Teachings from Milarepa’s Treasury of Dohas

A Doha is a form of poetry and is often referred to as a song. According to the sutras, the disciples of the Buddha would sometimes compose spontaneous verses during his teaching sessions. Tibetan translators such as Marpa, the founder of the Kagu lineage, brought the custom of composing dohas back to Tibet along with other tantric teachings. Marpa’s principal student, the yogin Milarepa, became the greatest Tibetan composer of dohas, expressing the teachings of all yanas in hundreds of songs.