The Biographies of Rechungpa: The Evolution of a Tibetan ...

Marriage, pupils and the end of life 203
meditation and resembles ‘a monkey’s bottom’ (spre’u yi/ 24 ‘phongs). 25 Milarepa says,
‘There is nothing more profound than this’ (‘di las 26 zab pa med). 27 Rechungpa leaves,
never to see Milarepa again.
As mentioned earlier, Gampopa is depicted as being with Milarepa during the period
in-between Rechungpa’s return to Milarepa, after his liaison with Lhachik Dembu (lHacig
lDem-bu), and before Rechungpa’s final departure. Like early versions of Gampopa’s
life, such as that by Lama Shang (Bla-ma Zhang), the narrative of Gampopa is not
elaborated by miraculous and dramatic elements. However, there is a certain lack of
resolution in the contrast between the status of Rechungpa and that of Gampopa. The text
as a whole implies that Gampopa has not received the entire transmission from Milarepa,
but Rechungpa has. Nevertheless, when Rechungpa says to Milarepa that he assumes
that, as he was the first of his pupils, he will be the one who protects the instructions and
the community of the lineage, 28 Milarepa does not take the opportunity to declare him to
be his principal successor. Two weeks later, Gampopa turns up. The text could be
understood to be implying that Gampopa is the one who will maintain the lineage.
Milarepa, accompanied by Rechungpa and Seben Repa, sing to this scholar (ston-pa) and
Milarepa subsequently gives him instructions and interprets his dreams.
In particular, on one occasion, Milarepa asks Rechungpa, Seben Repa and Gampopa to
describe one night’s dreams. (This passage is not present in the Stockholm edition.)
Seben Repa’s dream of a blazing fire where three valleys meet means that he will not
achieve much in this life, but will manifest as a rūpakāya in the next. Seben Repa just
does not seem to be able to do anything right in these earlier biographies. Rechungpa’s
dream of blowing a conch while driving a salt-laden donkey before him means that his
fame will pervade the world. Gampopa’s dream of being on top of a white rock at sunrise
while vultures circle him means that he will help many pupils at a great rocky
mountain. 29 Therefore, Milarepa instructs Gampopa to go to Ü to accomplish this
activity. This version contrasts strikingly with the later Tsangnyön version, as we shall
see later.
Milarepa escorts Gampopa a little of the way and after some general advice instructs
him to return on the tenth of the horse month of the hare year (which will be the date of
Milarepa’s death in this text). There will be no explanation as to why Gampopa does not
return. Later versions such as Tsangnyön’s have the unlikely scenario of both Gampopa
and Rechungpa simply forgetting this extremely important instruction, which they are
both described as having received.
Milarepa has a significant conversation with his pupils following Gampopa’s
departure. In the Newark manuscript, however, this is part of the last conversation
Milarepa has with Gampopa before returning to his other pupils.
Milarepa says that he has had a dream of a yellow bird flying to Ü where it is joined
upon a rocky mountain by 500 ducks, which are presumably the ruddy Brahminy ducks
that often symbolise the monastic community. The number represents the approximate
number of pupils that Gampopa was later said to have gathered around him. Milarepa’s
explanation of this dream involves a prophecy that plays a vital role in the legitimisation
of the monastic lineage of Gampopa, but there is an interesting variation between the
three surviving editions of this text.
The Newark version (from a Gelukpa monastery in Amdo) is usually the least reliable
and appears to be the most corrupt in this instance. It does not, like the other two editions,