In the book “The Essential Dalai Lama, His Important Teachings”, edited by Rajiv Mehrotra, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama , shares eight verses he was taught years ago by his tutor and he has used them every day since. Personally, I found these verses invaluable to me as a newcomer who is struggling at times understanding the meaning within some of the teachings of Buddhism. I would like to share them with members of this Forum who may not be familiar with the text.

    With the determination to accomplish
    The highest welfare of all sentient beings,
    Who excel even the wish-fulfilling jewel,
    May I at all times hold them dear.

    Whenever I associate with others
    May I think of myself as the lowest of all
    And from the depth of my heart
    Hold the others as supreme.

    In all actions may I search my mind,
    And as soon as delusions arise
    That endanger myself and others,
    May I firmly face and avert them.

    When I see beings of wicked nature,
    Oppressed by violent misdeeds and afflictions,
    May I hold them dear
    As if I had found a rare precious treasure.

    When others out of envy treat me badly
    With slander, abuse and the like,
    May I suffer the loss and
    Offer the victory to them.

    When the one whom I have helped
    And benefited with great hope
    Hurts me badly, may I behold him
    As my supreme guru.

    In short, may I directly and indirectly offer
    Benefit and happiness to all my mothers.
    May I secretly take upon myself the harmful actions
    And suffering of my mothers.

    May all this remain undefiled by the stains of
    Keeping in view the eight worldly principles.
    May I, by perceiving all phenomena as illusory,
    Unattached, be delivered from the bondage of samsara.

What a beautiful way to begin a day by reciting and meditating on these verses written centuries ago (according to HH) by Kadampa master Geshe Langri Thangpa.

Amituofo

these verses apply to a bodhisattva 菩薩 mind if you adopt this approach before you are able to reach this level of no-self you could build up negitive emotion for which you are unprepared to cope with. little steps, little steps

Amituofo Terence,

By keeping it simple is it not possible for one to benefit greatly from HH’s wise words?. Is it not possible that by studying and contemplating on this text that one can begin to understand the concepts of mindfullness and compassion?.

this text is far from simple. The goals indicated here are either to high or too long term for the individual to see them selves on that path, having vision is one thing, see to just beyond ones reach, but to visualise over the horizen takes some one special.
Thats what your ,Teacher, Master, Guide is for, to stand at the horizen and say come this way.

this is basic mahayana dharma. its a more elaborate expression of the bodhisattva vows.

there arent really two ways. for example;

“When others out of envy treat me badly
With slander, abuse and the like,
May I suffer the loss and
Offer the victory to them.”

if we dont do this, then what is the alternative?

Yes I agree that this is a level to gain on the path but this level can only be seen as obtainable if you have taken your bodhisattva vows and can see that this is reachable, the less than advanced can be put off by climbing the mountain only to be confronted
by another peak. Reading the suttras without a guide can be like practicing wushu in theory without practice, As my master says `` show me your form``

terence - 15 July 2009 05:23 PM

this level can only be seen as obtainable if you have taken your bodhisattva vows and can see that this is reachable, the less than advanced can be put off by climbing the mountain only to be confronted
by another peak.

i dont understand this. its not an obtainable level.

these verses are basic mahayana aspirations. the bodhisattva vows say the same thing.

let me ask; “however innumerable sentient beings are, i vow to save them all”, do you see this as reachable?

attainability is not the focus. it is only defining a direction, not a point, level, etc..

If you are aiming for buddha hood yes, why would you not aim to reach the highest point,
if something cannot be reached then it does not exist,
if you travel on the long path a map of the next few miles helps a map of a path 200miles away in a direction that you have not chosen yet is so much waste paper and only leads to confusion and carrying excess bagage.

terence - 17 July 2009 01:02 AM

If you are aiming for buddha hood yes, why would you not aim to reach the highest point,

yes, bodhichitta is the key in mahayana.

if something cannot be reached then it does not exist,

yet, producing bodhichitta is the beginning of turning to mahayana, and the bodhisattva vows are basic mahayana aspirations.

why?

can all sentient beings, however innumerable, be saved? let alone by you or me alone? do they even really exist?

for a beginner, thats not immediately understood, but without the bodhisattva vows and bodhichitta the mahayana path cannot begin.

these verses are basic mahayana aspirations, which means if a beginner cannot hold them, they have not begun mahayana. i dont see what is so “advanced” about it. its basically the first step upon the path.

I am more of the literal persuasion if some one says this is posible then I do it .
I learn my taichichuan from my master, he says add this to what you can do now, come back tuesday and show me,
thats what I do if I dont I get told off and nothing new is added.

In all actions may I search my mind,
And as soon as delusions arise
That endanger myself and others,
May I firmly face and avert them.

this may be basic theory,
but its an advanced action

When I found Buddhism my life was the opposite, within a year I was following the precepts and the path,a new life from the ground up that was 34years ago. Reading the cannons +  suttras is fine but your life must be as the knowledge directs otherwise you are a librarian.
Live to be
be to live

terence - 17 July 2009 09:21 PM

In all actions may I search my mind,
And as soon as delusions arise
That endanger myself and others,
May I firmly face and avert them.

this may be basic theory,
but its an advanced action

the advanced action is to be able to do it spontaneously.

for a beginner, its a conscious effort. daily recitation is helping to solidify that.

put this way, if it were somehow “too advanced” or “dangerous”, hhdl wouldnt have it published in a book, but would leave it to teachers.