Eight Verses for Training the Mind (2021)

Eight Verses for Training the Mind (2021)

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Descriptionངོ་སྤྲོད།

How do we free ourselves from the demon of self-concern? These instructions are found in Eight Verses for Training the Mind, one of the most important texts from a genre of Tibetan spiritual writings known as lojong (literally "mind training"). The root text was written by the eleventh-century meditator Langritangpa. (Source: Shambhala Publications)

Citation

Sonam, Ruth, trans. and ed. Eight Verses for Training the Mind: An Oral Teaching by Geshe Sonam Rinchen. Boulder, CO: Snow Lion Publications, 2021.

Publisher Link

https://www.shambhala.com/eight-verses-for-training-the-mind-2214.html

RelationshipsLinksRKTS DataTable of Contents

Translation of

 

Blo sbyong tshig brgyad maབློ་སྦྱོང་ཚིག་བརྒྱད་མ།

Composed by the Buddhist Master Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), Eight Verses for Training the Mind is a highly revered text from the Mahayana Lojong (mind training) tradition. These instructions offer essential practices for

cultivating the awakening mind of compassion, wisdom, and love. This eight-verse lojong enshrines the very heart of Dharma, revealing the true essence of the Mahayana path to liberation. Even a single line of this practice can be seen as encapsulating the entire teaching of the Buddha. For even a single statement of this mind training practice has the incredible power to help us subdue our self-oriented behavior and mental afflictions. The fundamental theme of mind training practice is the profound reorientation of our basic attitude, both toward our own self and toward our fellow human beings, as well as toward the events around us. The goal of mind training practice is the radical transformation of our thoughts, attitudes, and habits. Presently, we tend to cherish the welfare of our own self at the expense of all others. However, the mind training teaching challenges us to reverse this process. This involves a deep understanding of others as true friends, and the recognition that our

true enemy lies inside of ourselves, not outside. Source Accessed Jan 30, 2025)

Text

Teaching on

 

Blo sbyong tshig brgyad maབློ་སྦྱོང་ཚིག་བརྒྱད་མ།

Composed by the Buddhist Master Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), Eight Verses for Training the Mind is a highly revered text from the Mahayana Lojong (mind training) tradition. These instructions offer essential practices for

cultivating the awakening mind of compassion, wisdom, and love. This eight-verse lojong enshrines the very heart of Dharma, revealing the true essence of the Mahayana path to liberation. Even a single line of this practice can be seen as encapsulating the entire teaching of the Buddha. For even a single statement of this mind training practice has the incredible power to help us subdue our self-oriented behavior and mental afflictions. The fundamental theme of mind training practice is the profound reorientation of our basic attitude, both toward our own self and toward our fellow human beings, as well as toward the events around us. The goal of mind training practice is the radical transformation of our thoughts, attitudes, and habits. Presently, we tend to cherish the welfare of our own self at the expense of all others. However, the mind training teaching challenges us to reverse this process. This involves a deep understanding of others as true friends, and the recognition that our

true enemy lies inside of ourselves, not outside. Source Accessed Jan 30, 2025)

Text

• 1. The Authenticity of the Teaching 7
• 2. The Special Features of This Teaching 17
• 3. Awakening Our Mahayana Disposition 27
• 4. The Supremacy of Others 35
• 5. Dealing with the Foe 45
• 6. The Treasure-trove 53
• 7. Offering the Victory 57
• 8. Our Teachers 63
• 9. Giving and Taking 69
• 10. True Freedom 73

• Appendix I: The Seven-part Practice from the King of Prayers 79
• Appendix II: Amitabha and the Land of Bliss 81

• Root Text: Eight Verses for Training the Mind by Kadampa Geshe Langritangpa 85

• Notes 87
• Tibetan Text 109
• Source Readings 111

Karuṇā - Skt करुणा  Tib ཐུགས་རྗེ་  Ch 悲  

Go to the page with the definition of 'compassion'

Kleśa - Often referred to as poisons, these are a class of disturbing or disruptive emotional states that when aroused negatively affect or taint the mind. Skt क्लेश  Tib ཉོན་མོངས་  Ch 煩惱  

Go to the page with the definition of 'afflictions'