Timeless Rapture: Inspired Verse from the Shangpa Masters

90 Timeless Rapture
At first, I renounced friends and family,
Yet concern for my image has now arisen. 14
Now, may I not care about my position.
At first, faith welled up in me,
Yet complacency has now arisen.
Laziness seems to have deceived the meditator.
Now, may I remain forever diligent and constant in contemplative
practice.
May I not be weary or discouraged in faith and respect
Toward the only spiritual gods, the Three Jewels.
May I feel continual respect and devotion
Toward my sole father, the holy spiritual master.
May I not add any polluting words
To the vital essence of his heart’s counsel.
Meditation is more precious than scholarship;
May I live alone and cultivate meditative experience.
To feel dissatisfaction with the faults of existence
And to feel interest in the teachings of transcendence is difficult.
To believe in the teachings on acts and their consequence
And to have unflagging faith is difficult.
To reject concern with sickness or pain
And to put this human life to service is difficult.
To find a compassionate teacher
Imbued with the scriptures, logic, and pith instructions is difficult.
To find a student who renounces all busyness and distraction
To cultivate meditative experience is difficult.
To renounce all anger and desire
And to have compassion serving others is difficult.
To be free from dualistic thought
In one-pointed meditation is difficult.
This counsel of eight difficult points
Is precious for any spiritual person.