33Tantepa

Tantepa was a compulsive gambler. Most of the time he managed to break even, but then he met a fateful losing streak. He continued gambling even then, lost everything he had and even continued on credit. Eventually, he had to run away, but his creditors found him and beat him half to death.

After the beating, at nightfall, he managed to crawl away to a cremation ground to hide. There, he met a yogin who shared his meal with Tantepa. When asked if he was robbed, Tantepa said he have robbed himself for being a compulsive gambler. Having nothing else to lose, the yogin asked if he wanted to try meditation. Tantepa replied if there’s a meditation he could practice without giving up gambling, then he may try. At that, the yogin gave the gambler initiation and empowerment, and gave him instructions to visualize the three realms and see that the nature of the mind as emptiness, like his pocket is now.

Tantepa meditated diligently on his guru’s instruction and as he did, all of this thoughts and beliefs about the nature of the 3 realms dissolved into the true reality of their own empty spaciousness. He became a renowned teacher and the very last song he sang to his disciples was:

Had I not knkown sorrow and remorse,
How could I have entered the path to release?
Had I not placed my trust in a teacher,
How could I have attained the ultimate power?
Than he levitated to the height of seven palm trees and entered the Paradise of the Dakinis

em