Rechungpa (1083/4-1161) — Rechung Dorje Drakpa, Dorje Drak "Vajra-Glory", "moon-like“ disciple, foremost heart son of Milarepa, and a patriarch of the Kagyu lineage. He met Milarepa at the age of eleven, and spent many years studying and practicing under the guidance of his guru. Like Milarepa he was a Repa (ras pa, cotton-clad yogi, ascetic*), unlike Gampopa, who was a fully ordained monk.

When Rechung was a child he was herding oxen in a meadow, and came close to a cave where the great yogi Milarepa was singing. A state of great joy and trust came over the boy, and he remained with Milarepa, was adopted and brought up by him to receive teachings, and to practice.

When he was fifteen he got leprosy. Therefore Rechung withdrew to practice alone. Some Indian yogis who passed by one day told him about a guru, Balacandra, who might help him. Milarepa permitted Rechung to go to India and meet Balacandra, who initiated him into a certain practice. After some time Rechung was cured from his disease. He returned to Tibet and Milarepa, and kept on practicing right next to the master yogi.

In order to thank Balacandra, Rechung bartered his inheritance and all that he could get from others for gold, and went back to India. Balacandra now sent Rechung to a very special teacher, Tipupa, who was a student of Naropa and treated Rechung like an old friend. Rechung got teachings from Tipupa, returned to Balacandra, and then to Tibet. On his way he met another teacher, Mirti, who gave him teachings about "how to move fast". Rechung mastered this practice and was able to travel from India to Tibet in only six days.

Back in Tibet with Milarepa, Rechung had learned the Six Yogas of Naropa, and practiced them. Milarepa sang many songs of enlightenment to him, and many of them can be found in The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa.

Rechung started to wonder whether Milarepa's realisation was greater than his own or not, and went up to his guru to tell him about his experiences. Milarepa at once read Rechung's thoughts, and told him that his experiences were not as special as he thought himself. To teach him a lesson the great yogi left his handprint in a rock. Rechung then wanted to leave his handprint in the rock too, but he only hurt himself when he tried.

Rechung wanted to go to India to learn how to debate and use the logic to defeat learned ones in arguments with their own weapons. Milarepa eventually permitted it; he wanted Rechung to receive special teachings there and bring it to Tibet. After travelling and meeting many teachers, Rechung came to Tipupa in India again, and received many teachings, including the teachings on the "Formless Dakini".

One day Rechung went into town, and in the middle of the marketplace he met a yogi who said to him that he only had seven more days to live. Rechung was frightened and asked Tipupa for advice. "I have been doing all these things in order to bring the teachings to Tibet. If I die now, it will all be for nothing."

Tipupa sent him to the woman yogi, female mahasiddha Machig Drupä Gyalmo. She taught him the practice of "Long Life". He had to practice for seven days, and he survived.

She also taught him "The Almighty Ocean" (Gyalwa Gyamtso). Gyalwa Gyamtso, or the red Chenresig, became one of three main yidams of the Karma Kagyu, along with Chakrasamvara and Vajra Yogini.

On the way home to Tibet Rechung also learnt black magic. Milarepa became aware of it, and knew that his dear student had got himself in trouble. When Rechung and Milarepa met, Rechung thought that after he got so many special teachings and initiations in India, that maybe now he is as good as Milarepa. Milarepa helped him to realise it was not the case. He sent Rechung to fetch firewood, while he took a look at the books that Rechung had brought from India. He found the teachings on black magic and asked "sky dancing dakinis" to take with them all the texts that would be useful for the good of all beings, then he burnt the rest.

When Rechung returned and discovered that Milarepa had burnt his books, he lost his trust and felt hurt. Milarepa explained that the burnt books were useless, and that understanding how the mind is, and how it works is what counts. Endlessly loyal Rechung stayed with his teacher in the solitude of the mountains, and continued practicing along with other adepts.

After some time another student of Milarepa arrived, "the Physician from Gampo", yogi, and the monk, doctor Gampopa. His sincere dedication and rapid accomplishment had been an unexpected inspiration to all, even Rechung. Gampopa's example had fired a new enthusiasm in students, pushing them to new levels of accomplishment.

Once, Milarepa told his main students to note their dreams. Next morning one of them had seen a sun rising and melting into his heart. Rechung had dreamt that he came into three valleys and shouted loudly. But Gampopa had dreamt that he slaughtered many beings. This showed Milarepa that Gampopa would be able to lead many people to freedom.

Some time later Rechung dreamt that he was in the pure land of the dakini. There, Buddha Akshobya was giving teachings about the life-stories of Tilopa, Naropa, and Marpa. At the end of the lesson the Buddha said that he would tell them about the life of Milarepa next. Milarepa had succeeded in gaining full enlightenment in only one lifetime, and was on the way to become a famous yogi, so a dakini encouraged Rechung to ask his teacher for the story of his life. Next morning Rechung went to see Milarepa and asked him to tell his life-story, and so this is how the story of a famous yogi was preserved.

There were pilgrim-places in Central Tibet that Rechung wanted to visit. Milarepa let him go, but foretold that he would be bitten by a dog. Out of sheer joy over being able to begin his journey Rechung forgot to act out some pieces of advice first.

