One day his disciples said to him, “Jetsun, all the deeds that we see you doing are beyond the understanding of ordinary beings. Precious Jetsun, were you not an incarnation of Vajradhara, or of a Buddha or Bodhisattva right from the start?”
“If you take me for an incarnation of Vajradhara, or of a Buddha or Bodhisattva,” Jetsun replied, “it shows you have faith in me-but you could hardly have a more mistaken view of the Dharma! I started out by heaping up extremely negative acts, using spells and making hail. I soon realized that there was no way that I would not be reborn in hell. So I practices the Dharma with relentless zeal. Thanks to the profound methods of the Secret Mantra, I have developed exceptional qualities in myself. Now, if you cannot develop any real determination to practice the Dharma, it is because you do not really believe in the principle of cause and effect. Anyone with a bit of determination could develop courage like mine if they had that true and heartfelt confidence in the effects of their actions. Then they would develop the same accomplishment- and people will think that they too are manifestations of Vajradhara, or of a Buddha or Bodhisattva.”
Jetsun Milarepa
Excerpt from the Words of My Perfect Teacher