Eight Verses of Mind Training

(1) May I always cherish all limited beings by considering how far superior they are to wish-granting gems for actualizing the supreme aim.

(2) Whenever I come into anyone’s company, may I regard myself less than everyone else and, from the depths of my heart, value others more highly than I do myself.

(3) Whatever I am doing, may I check the flow of my mind, and the moment that conceptions or disturbing emotions arise, since they debilitate myself and others, may I confront and avert them with forceful means.

(4) Whenever I see beings instinctively cruel, overpowered by negativities and serious problems, may I cherish them as difficult to find as discovering a treasure of gems.

(5) When others, out of envy, treat me wrongly with scolding, insults, and more, may I accept the loss upon myself and offer the victory to others.

(6) Even if someone whom I have helped and from whom I harbor great expectations were to harm me completely wrongly, may I view him or her as a hallowed teacher.

(7) In short, may I offer to all my mothers, both actually and indirectly, whatever will benefit and bring them joy; and may I hiddenly accept on myself all my mothers’ troubles and woes.

(8) Through a mind untarnished by stains of conceptions concerning eight passing things, throughout all of this, and that knows all phenomena as an illusion, may I break free from my bondage, without any clinging.

Read a commentary by the Dalai Lama to this text.

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