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The Yogi Saint Milarepa
The great eleventh-century saint Milarepa was
a super eccentric who tenaciously occupied lonely mountain caves and the
hostile environs of no-man's lands. He was a radical austerity freak, a
pseudo-anorexic who consistently subsisted on weeds flavoured with more
weeds. Milarepa was a yogin of the sādhu or "severe ascetic"
manner. He exemplified a clearly recognizable Himalayan shamano-tantric
symbiosis. Folklore portrays him as sitting in silence while practicing
intricate breathing techniques. These gave him the ability to leave his body
and take to flight like a Siberian shaman. Milarepa was also a celebrated
poet. He often got tipsy on local beer and broke out singing impromptu songs
in celebration of The Body Electric. |
