The spheres of the mind

When studying the dimensions that the mind can take us to, we find that there are no limits with regards to how far we can go. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the great sage Patanjali mentions the great powers the mind can reach. For example Patanjali mentions the power of great pervasion, known in Sanskrit under the name: Maha Videya Sidhhi. Very few yogis have managed to reach that level of mind control and development in the history of mankind.

One of those few who managed to reach this amazing power was the the most famous yogi of Tibet. The great Milarepa. Milarepa had an amazing life story, starting his life as a black magician and murderer, he was told by his mother to revenge his father's killing, so he studied the black arts from a black magician in Tibet and by preforming an act of conjuring a vision of giant scorpions in front of the horses he tied to the center poles of a house (that all 35 family member who were responsible for his father's death were participating in a celebration at the time) the horses were afraid and while running from the horrible vision, pulled down the house and killed everyone inside by collapsing it.

After that event, Milarepa realized that he has done a horrible deed, and that he created an enormous negative karma that he will have to suffer for much. He decided to eliminate that karma and to leave his home and find salvation.

In his search he was directed to Guru Marpa. Marpa was having a dream, in which he was told that in the next day his most powerful disciple will be walking up the road. Marpa spent the morning waiting by the side of the road. When he saw the young Milarepa coming.

Marpa could immediately see that Milarepa was carrying a huge load of negative Karma so after accepting Milarepa as his disciple he decided to help Milarepa eliminate this big burden by tormenting him.

He gave Milarepa impossible tasks (like building houses on top of high mountains and destroying them at a whim), many times he appeared drunk to Milarepa, just to test Milarepa's faith. And denied Milarepa's requests for initiations many times for no apparent reason.

Milarepa was very unhappy, but kept on with his efforts to liberate himself. He tried asking Marpa's wife for help many times, but Marpa kept on with the bad treatment. Milarepa even tried to steal initiations by faking a letter from Marpa (with the help of Marpa's wife) and this way ask for initiations from a near by other Yogi. But he wouldn't get any results with his newly acquired initiations... since in Yoga no results come from practice without the blessing and consent of the GURU.

Eventually after a long period of suffering, Marpa mellowed and gave Milarepa the most powerful initiations and teachings. Then Milarepa, instinctively knowing he still needed to eliminate more negative karma of his murderous past, he left for an isolated area of the Himalayas near the Everest mountain, found a cave and strated an intense retreat.

This retreat went on for many years (more then 18 years, some yogis say the retreat went on for 30 years) in that retreat some amazing things happened.

This is part 1. Stay tuned for more about Milarepa and mind powers. (check out Agama Yoga school for more about Tibetan yoga and mental disciplines)