The Life of the Supreme Milarepa

As a boy, Thopa Ga was the only son of a wealthy family. His father died when he was seven, and his uncle and aunt seized the family estate, reducing him and his mother to servants. After enduring humiliation for more than a decade, his mother finally sent him away to learn sorcery so he could avenge their blood feud. Once trained, he cast spells to bring down hail, committing terrible atrocities. Overwhelmed by remorse, he then sought liberation. He took Marpa, the founding master of the Kagyu school, as his teacher and endured the harrowing ascetic ordeal of building and tearing down houses nine times. At last, he attained the true Dharma and went into solitary retreat in the snowy mountains, living on nettles. He ultimately attained Buddhahood in this very life and became the greatest yogi of the Snowy Land: the Venerable Milarepa.