The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation

With the thought of attaining Enlightenment

for the welfare of all beings

who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel

I will constantly practice holding them dear.

Whenever I am with others, I will practice

seeing myself as the lowest of all

and from the very depths of my heart

I will respectfully hold others as supreme.

In all actions I will examine my mind

and the moment a disturbing attitude arises,

endangering myself or others,

I will firmly confront and avert it.

Whenever I meet a person of bad nature,

overwhelmed by negative energy and intense suffering

I will hold such a rare one dear

as if I’ve found a precious treasure.

When others out of jealousy

mistreat me with abuse, slander and so on

I will practice accepting defeat

and offering the victory to them.

When someone I have benefited and in whom

I have placed great trust, hurts me very badly

I will practice seeing that person

as my supreme teacher.

In short, I will offer directly and indirectly

every benefit and happiness to all beings, my mothers.

I will practice in secret taking upon myself

all their harmful actions and sufferings.

Without these practices being defiled

by the eight worldly concerns,

by perceiving all phenomena as illusory

I will practice without grasping to release all beings

from the bondage of the disturbing unsubdued mind and karma.

~by Kadampa Geshe Langri Tangpa

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