[From a collection of songs translated by Yeshe Gyamtso and published by KTD Publications (2007) as the Treasury of Eloquence: The Songs of Barway Dorje. Posted with permission. Copyright 2007 Karma Triyana Dharmachakra & Peter O’Hearn. All Rights Reserved.]
A HO! This beggar, this yogin—I, Barway Dorje—
Went to see the sacred places in the middle of the land.
When I was at the seat of the glorious Lord Tsalpa,
At the end of the night, in the last of my sleep,
While my mind was a mix of sleep and clear light,
I saw a beautiful realm in the west,
In it a mountain and on its peak
A three-storied palace of jewels
In a tent of rainbows.
In the center of this transparent palace,
On a lovely and precious throne, lotus, sun, and moon,
I saw seated the glorious Avalokita.
This was mixed with the sight of central Lhasa itself,
Which spontaneously appeared as a pure realm.
I gained conviction that the Lord Dalai Lama, Vajradhara,
Is Avalokita himself.
The victors, our refuge, emanate through compassionate skill.
They manifest inconceivable variety for the taming of beings.
This is hard for the foolish and infantile to fathom.
So don’t make partisan distinctions;
Let your devotion be impartial and all-inclusive.
May all keep this in mind.
This is our ensuing conversation written down as a song. At the
repeated request of Ringul Lama Jampal Gyaltsen, this was composed
by Barway Dorje. Virtue!