Rainbow Light Bodies: Milarepa & Others.

[Guest guest]

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>From Snow Lion newsletter, Summer 02, article on "The Rainbow Body",

selected quotes: regarding Milarepa's biography, translation by Evans-

Wentz, "In the 9th chapter of this literary classic," explains Tiso

[Father Francis Tiso, an RC Priest who investigates Buddhism], "it

states that his body completely disappeared shortly after his death".

The article [by Gail Holland] continues: "In addition, accounts exist

about the great 8th century tantric master Padmasambhava and how his

body vanished". But now we come to recent Rainbow Body experiences.:

 

"

Through his Swiss contact, Tiso recieved the name of the monk whose

body had vanished after his death: KhenpoA-chos, a Gelugpa monk from

Kham, Tibet, who died in 1998. Tiso was able to locate the village,

situated in a remote area whre KhenpoA-chos had his hermitage. He

then went to the village and conducted taped interviews with

eyewitnesses to Khenpo A-chos' death. He also spoke to many people

who had known him"

"This was a very interesting man, aside from the way he died,"

observes Tiso. "Everyone mentioned his faithfulness to his vows, his

purity of life, and how he often spoke of the importance of

cultivating compassion. He had the ability to teach even the

roughest and toughest of types how to be a little gentler, a little

more mindful. To be in the man's presence changed people".

 

"A few days before Khenpo A-chos died, a rainbow appeared directly

above his hut. After he died, there were dozens of rainbows in the

sky. KhenpoA-chos died lying on his right side. He wasn't sick;

there appeared to be nothing wrong with him, and he was reciting the

mantra OM MANI PADME HUM over and over. According to the

eyewitnesses, after his breath stopped his flesh became kind of

pinkish. One person said it turned brilliant white. All said it

started to shine."

 

"Lama A-chos [disciple of Khenpo A-chos] suggested wrapping his

friend's body in a yellow robe, the type all Gelug monks wear. As

the days passed, they maintained they could see, through the robe,

that his bones and his body were shrinking. They also heard

beautiful mysterious music coming from the sky, and they smelled

perfume. After 7 days, they removed the yellow cloth, and no body

remained. Lama Norta and a few other individuals claimed that after

his death Khenpo A-chos appeared to them in visions and dreams".

 

"Francis Tiso remarks that one of his most intriguing interviews was

with Lama A-chos [the disciple of Khenpo A-chos]. He told Tiso that

when he dies he too would manifest the rainbow body. "

 

"Lama A-chos told Tiso that it takes 60 years of intensive practice

to achieve the rainbow body".

 

Note: Snow Lion article says "this article appeared in IONS Review,

No 59, March-May 2002" i.e. a longer version from which I have

selected the above quotes. ....jiva

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