26.5" x 20.25" Mailarepa Thangka Painting

Mailarepa Thangka

Milarepa is believed to be the most beloved and highly accomplished Buddhist master of Tibet. His songs on enlightened experiences are still sung today by the learned and lay people alike. Milarepa during his early career committed many evil deeds through black magic, and sending hailstorms too. He later regretted his evil deeds and eventually found his worthy and enlightened Marpa, who put him on trials and hardships in other to test his guru devotion and eagerness to practice dharma teachings. He later conferred on him the series of empowerments and essential teachings of Maha Mudra which he received from Naropa. Milarepa meditated on these tantric teachings with great zeal in wild and forlorn mountains for 6 years and eventually achieved the realization of Vajradharahood in his very life time. Millions of devotees took inspiration from his practice and verification of Buddhist teachings.

Gestures and Attributes

Milarepa is   often depicted as in the illustration shown here, with his right hand raised to his right ear in a listening gesture, symboling his way of teaching the Buddhist wisdom through songs or poems.  Milarepa can be easily recognized by the right hand held up to his right ear.   He spent much of his life meditating in mountain caves. In the Indianascetic tradition, he sits on an animal skin. In his left hand is a skull-cup. The use of bone served as a constant reminder of the temporary nature of human existence. The presence of blue azurite in this figure's hair indicates that it has been used for worship.