Eight Verses of Thought Transformation read by Venerable Gyatso | Sound of Sutras

Eight Verses of Thought Transformation

By: Geshe Langri Thangpa

Read by: Venerable Thubten Gyatso – Sravasti Abbey, USA

Verse 1

With the thought of attaining awakening

For the welfare of all beings,

Who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel,

I will constantly practice holding them dear.

Verse 2

Whenever I am with others I will practice seeing myself as the lowest of all,

And from the very depths of my heart I will respectfully hold others as supreme.

Verse 3

In all actions I will examine my mind

And the moment a disturbing attitude arises,

Endangering myself and others,

I will firmly confront and avert it.

Verse 4

Whenever I meet a person of bad nature

Who is overwhelmed by destructive energy and intense suffering,

I will hold such a rare one dear,

As if I had found a precious treasure.

Verse 5

When others, out of jealousy,

Mistreat me with abuse, slander and so on,

I will practice accepting defeat

And offering the victory to them.

Verse 6

When someone I have benefited

And in whom I have placed great trust

Hurts me very badly,

I will practice seeing that person as my supreme teacher.

Verse 7

In short, I will offer directly and indirectly

Every benefit and happiness to all beings, my mothers.

I will practice in secret taking upon myself

All their harmful actions and sufferings.

Verse 8

Without these practices being defiled by the stains of the eight worldly concerns

And by perceiving all phenomena as illusory,

I will practice without grasping to release all beings

From the bondage of the disturbing unsubdued mind and karma.

About Venerable Gyatso

Ven. Thubten Gyatso grew up near the beautiful white-sand beaches of northwest Florida and spent his childhood lying in the sun and playing soccer. At the University of Florida he graduated with a BA in History and a minor in Business Administration, and then earned his MA in History. Determined to get out of the libraries, he spent the next 22 years wandering six continents as a ski instructor, waiter, and English teacher.

He first encountered Buddhism in 2005 with The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was eager to learn more. Ven. Gyatso deepened his practice by volunteering at Dharma College in Berkeley as the registrar for eight months. He continued with the same Nyingma Mandala organization by taking a volunteer position as an English teacher in Sarnath, India with the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute for three years.

While living, eating, and practicing together with monks, he was able to deepen his commitment to the Dharma and train his mind to benefit all beings. A Goenka Vipassana retreat in Lumbini, Nepal had a profound impact by showing the calm, joy, and clarity of a focused mind. Shortly after, he decided that the monastic life was the most conducive to benefiting others, and started looking for a monastery to ordain.

He arrived at the Abbey in September 2021 after the Exploring Monastic Life course online, and recognized that Sravasti Abbey had all the conditions necessary for spiritual growth. His request for ordination was approved, and on May 20th, 2023, he ordained and became Ven. Thubten Gyatso.

Some of his opportunities for service at the Abbey include administration, infrastructure, and Dharma dissemination with the prison outreach team. He’s looking forward to one day joining the bhikshu sangha and attending the very first bhikshu posadha at Sravasti Abbey.