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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A Cup of Tea

Nan-in, a Japanese master 

during the Meiji era (1868-1912), 

received a university professor 

who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. 

He poured his 

visitor’s cup full, 

and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched 

the overflow 

until he no longer 

could restrain himself. 

“It is overfull. No more will go in!”

“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, 

"you are full of your 

own opinions and speculations."

"How can I 

show you Zen 

unless you 

first empty your cup?”


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A Quiet Mind Is All You Need

All else will happen rightly, 

once your mind is quiet. 

As the sun on rising 

makes the world active,

 so does self-awareness 

affect changes in the mind. 

In the light of calm 

and steady self-awareness, 

inner energies wake up 

and work miracles 

without any effort 

on your part.

~by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

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