From the Land of India,
In the heart of this sacred land,
There lies a great monastery—Bidrama.
There stands a university,
The source of all knowledge.
There, the professor of the Northern School,
The peerless Pandita, lion among men,
A mighty champion
Who defeated all heretics—
Is he not the great Naropa,
Master of the Four Tantras,
Knower of both worldly and ultimate accomplishment?

The principal disciple of this Pandita
Was my father guru, the translator Marpa,
A man of strong will and great perseverance,
Renowned like a lightning bolt across the sky.

He once said:
‘In the age of degeneration,
When the Buddha’s teachings decline,
Lifespans will shorten, merit will dwindle.
Evils and obstacles in countless forms
Will darken the whole world.
Freedom and long life will be rarest of all.
Knowledge will expand to such a degree
That it will become overwhelming to comprehend.
Proofs and conclusions will be hard to reach.
The truth of Tantra will be the most difficult to grasp.
So, my son, do not attempt anything else—
Focus only on diligent practice.’

Following this command,
I renounced idleness by vow
And meditated with unwavering resolve
In the solitude of my hermitage.
Thus, I have gained some experience…’

—Excerpt from the “One Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa”
Chapter: “Essential Instructions on the Bardo”