The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation

1. Determined to obtain the greatest possible benefit 

From all sentient beings,

Who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel,

 I hold them most dear at all times.

2. Wherever I am and whoever I am with, 

I always consider myself the lowest of all 

And, from the depths of my heart,

Hold others dear and supreme.

3. In all actions, I examine my mental continuum 

And the minute a delusion arises,

Since it endangers myself and others,

I forcefully confront and avert it.

4. Whenever I see sentient beings who are wicked in nature

And overwhelmed by negative actions and heavy suffering,

I hold such rare ones dear,

As if I had found a precious treasure.

5. When, out of envy, others mistreat me 

With abuse, insults or the like,

I accept defeat

And offer the victory to them.

6. When someone whom I have benefited 

And in whom I have great hopes

Gives me terrible harm,

I regard them as my virtuous friend.

7. In short, both directly and indirectly,

I offer every happiness and benefit to all my mothers. 

I secretly take upon myself

All their harms and sufferings.

8. Also, I do not defile all these practices with the stains 

Of the superstitions of the eight worldly concerns, 

And by knowing all phenomena to be illusory, 

Without trusting in them, I am freed from bondage.

Kadampa Geshe Langri Tangpa, 

Take care of your mind

 Since we were born, we have let our mind do what it likes, like a spoiled child, and we have to admit that nothing really positive has come of it. To take control of it is indispensable. That is something worth spending time on, even if it is just a little bit each day. 

So we had better think again and use our common sense. If we let our mind mistreat us so that we spend our lives suffering and making others  suffer around us, that’s a sign of a lack of common sense The thoughts and words that come from a disturbed state of mind can be considered “negative “. Instead of complaining about our fate, if we cultivate altruism and compassion, so that those positive states of mind improve our well-being and that of others, that shows that we have common sense.

The underlying sense of uneasiness that we have now is actually a good thing: it is the expression of our sensitivity. Those who go through life without feeling ill at ease are unconscious.The uneasy feeling caused by our awareness holds tremendous potential for transformation. It is a treasure of energy that we can grasp with both hands and use to build something better. Indifference doesn’t lead anywhere.

If you think the whole world is your enemy, imagine that you are a basket weaver, and you have a huge pile of reeds. To make baskets, you have to weave them in the right way. Similarly, faced with the challenges you encounter, you have to weave an inner basket big enough to hold all the ups and downs of life without them overwhelming you. In short, you need to take care of your mind wisely.

 Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche