Clearing Karma

"There are stories of great meditators in Tibet, who had such great compassion they could change even the most ingrained karmic propensities. For example Milarepa, the great yogi who was known for his melodious songs of realization, was once meditating in his cave when he heard a dog barking. He went outside to see what was happening and shortly a badly frightened deer ran up to him. Unbearable compassion arose within him and he sang to the deer:

“If escape is what you want,
Hide within mind essence.
If you want to run away,
Flee to the place of bodhi.
There is no other place of safe refuge.
Uprooting all confusion from your mind,
Stay with me here in rest and quiet.
At this very moment the fear of death is full upon you,
You are thinking ‘Safety lies on the far side of the hill;
If I stay here I shall be caught!’
This fear and hope is why you wander in Samsara.”

The deer understood Milarepa, because his compassion was so vast, came near to him and lay down on his left side. Then a fierce red dog arrived. Again Milarepa felt great pity, and sang to this dog with compassion. The dog’s anger subsided and it began to wag its tail and make whining noises. And then it lay down with the deer.

Before long the hunter appeared, looking haughty and violent. He ran up carrying a bow and arrow in one hand and a lasso for catching game in the other. He was furious when he saw his dog and the deer. Screaming insults about the laziness and corruption of yogis, he shot an arrow at Milarepa. But the arrow missed. He was shocked because he was a good shot and was at close range.

Then Milarepa sang to him as well. The hunter’s expression changed, but he wasn’t convinced. He rushed into the cave and found nothing but inedible herbs. Suddenly his mind turned and great faith arose in him.

So with his vast compassion Milarepa was able to change the minds of all three of these beings who each had different kinds of ingrained karmic patterns. This ability did not come from intellectual compassion, but years and years of retreat in mountain caves where he worked on clearing emotional obscurations and generating ‘the vast attitude.’ This is what is meant by the motivation to benefit all beings. If we deeply change ourselves we can truly benefit the world."

~ Lama Tsultrim Allione