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May I be the protector of the abandoned,
The guide for those who wander the path,
And for those who yearn for the other shore,
May I be the vessel, the ferry, the bridge;
May I be the island for those who need an island,
The lamp for those who need a lamp,
The bed for those who need a bed;
May I be the wish-fulfilling gem, the vase
With great treasure, a powerful mantra, the healing plant,
The wish-granting tree, the cow of abundance.
As long as space remains,
As long as beings remain
May I too remain
To relieve the sufferings of the world!
Above is the last quatrain of The Way of the Bodhisattva, a long prayer by the great Indian saint, Shantideva. These words were recited by Tenzin Gyatso, aka His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, at the conclusion of his 1989 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
Along the same lines...are you familiar with Buddhist teaching of the "Eight Verses of Transforming the Mind"?
ReplyDeleteI first came across it via the Dalai Lama's "Little Book of Wisdom" and it goes like this:
With a determination to achieve the highest aim
For the benefit of all sentient beings
Which surpasses even the wish-fulfilling gem,
May I hold them dear at all times.
Whenever I interact with someone,
May I view myself as the lowest amongst all,
And, from the very depths of my heart,
Respectfully hold others as superior.
In all my deeds may I probe into my mind,
And as soon as mental and emotional afflictions arise-
As they endanger myself and others-
May I strongly confront them and avert them.
When I see beings of unpleasant character
Oppressed by strong negativity and suffering,
May I hold them dear-for they are rare to find-
As if I have discovered a jewel treasure!
When others, out of jealousy
Treat me wrongly with abuse, slander, and scorn,
May I take upon myself the defeat
And offer to others the victory.
When someone whom I have helped,
Or in whom I have placed great hopes,
Mistreats me in extremely hurtful ways,
May I regard him still as my precious teacher.
n brief, may I offer benefit and joy
To all my mothers, both directly and indirectly,
May I quietly take upon myself
All hurts and pains of my mothers.
May all this remain undefiled
By the stains of the eight mundane concerns;
And may I, recognizing all things as illusion,
Devoid of clinging, be released from bondage.
An online breakdown of his interpretation of each verse can be located at: http://www.dalailama.com/teachings/training-the-mind
@QofT: would you mind if I re-publish your comment as a post?
ReplyDeleteI would not mind in the least.
ReplyDelete