The Story of Yak-Horn

By Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

This is the story about how the Tibetan Buddha called Milarepa erased the ego from the mind of his disciple called Rechungpa. This story is from the book titled “The Hundred Thousands Songs of Milarepa”.

With the approval of his Guru Milarepa, Rechungpa went to the South Asia to learn Buddhist Tantrism. At that time, South Asia was the center for learning of various disciplines. Rechungpa learned Tantrism and collected a number of books on Tantrism and came back to Tibet. Milarepa had never been outside Tibet but his teacher called Marpa: the translator had been in South Asia a number of times and learned Buddhist theology, and translated many Buddhist works into Tibetan.

After learning so many things in South Asia, Rechungpa came with the feelings that he had learned many things probably more than his Guru Milarepa; so, his Guru should come to meet him with due respect for such a learned man. Milarepa could read his mind. So, he thought that Rechungpa came back with ego.

Milarepa wanted to erase the ego from the mind of Rechungpa and bring him back to the way of living without ego and other mental defilements. So, he tried every trick in the book but they did not work at all.

Rechungpa developed feelings if he had had a better Guru than Milarepa, he would have a better life; Milarepa lived an ascetic life; he, however, should not follow his Guru Milarepa if he wanted to practice his knowledge and live with pleasure and enjoyment. His Guru immediately read the Rechungpa’s mind and saw the need for rectifying the mind of his disciple.

Milarepa saw a yak-horn on the way and asked Rechungpa to collect it and carry it with him. Rechungpa thought what would be the use of this trash; sometimes my Guru behaves irrationally. He, however, picked up the yak-horn and carried with him for his Guru.

After some time, they came to an open place where there were no shelters for a cover in case of rain or storm. Suddenly, heavy black clouds hovered over them and started showering with hails and rains. As the land was flat and treeless, it gave no cover to Rechungpa. In confusion, he covered his head by his hands to protect it from the showers of hails and rains, forgetting his Guru.

Rechungpa got lost totally after the showers of hails and rains, when he came to his senses he looked around but did not find his Guru Milarepa. He went searching for his Guru. After some time, he sat down and waited to see his Guru. He saw the yak-horn lying nearby. He also sensed that his Guru’s voice was coming out of it. He went closer to it, and tried to pick it up but it became so heavy that he could hardly move it. He bent down to look through the yak-horn. He saw his Guru sitting comfortably in it. The yak-horn did not grow large but he saw the life-sized Guru in it.

Milarepa from the yak-horn said to Rechungpa, “if you match me at this skill, come in right now.” Rechungpa could not do anything even though he saw there was plenty of room for him, too.

Then, Milarepa sang for Rechungpa, “The pleasure-yearning human body is an ungrateful creditor. Whatever good you do to it, it always plants the seeds of pain. This human body is a bag of filth and dirt; never be proud of it. Rechungpa, but listen to my song! When I look back at my body, I see it as a mirage-city; though I may sustain it for a while, it is doomed to extinction.”

Listening to the mind-touching song of Milarepa, Rechungpa realized that he became proud of his learning, and even attempted to minimize the wisdom of his great Guru. Thus, Milarepa cleared up the ego from the mind of Rechungpa.