Powerful Statue of Milarepa

Tensung Repa took this photo at Rumtek in Sikkim in 1998. This Milarepa statue is considered one of the, if not THE most sacred statues/images of Tibet's greatest yogi and Repa, Milarepa (mi la ras pa) His Holiness the 16th Karmapa personally hand carried this statue out of Tibet from his monastery in
Tsurphu, Tibet during his escape from the Chinese in 1959. It is one of the treasures of the Kagyu lineage.

Tensung Repa continues: To my knowledge, this statue had not been photographed before my visit. One of the
attendants to the 16th Karmapa mentioned this to me as he brought this
statue out of the lock-and-key Rumtek vault for me to see and be blessed
by during my visit... and with his permission, photograph (though with
initial reservations). I can't find my notes from that time, but I
believe this statue dates from the 13th century. In my mind, I feel that
this statue was made with the ashes of Milarepa himself, but that's
just me wishfully projecting... as this statue feels as if Mila is right
in the room with you singing a song on Mahamudra. I sure felt like I
was given the royal Repa treatment during that visit. The same
attendant also gave me relics (hair, nails, ashes, salt, robes, etc.) of
the 15th and 16th Karmapas which were subsequently put in both the
Kagyu Dharmachakra Stupa in Sarnath and in the "Great Portable Kagyu
Stupa" that currently resides at Kagyu Repa Dzong in California.

If you are looking at this image of Milarepa
now, may wisdom and compassion spontaneously arise within you, and may
you bring great benefit to all beings without delay! E MA!