8 Verses From The Dalai Lama To Control Our Mind

“Every human being, if he wants, can be the sculptor of his own brain.” Santiago Ramon y Cajal

Dalai Lama Langri Tangpa (1054-1121) wrote “The eight verses of mental training (Loyong Tsik Guiema)” over 800 years ago . Through his words, he gives us the means to neutralize our negative behaviors and thoughts, which lead us to feel pain and suffering.

We will now present eight verses, the purpose of which is to make us enjoy our physical and emotional health to the fullest.

Verse 1

Thinking that all feeling beings

They are even more precious than jewels that fill wishes,

In order to achieve the supreme purpose,

May I always consider them precious.

All beings are precious, above any other interest, feeling or reality. Cultivating love and compassion towards others assures us of inner peace, healthy emotions and kindness towards nature.

Verse 2

Wherever I go, whoever I am,

may I feel inferior to others and,

from the bottom of my heart,

consider all of them extremely valuable.

We need to develop our capacity for empathy and altruism with the environment around us. The secret is to work on our selves, stopping taking negative attitudes when something is missing. Everything in life is teaching.

Verse 3

May I examine all the actions of my mind,

and, when a negative state appears,

since it puts me and others in danger,

may I face it and drive it away.

Being aware of ourselves and knowing ourselves in depth allows us to dissolve warlike feelings or acts committed with aggression . The thing you need to work on most of all is anger, which is the basis of fears. Of course, this is the most dangerous and destructive emotion of all; we have to work hard on our ability to control it.

Verse 4

If you meet beings with a negative attitude

Or who are burdened with negativity or pain,

may I consider them as precious as a treasure unearthed,

because they are difficult to meet.

Just as we have to learn from the negative emotions we develop ourselves, we can also learn a lot from the people invaded by those feelings. Observing hot-tempered people is a great way to test our emotional evolution.

Verse 5

If others, moved by envy,

Insult me ​​and behave unfairly,

may I accept my defeat,

and offer victory to others.

Each of us dominates his silences and his words. Our self-esteem is higher than the problems created by jealousies and envy. Also, the ability to forgive helps us move closer to our emotional maturity.

Verse 6

Where a person I have helped,

or in which I have deposited all my hopes

You harm me unjustly,

May I see you as a sacred friend.

Our patience is tested when a friend is unable to appreciate what we have offered them. Human nature is like this and we, as humans, can understand it more than any other being on earth.

Verse 7

That I can offer, directly or indirectly,

All the joy and all the benefits to every being,

And may I secretly place all his pain and suffering upon myself.

Giving our best and sharing our best qualities with those around us will help us understand the mental state and virtues of others.

Verse 8

That people are not influenced by concepts

Of the eight worldly interests

And, aware that all things are illusory,

that they can be free from the burdens that hold them back.

The objects around us are, for the most part, ephemeral and fleeting. Therefore, being aware of the illusory nature of human interests will help us to get rid of the things that surround us, by ceasing to cling to what contaminates our interior.

Source: Loyong, To train the mind, HH and the 14th Dalai Lama