His Holiness the Dalai Lama To Give Lojong Teachings November 8 in Washington D.C.

The following article is from the Summer, 1998 issue of the Snow Lion Newsletter and is for historical reference only. You can see this in context of the original newsletter here.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give a one-day teaching on Eight Verses for Training the Mind and confer the Generation of Bodhichitta Mind in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, November 8th. This teaching is based on the profound insights and wisdom of one of Tibet's greatest spiritual classics. The verses composed by Geshe Lang-ri Tang-pa (10541123) inspired many great masters of Tibet to go in search of a living holder of the mind training tradition (Lojong), including Geshe Chekawa (1101-1175), who composed the Seven Point Mind Training.

His Holiness has described the verses as a great source of personal inspiration. He received the unbroken transmission and explanation of these verses when he was a small boy in Lhasa and has recited them every day since then as part of his personal practice.The text pertains to the systematic training of the mind towards development of a compassionate heart and a sound ethical way of life.

This teaching will cover a wide spectrum of themes including guidance on how to cultivate and maintain a spiritual perspective on life, and coping with emotions. The teaching demonstrates how to transform even the most adverse circumstances into positive opportunities and, most importantly, how to maintain a life of inner tranquility.

The Generation of Bodhichitta Mind transmission strengthens the value of the Lojong teachings by establishing a motivation to become enlightened in order to benefit others. This is the gateway to the Mahayana practices that underlie Tibetan Buddhism. Understanding Lojong in itself is not enough to bring about profound personal transformation and growth. Developing bodhichitta is essential for this purpose. For this reason, His Holiness will combine Generation of Bodhichitta Mind and Lojong in this one-day teaching.

The teaching is sponsored by the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture, a non-profit organization established last year under the patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to protect and promote Tibetan culture.

Eight Verses for Training the Mind

by Geshe Lang-ri Tang-pa

With the determination to accomplish

The highest welfare of all sentient beings,

Who surpass even a wish-granting jewel,

I will learn to hold them supremely dear.

Whenever I associate with others I will learn

To think of myself as the lowest amongst all

And respectfully hold others to be supreme

From the very depths of my heart.

In all actions I will learn to search into my mind

And as soon as a disturbing emotion arises

Endangering myself and others

1 will firmly face and avert it.

I will learn to cherish ill-natured beings

And those oppressed by strong misdeeds and sufferings

As if I had found a precious

Treasure difficult to find.

When others out of jealousy treat me badly

With abuse, slander, and so on,

I will learn to take all loss

And offer the victory to them.

When the one whom I had benefited with great hope

Unreasonably hurts me very badly,

I will learn to view that person

As an excellent spiritual guide.

In short, I will learn to offer to everyone without exception

All help and happiness directly and indirectly

And respectfully take upon myself

All harm and suffering of my mothers.

I will learn to keep all these practices

Undefiled by the stains of the eight worldly concerns

And by understanding all phenomena as like illusions

Be released from the bondage of attachment.

[Taken from Kindness, Clarity and Insight by the Dalai Lama. This book also has his commentary. See the Lojong section of the spring newsletter for more on this topic.)

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