The Yogi's Joy 2024 - Adhisthana

In this empty uninhabited land
This happy yogi’s song was let out like a dragon’s roar.
The rain of renown falls in all ten directions,
The petals of compassion’s bloom unfurl,
Bodhichitta’s result purely ripens,
And enlightenment’s activity pervades everything!

Milarepa’s songs can nourish us with fresh inspiration, open our hearts, and guide us into the nature of mind to find our freedom. During this retreat, Vessantara explored some of the songs from the chapter The Song of a Yogi’s Joy.* He focused particularly on the instructions about meditation and insight, including Milarepa’s teaching about ‘The Nails (or Key-Points) of View, Meditation and Conduct’.

*This is the chapter heading in Chang’s Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa. In David Snellgrove’s translation, which Sangharakshita used in his seminar, it is called Milarepa and the Novices. Christopher Stagg’s new translation titles it The Yolmo Snowy Range. Sangharakshita’s commentary on it forms chapter 3 of The Art of Discipleship I in the Complete Works.

Day 1

Dedication Ceremony

Vessantara begins the retreat with a dedication ceremony and an unled meditation to settle in to the retreat.

Day 2

Finding Joy

Vessantara talks of how we find a way into a deep joy in being of benefit to others and ourselves. Giving some useful suggestions of how to find a way into joy in spiritual practice.

Technical issues: The affected parts are an introductory meditation and information on the structure of the retreat.

Meditation

Vessantara leads an unguided meditation.

ritual reading and sevenfold puja

Saddhaloka leads a sevenfold puja with a ritual reading from the first part of chapter 8 from the text.

Day 3

Arriving at Yolmo

How do we find satisfaction and motivation in what we do? What nourishes us spiritually? Vessantara speaks of how Milarepa enters Yolmo and experiences it all as fresh and everything as an expression of the dharma. He then imaginatively leads us into that world through meditation.

Enjoying the Clear light of the Void

Milarepa’s enjoyment of the clear light of the void is unpacked by Vessantara as he talks through the fundamentals of the 2 main Mahayana schools, the Yogacara and Madhyamaka.

ritual reading and sevenfold puja

Prajnanandi gives a reading of the next two songs, we have a meditation exploring joy, and Vijayamala leads a sevenfold puja.

Day 4

Meditating in the Mountains

We start with an imaginative meditation exploring the beautiful environment that the yogi inhabits, then Vessantara talks about how it’s possible that Milarepa finds joy even in extreme ups and downs.

Confidence and Strength in the Expanse

Continuing to explore the songs, Vessantara talks about a kind of a strong kind of confidence that comes from deep knowing rather than clinging to opinions, and how states like this can be ‘self arising’.

ritual reading and sevenfold puja

Beginning with the invocation and mantra of Milarepa and then leading into the 4th ritual reading by Prajnanandi.

Day 5

Placing Your Heart Upon That Which Gives you Joy

Vessantara recounts part of Bodhidasa’s book where he realises that he needs to place his heart upon that which gives him joy. We then move on to some verses emphasising the importance of view, and of getting into dialogue with our doubts.

Reflection on Experience

Vessantara goes into more depth about the verses of the ‘three nails’ or ‘three key points’, and leads some meditative reflections.

Reading, Sadhana, and Mantra

Prajnanandi reads verses about the guru, Vessantara leads a sadhana of Milarepa, and we close with mantra chanting.

Day 6

Carpentry

Continuing to look into the verses on the three nails, we begin with a meditation with a poem by Kamalashila – Holiday. A session exploring expansive awareness that has no centre, along with the usual suspects – the subjective and objective poles of experience.

Basking in the light of awareness

Vessantara talks about the progression we can follow over the course of our lives of moving from doing more directed practice to more ‘just sitting’ in relaxed, uncontrived awareness, and mirroring the responsive ease of Milarepa.

Ritual Reading and Mantra

Jinapalita reads a poem by Vessantara followed by a continuation of the chapter as read by Prajnanandi. The session is closed with a meditation and mantra.

Day 7

Deepening in the Dharma

Vessantara reflects on how we can take different approaches to absorbing the teachings to deepen the dharma within our being. He also looks back on some of the main themes from the retreat, exploring how we can resource our spiritual practice.

Meditation

Vessantara leads an unguided meditation.

Thanks, Readings, and closing puja

Saddhaloka gives thanks to the team, Prajnanandi reads the final songs of Milarepa as part of a closing puja, and finally, Dhammarati sings the song of meeting and parting.