The song "Profound Definitive Meaning Sung on the Snowy Range" was one that Milarepa sang to his disciples and his patrons after he had been in retreat for six months. At that time he was snowed in completely. There was so much snow that the roads were blocked and neither he nor anyone else was able to come in or out...

Normally we would think of that as a very difficult situation, a negative condition for practice. But for him it wasn't at all. He was able to turn a negative situation into an aid to his practice. In the same way, when we're confronted with difficult situations, we should turn them into positive ones by bringing them onto the path of practice.

For the words and melody to this song click here: http://ktgrinpoche.org/songs/profound-definitive-meaning-sung-snowy-range.

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, Creation & Completion, Boulder, Colorado 1995 and 1996. p. 27.

Translated by Sarah Harding.