Sunday, October 17, 2010

Concerts and the last few weeks



So after my birthday there was a week of work Furlough. That means I didn't work and I didn't get paid. Furthermore I called in sick on friday and the fuckin' district is going to dock my pay unless I have a doctors note. This policy is to ensure that teachers don't take a day off work before the vacation to get an extra day of work. God forbid that we should get a longer weekend.

Then I had work on Monday, went and saw his Holiness the Dalai Lama on Tuesday, a concert on Wednesday, and a concert on Thursday. Friday I rode my bike to work and back with Reza. Saturday I went rock climbing in the morning and the Latino Fundraising ball on Saturday night. Sunday I watched the Raiders and Giants lose, I lost in one fantasy league and beat Nolan in the other one.

I would like to share a verse from the text of གླང་རི་ཐང་པ། called Eight Verses for training the mind that I was taught by the Dalai Lama

With a determination to accomplish
The highest welfare for 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 among 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 an afflictive emotion arises
Endangering myself and others
Will firmly face and avert it.

I will learn to cherish beings of bad nature
And those oppressed by strong sins and suffering
As if I had found a precious
Treasure very difficult to find.

When others out of jealousy treat me badly
With abuse, slander, and so on,
I will learn to take on all loss,
And offer victory to them.

When one whom I have 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 conceptions
And by understanding all phenomena as like illusions
Be released from the bondage of attachment.

1 comment:

  1. did you see HH at SJSU? love the eight verses. if only they were easier to practice. but if they're there in the back of your mind as you navigate reality, i'm sure you (or whoever) will be better off. it's like having a long-term goal.

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