When Milarepa's training was over, he received these instructions from his master Marpa: "Leave this place, go to pay homage to lama Gnogpa and leave again immediately to reach the desert. Don't stop in your country, go roaming in deserts of horrors and snows, and be absorbed in contemplation."

Begging for cereals from farmers in the plain and for seasoning from shepherds in the mountains, Milarepa went looking for a cavern suitable for meditation. Finally he reached the White Rock cave (Drag-kar Ta-so) and retired in it for three years, determined to go on until he obtained the liberation of mind.

"A lot of nettle grew around the cave and some excellent water ran by: from nettle I got a fabric for the external shelter of my body and a tasteless flour for the inner nourishment. Therefore my body became like a skeleton, my skin took the colour of nettle and the consistency of wax and even my hairs became bristly, green. All my bones protruded and my limbs were about to breakoff."

At this point Milarepa's sister, Peta, in the yearly festivity of the country, learnt that her brother was alive and decided to leave to meet him again. After a month she reached him and brought him flour, butter and wine.

"I accepted Peta's offerings and I ate and drank, so that immediately my intelligence got clearer at last."