Jetsun Milarepa #1

Jetsun Milarepa #10 the blue panel
Jetsun lived 1052-1135 and was a Tibetan Siddha, who famously was a murderer as a young man then turned to Buddhism to become an accomplished buddha despite his past. He is generally considered as one of Tibet’s most famous yogis and poets, serving as an example for Buddhist life.
Jetsun would float several inches off the ground when in deep meditation. His floating drew the attention of the press who would interrupt his meditation. So Jetsun would float across a rushing river to the other side to meditate. The press would enter boats and cross the rushing river to again interrupt the floating yogi. The river rushed by so quickly anyone in a boat would quickly be swept away. So Jetsun would float to the middle of the rushing torrent and float there sometimes meditating undisturbed for many days at a time.
The disturbing part of this practice came when after many days and nights floating in the sun. Jetsun would realize he was sweaty and so to refresh he would dunk himself in and out of the rushing water to clean off.
He was seen by many laughing joyously about the tickling water unable to sweep him away. Floating carelessly on his way back to the shore where there were always onlookers and press agents waiting.
However, his clothes and sandals were not unaffected by the rushing torrent and so within a few dunks, his robe and shoes would be ripped from his body and swept away. Leaving the large man totally naked and dripping wet when he landed still laughing and asked the press “what?”
Jetsun was encouraged to find a more remote location to be with his meditation. So Jetsun climbed so high into the mountains that mountain goats would freeze and fall off. There he would meditate and eat only donated food. Often times just nettles from the fields were what he had to eat. His skin began to take on a green hue as a result.
One cold winter his sister was concerned about his meager living and she braved a blizzard to find him meditating in the middle of a grassy field that was coved in several inches of snow. There was a melted circle of several feet around the Yogis body and the green grass was clear. Shocked by the site she called to him and disturbed his meditation. In doing so it is said that Jetsun melted the stone of the mountain top with his foot and his hand as he stood to address her. Those melted areas are still visible today.