"Ayuda a realizarse a la persona y a desarrollar la capacidad de alcanzar las metas que nos hemos fijado en esta vida."

Milarepa es un personaje muy popular, incluso fuera del Tibet. Su historia personal nos da la esperanza de realización en una sola vida, a través del esfuerzo personal.

La muerte prematura de su padre puso a Milarepa, a su madre y a su hermana, a merced de sus parientes, los cuales se apropiaron de la herencia. Para vengarse, Milarepa aprendió magia y destruyó a sus parientes. Asaltado por los remordimientos Milarepa decidió dedicar el resto de su vida  al camino espiritual. Esto le llevó con Marpa, un maestro laico que acababa de volver de la India.  Pero Marpa, antes de abrirle el camino, le sometió a todo tipo de austeridades y esfuerzos, obligándole a construir solo todo tipo de edificios, que luego le obligaba a derruir para comenzar de nuevo las obras.

But Milarepa could not reconcile himself to the evil he had done. He repudiated his deeds and decided to devote the rest of his life to a spiritual path. He studied Buddhism but no teacher could free him from guilt and a haunted conscience until he encountered Marpa.

Marpa was a translator recently returned from India, where he had been studying, and was married: a Buddhist layman. Milarepa placed himself under the authority of this guru.

Marpa subjected Milarepa to a harsh regime of physical labor and mental discipline. The mentor ordered Milarepa to build a house without any help, digging, hauling, making bricks and walls, floors and roof, finishing the house fit for occupancy. Then he was ordered to tear it down and build another. This went on successively for many years, without explanation from the outwardly harsh and gruff Marpa.

Milarepa labored without respite, in cold and exhaustion. He was forced to meditate long hours without rest or exception, often put to new efforts at Marpa's apparently cruel or capricious whim, driving Milarepa to the brink of collapse and despair.