Milarepa and Demons: Aids to Spiritual and Psychological Growth

Milarepa, the Tibetan Buddhist saint of the 11th century, wrote songs that give expression to a methodology of battling internal resistance to spiritual growth. The songs provide a meticulous description of how a person beset by demons processes and analyzes their behavior, thus enabling him to assess them correctly and objectively. At the start Milarepa perceives his demons as invaders, thereby disavowing responsibility for them. But later he is able to recognize their presence in his mind, thus avowing responsibility for them and releasing them, and even converting them. Throughout the songs Milarepa is attacked by demons, and he calls on his Gurus and other mental companions to help him battle them. The demons are obvious obstacles, but Milarepa uses them to strengthen himself in his spiritual progress. These processes have psychological equivalents relevant to westerners.