From avenging evil sorcerer to devoted Buddhist ascetic to enlightened being--the story of Milarepa's spectacular life is a powerful testimony to self-knowledge, transformation, and liberation.

It is the year 1050, and Milarepa is seeking vengeance on unscrupulous relatives for mistreating his mother and sister. Trained in dark magic, he commands a rain of scorpions, snakes, and lizards to attack the villains. But when his teacher rebukes him for his odious deeds, Milarepa renounces witchcraft to seek mystical truth. He retreats to a cave where, after years of intense meditation, he acquires the power to shape-shift. But most importantly he achieves the greatest victory of all--mastery over himself.