Right here in this world Jambudvipa, the Victor’s realm

There is One renowned as being a Second Buddha

On the victory banner of teachings that do not set

He is like the crowning jewel at the very top

Respected by all and worthy of offerings

The melodious sound of this rippling flag of fame

Reverberates in every direction around

Is this the lord and accomplished master Maitripa?

There is one who served at his lotus feet with respect

And drank in full draughts the quintessential elixir

The Mahamudra, the crowning point of view

This put him in touch with reality plain and simple

He perfectly brought all excellent qualities forth

And was an emanation of the Tathagatas in human form

That greatest of beings, Lord Marpa, taught like this:

However appearances might appear outside

Not realized are delusory projections

Clinging to objects, that is what ties you down

For those who know, they're illusory appearance

For them what appear to be objects are mind’s resource

In the end, in fact, there is no such thing as appearance

And being unborn, dharmakaya is utterly pure

He taught of its purity in the unborn dharmakaya.

The movements of rational consciousness inside

Not realized are ignorance itself

This is the root of all karma and all affliction

If realized is self-awareness wisdom

Here is where positive qualities spring full-blown

In the end, in fact, there is no such thing as wisdom

Let phenomena go as far as they go and no more

This is as far as they go and no more, he said ---

This skandha of form compulsively taken on

Not realized is four elements making a body

Sickness and suffering, this is what comes of that

If realized it's a deity's union body

Reversing the common assumption you entertain

In the end, in fact, there is no such thing as body
It’s as rarefied as a cloud-free sky is what he taught

Is pure as a cloud-free sky is what he taught.

Apparitions of male and female demons and ghouls

For as long as your guise has not been seen through are maras

Obstacle-makers who nothing but trouble spell

If the guise is seen, thought’s obstructors are dharmapalas

A hotbed of siddhis of such a variety

In the end, in fact, there are neither gods nor goblins

Let concepts go as far as they go and no more

That is as far as they go and no more, he said

In the ultimate yana, to put it in general terms,

Through the anuttarayoga of secret mantra

When a dhatu condensation with nadi aligns

The forms of spirits are seen outside, he taught.

Not knowing these self-expressions are not what they seem

But thinking they’re real will get you precisely nowhere

There was a time confusion made my head spin

Knowing no better I built a nest of delusion

Taking gods that help and spirits that harm as true

But now through the Jetsün-siddha’s guidance so kind

I see stopping samsara and winning nirvana won’t do

I’ve caught on that whatever appears is Mahamudra.

Through realizing delusions have no ground

The water-moon of awareness shines unblurred

The sun of luminosity, free of clouds,

Lights up the darkness of ignorance out to its brink

My spinning head of confusion spins no more

A glimmer of basic being glows within

How precious now the idea of seeing a ghost

It reveals the unborn source, how strange and amazing!”