It is difficult to overestimate the role that The Life of Milarepa has played in shaping the way Buddhism developed in Tibet and later came to be understood in the West. The present version, composed by Tsangnyön Heruka in the late fifteenth century, almost four hundred years after Milarepa, draws upon these early works. But the resulting narrative eclipsed them all, serving as the canonical record of Milarepa’s life ever since. It is now famous for its themes of sin and redemption, faith and devotion to the guru, perseverance in the face of hardship, dedication to meditative mastery, and the possibility of liberation in a single life.

An alternate English translation by Lobsang Lhalungpa (1982) can be found here.