ABSTRACT
For my life as the eleventh Trungpa Tulku to be understood, it is necessary to know the history of the Ka-gyü school to which the Surmang monasteries belonged. The basic teaching was introduced into Tibet by Marpa the Translator, a great adept. He made three journeys to India under most difficult conditions to study with Naropa and other Indian Buddhist gurus and brought back many precious teachings which he translated from the Sanskrit. He was one of the leading scholars of what is known as the New Translation Period. Milarepa, later to become one of Tibet's greatest saints, became his chief disciple to whom he handed over the spiritual authority to carry on his work. Milarepa's poems and the moving story of his life were written down soon after his death by several of his own disciples; there is a good translation into English by Evans-Wentz, and an outstanding one into French by professor Bacot.