In the Yarlung Valley Rechung was able to help to cure an ailing local ruler. He offered Rechung his palace and his daughter. Rechung stayed there, and people came to receive teachings.

Once an old couple gave Rechung a turquoise-stone. The daughter of the ruler saw this and hoped that Rechung would give it to her. Soon she found that Rechung had given the stone to a beggar, became furious, spoke harshly, and treated Rechung badly. It made Rechung decide to go back to Milarepa, saying, "I left my lama and lived with a ruler. I started to wear clothes like the wealthy do and lived with ministers and executives. I shall not make this mistake again." The marriage had failed, and he returned to being a yogi for the rest of his life, teaching in the southern borderlands of Loro and Jarpo.

Milarepa noted that Rechung was on his way to him, and told his students, "Rechung is coming soon". When Rechung arrived, Milarepa gave an initiation on "Highest Joy" (Khorlo Demchog).

Khorlo Demchog, the Cakrasamvara Tantra (Tib: 'khor lo bde mchog, khorlo demchok, "Binding Of The Wheels"), the Great King of Yoginī Tantras called the Śrī Cakrasamvara (San: Śrīcakrasamvara-nāma-mahayoginī-tantra-tāja), also called the Discourse Of Śrī Heruka (San: Śrīherukābhidhāna) and the Samvara Light (San: Laghusamvara).

Rechung stayed with Milarepa and went on to practice near him. In his dreams he had many signs telling him that he had reached a high level of realization.

Once in a dream he undressed and washed his body with water, then he became a bird and flew away and landed in a tree. Then he saw a mirror and looked into it. Milarepa interpreted the dream, saying that the two wings related to merit and wisdom. Rechung [as a bird] would be sitting in the bodhi-tree, and the mirror stood for revelations. In another dream Rechung placed a jewel on his head and wore a beautiful robe. Milarepa explained that the jewel meant that he should always think of his lama. The white robe was an indication of his future high status, and the longevity of the Kagyu-line, looking into the mirror had to do with the pure mind.

Finally Milarepa said to Rechung that his realization was deep; blessed him, called him Rechungpa, and told him that now he should leave and become a wandering yogi Repa (ras pa) to work for the benefit of all beings. But this time Rechung did not want to leave his lama. Milarepa insisted, however. He gave Rechungpa some additional profound teachings, and some gold. Then he foretold that Rechungpa would have many students who would go directly into the pure lands without leaving their bodies. He also advised him to not stay too long in one place.

Rechungpa first went to Yerpa to meditate in a cave. Students came to him, and with fifteen of them he went to Samye, the first monastery that had been built in Tibet by Padmasambhava. The abbot there did not think much of Rechungpa and his following, and would not let them into his monastery. But he soon repented, and became his student. After Samye Rechungpa went to Zangri, and later he went to a solitary place to practice. His meditation deepened and he experienced great joy.

Rechungpa went further into the Yarlung Valley to the mountain Yarla Shampo where he hid some profound teachings. A yogi by the name of Lorepa would come and find them after seven generations, he prophesied.

The woman who had behaved badly against Rechung, was punished by her father to marry the first man she met. It turned out to be a leprous beggar. Now she wanted to ask Rechungpa for help. She found his whereabouts and threatened to kill herself if he refused to see her, so she could ask him for forgiveness. At last she got instructions, followed them and practiced along with her husband till both were healed.

Rechungpa reconciled with his ex-wife who became his pupil. Living until his late seventies, he had a great following and many successors, and his teachings are still being practised nearly 900 years after he obtained them in India.

Rechungpa died at the age of 78 (about 1161).

Teachings and Transmissions

Rechungpa's teaching focus more on Tantric methods of Mahamudra; especially the dynamic path of raising of Kundalini (or Candali), and the mysticism of male-female union called Yab-Yum (the embrace of union of great bliss and essence).

Over time Rechungpa's line of instruction became infused and blended with other lines in the Kagyu school, and is maintained to the present day.

Rechungpa was Milarepa's master student and lineage holder, and Milarepa passed on all his teachings to him. Other Milarepa students, including Gampopa, got only introductions and general outlines of teachings which Rechung had got in full.

Rechungpa was prophesied by Naropa, who said to Marpa that a descendant of his lineage would eventually come to receive more instructions on certain teachings. Milarepa sent Rechungpa to India three times to obtain teachings and transmissions which Marpa had not managed to receive in his time.

After Milarepa's passing, Gampopa requested and got some transmissions from Rechungpa which Gampopa had not succeeded in getting from Milarepa before. Also, one of Gampopa's foremost students, went to Rechungpa and asked for transmissions from him.

1st Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa went into the presence of Rechungpa and requested transmissions from him.

Rechungpa was particularly important in the transmission of the insider teachings, called "The Six Equal Tastes", and cycle of the Chakrasamvara Tantra known as the Demchok (Rechung) Nyengyu.

Milarepa and Rechungpa often seem to criticize monasticism and its establishments, and see the way of Repa as a superior path. It is also an honored tradition, and a method, with roots tracing back to the Buddha himself.

Just as we need the sun and the moon for the balance on Earth, we need both the paths of Rechungpa (a wandering yogi) and Gampopa (a monk) as symbols of who we are, who we might wish to become, and from which point we wish to engage with Dharma.