During January 5-7, 2024, Vajra Vidya Portland hosted Ven. Lama Lodro Lhamo, who gave a series of teachings titled, “Milarepa’s Songs of Renunciation.”

During the introduction of these teachings, Ven. Lama Lodro Lhamo’s said about Milarepa, “. . .he was always happy and in many of these songs he told people who came to seek advice from him, and teachings from him, he said, ‘Well, if you continue to be attached to worldly things, and try to seek happiness and freedom through possessing things [and] through seeking worldly gains, you will never be happy. . . because the more you want, the more you’re conditioned by these wishes and desires, and they will become a bondage for you. You’ll never be free. . . and because you’ll never be free, you will never be happy.’

So I think it’s very meaningful for us therefore to just read some of these songs. And I hope these songs will inspire us to stop looking outwardly for happiness, and instead to really look inward for true inner joy. . . As the teachings say, ultimate and permanent happiness does not come from external successes and possessions and gains. It comes from your own mind. . .”

View and listen to the teachings here.

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