its changing nature.

⭐Milarepa’s life is surely a must-read for any spiritual seeker. Through reading it and looking to yourself you can see if your spirituality is sincere or just another game of the ego’s self-improvement illusion.I loved the translation, it flows naturally and with only a brief introduction and 23 end notes it’s very pleasant to read! Of course people not familiarized with buddhist jargon will need to refer to the glossary sometimes.Nevertheless I personally don’t think it’s a good introduction to tibetan buddhism as it says on the back-cover. I’d recommend one to read an introduction to this topic before reading this book if one’d like to understand this profound philosophy completely!

⭐This new translation of “The Life of Milarepa” improves on past efforts; it is accurate (carefully following the Tibetan text) and readable, giving some of the flavor of the original without descending into awkward locutions (or the archaic King James biblical English of the Evans-Wentz version, which is now purely of historical interest). The notes and the glossary provided by the translator, Andrew Quintman, are also very useful to the reader, as is his historical introduction. Tibetan religious biographies (namthar) are similar to European Medieval hagiographies; they are full of marvelous events, and are meant to inspire and instruct. Based on previous traditional sources Tsangyon Heruka has constructed a dramatic tale that can be read for its intrinsic literary merit, as well as for the immense light it sheds on Tibetan Buddhism and traditional Tibetan society. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in Tibet and its religion.

⭐This book can be of aid if you wish to change yourself and stay focused on divine forces, and not yourself. It is the story of a determined soul, he was tenacious in overcoming the obstacles related to karmic debt. Though he did falter at times, his spirit triumphed over the pull of dark forces. I recommend this life history to everyone I know interested in recovering the consciousness of their soul. This version is a great read, their is one other version which is a decent read and has better explained traditional Buddhist terminology which can be essential for some spiritual seekers. Enjoy!

⭐Authentic reflections on the life of a great yogi. Inspiring particularly in regard to Milaripa’s relationship to his teacher, Marpa.

⭐I am moved to tears by reading the extraordinary life story, which includes some courageous deeds, a lot of them, plus supreme will and, what in the true sense is called total surrender. Milerapa, his biography is strongly recommended to anyone who is truly considering renunciation. Thus for such a person, this book is a must have.

⭐When I realize that my meditation practice is week, I remember of Milarepa and his strong determination that helped him to meditate for very long periods in extreme environments.

⭐This is one of the most famous inspirational stories in Buddhism. Milarepa is revered as a saint in multiple religions (Christians, Muslims and more).The story is about how somebody who had done great evil (kill) redeems themselves with the 8 fold path of Buddhism which could be done any anybody regardless of their religion since it’s just meditation and being virtuous and a couple things like right livelihood which I think is some sort of healthy lifestyle that you do with all your being (actions, words, thoughts, ect).

⭐Milarepa is a well-known Buddhist figure in the Tibetan tradition, with the stories of his life in the Himalayas wearing just a cotton cloth and eating nettles as he made enormous strides towards enlightenment – and for this One Hundred Thousand Songs. But reading this 15th century biography makes him really live – especially in this highly scholarly yet very approachable translation by Andrew Quintman. Quintman has attended to all the details, from a lively modern language to a really fleet translation of the poems that are interspersed with the prose. And there is an extremely useful appendix with lots of supplementary material, including pronunciation guide to the Tibetan. Top notch. It was a great surprise to me.

⭐Very inspiring, indeed. Great Lotsava who just proves that determination and perseverance is the best thing you can have in order to achieve your goals. And by keeping the right motivation all will fall in right place.

⭐Sublime dharma.

⭐Better translation than the last one , required reading for anyone interested in the spiritual path

⭐One of the best translations of this text – which is one of the most brilliant stories ever written.

Keywords

Free Download The Life of Milarepa (Penguin Classics) in PDF format
The Life of Milarepa (Penguin Classics) PDF Free Download
Download The Life of Milarepa (Penguin Classics) 2010 PDF Free
The Life of Milarepa (Penguin Classics) 2010 PDF Free Download
Download The Life of Milarepa (Penguin Classics) PDF
Free Download Ebook The Life of Milarepa (Penguin Classics)