21Shyalipa

Shalipa was a laborer from Bighapur. He was so poor that the only place he could afford was one right on the edge of the cremation ground. Every night, packs of jackals would roam the cremation ground searching for food, and night after night, the howls terrify the man. He grew more afraid by the day and the few hours he managed to sleep, he would dream of them.

On day, a monk came to Shalipa’s hut to beg for food. Shalipa welcomed him and shared with his guest all that his humble circumstances would allow. The monk was very appreciative of his kind host, and began explaning about the kind of rewards that generosity attracted. Shalipa was interested to listen, but night came, and the howls of the jackals began to terrify him. The monk then said he have teachings and a mantra that can help him over come the fear. Shalipa was so grateful that he offered the little amount of money he managed to save as the initiation fee. Whereupon the monk gave him empowerment and instructed him in the practice called “the fear that destroys fear”

The monk then instructed his student to build a hut at the middle of the cremation ground, and there, he must meditate upon the jackals’ howls as the root of all sound and he must come to hear no difference between the howls and any other sound. Although terrified, Shalipa obeyed. Through his practice, he began to be more detached from his fear, and after 9 years of practice, he attained mahamudra-siddhi. For many years he taught his innumerable disciples the practices concerning the oneness of appearances and emptiness. Finally, he rose bodily into the Paradise of the Dakinis.

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