Greek Myths are not ancient relics from the last. They are living, breathing creatures that roam with us and sojourn in our dreams. It is said again and again, that we must face our Demons. But how do we do that?

Milarepa and the Demons

One day, the Tibetan teacher Milarepa left his cave to gather firewood. When he returned, he found that his cave had been taken over by demons. There were demons everywhere!

His first thought upon seeing them was, “I have got to get rid of them!” He lunges toward them, chasing after them, trying forcefully to get them out of his cave. But the demons are completely unfazed. In fact, the more he chases them, the more comfortable and settled-in they seem to be.

Realizing that his efforts to run them out have failed miserably, Milarepa opts for a new approach and decides to teach them the dharma. If chasing them out won’t work, then maybe hearing the teachings will change their minds and get them to go. So he takes his seat and begins teaching about existence and nonexistence, compassion and kindness, the nature of impermanence.

After a while he looks around and realizes all the demons are still there. They simply stare at him with their huge bulging eyes; not a single one is leaving.

At this point Milarepa lets out a deep breath of surrender, knowing now that these demons will not be manipulated into leaving and that maybe he has something to learn from them. He looks deeply into the eyes of each demon and bows, saying, “It looks like we’re going to be here together. I open myself to whatever you have to teach me.”

In that moment all the demons but one disappear. One huge and especially fierce demon, with flaring nostrils and dripping fangs, is still there.

So Milarepa lets go even further. Stepping over to the largest demon, he offers himself completely, holding nothing back. “Eat me if you wish.” He places his head in the demon’s mouth, and at that moment the largest demon bows low and dissolves into space.1

The length of our suffering, and the quality of our lives depend on our ability, and willingness, to do exactly that. Most addictions and the resulting horror stemming from it have as their root cause an unwillingness to face our demons, the deep seated fears and personal traumas that live in our subconscious minds, often unbeknownst to us.

In return, when we face them, we claim the power they (subconsciously) held over us. In a way, we reclaim part of our psyche. We expand, grow stronger, and become more whole.2

I remember a few months ago, after spending a few weeks deepening in my meditation practice, one day I sat down to meditate. But before I could do that, I was overcome with a fear of becoming a failure. This sense of anxiety and despair deepened rapidly. I felt helpless, unable to push back on the depression that was settling in.

Of course, I rose to action, rationally trying to overcome the argument and convince myself that there was no truth to this. It failed. For hours I tried to overcome this fear of becoming a failure in this life. Even reading uplifting spiritual books, a habit that had served me well in the past, could not lift the heavy curtains of fear and depression. I became depressed. The harder I tried, the more I failed. Or at least it seemed that way to me.

Finally, after having spent hours on this endeavor, I finally sat down on my chair. I finally faced my fear and said: Okay, I agree. I am a failure. And very likely, I will always remain a failure in this life. So what? I still have my meditation practice, which I immensely enjoy. I still enjoy working out and eating healthy. I still enjoy spending time with family and friends. So what? Let me be a failure. So be it!

I forgot about it. Then some time later, to my surprise, I realized that the fear of becoming a failure was gone. It was completely gone! And now replaced with a deep feeling of calm and contentment. I cannot emphasize this enough, that as soon as I faced my demons, they had gone. 

It is important to not look down on these fears and traumas, because they have served us well, and have had their purpose. It is wise to notice that Milarepa said to the Demon: “I open myself to whatever you have to teach me.” And indeed they have wisdom. They were created for a reason.3

We are called to face our demons again and again and again in this lifetime. Everytime we move up to a newer level of consciousness, by mere growth, we are faced by our previous life and the misguided actions we may have partaken in. There is no end to this, as consciousness is infinite. Just like music, or spoken word, there is no limit to our growth. And as such we have to look back at our previous life, learn the lessons, then integrate what is good and then move on.

This beautiful journey never ends.

Notes:1 Aura Glaser, Tricycle publications. 2,3 Jim Marion, Putting on the Mind of Christ.