44Kotalipa

Kotalipa is a peasant ploughing land in the mountain. His village people had been driven from home due to the ongoing battles between the kings. They came to a mountain to seek safety and to make a living out of it.

One day, as Kotalipa was working the land, the master Santipa met him while he was on his way back to Magadha from Sri Lanka. The master asked Kotalipa about his life and Kotalipa relayed it to the master. The master had a relevant mantra for Kotalipa in mind and he questioned him if he was willing to practice the mantra for digging mountains. Kotalipa agreed to practice it and was taught the mantra.

Kotalipa was given an interpretation of the Mahayana practice of the six perfections to contemplate on as long as he was ploughing the land. Moreover, Kotalipa was given explicit instructions regarding Guru devotion. Kotalipa meditated on the nature of the mind for twelve years before he attained siddhi. He too, performed various selfless acts and he obtained the Dakini’s Paradise eventually.

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