Category: 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva

Verse 27 teaches us to be patient without hostility. It reads: To bodhisattvas who want a wealth of virtueThose who harm are like a precious treasure.Therefore towards all cultivate patienceWithout hostility—This is the practice of bodhisattvas Verse 26, translated by Thubten Chodron Verse 27 reminds us…

In verse 26, we learn that discipline is integrity. It reads: If you cannot look after yourself because you have no ethical discipline, Then your intention to take care of others is simply a joke. Observe ethical behavior without concern For a conventional life- this is…

Verse 25 reminds us to be generous. It reads: If those who want to be awake have to give even their bodies, What need is there to talk about things that you simply own? Be generous without looking For any return or result- this is the…

Confusion is exhausting. That’s the simple wisdom of verse 24 of the 37 Verses of a Bodhisattva. It reads: All forms of suffering are like dreaming that your child has died. Taking confusion as real wears you out. When you run into misfortune, Look at it…

Can we appreciate something without trying to own it or keep it or control it? That’s the question behind Verse 23 of the 37 Verses of a Bodhisattva. It reads: When you encounter attractive objects,Though they seem beautifulLike a rainbow in summer, don’t regard them as…

Verse 22 of the 37 Verses of a Bodhisattva encourages us not to hold onto the mind. It reads: Whatever arises in experience is your own mind. Mind itself is free of any conceptual limitations. Know that and don’t entertain subject-object fixations; this is the practice…

Consider this: desire is like salt water. When we are thirsty, we drink it, but it never really satisfies our thirst. This is the wisdom of the 21st verse, which says: Sensual pleasures are like salty water; The deeper you drink, the thirstier you become. Any…

Verse 20 teaches us to tame our anger. It says, If one does not conquer one’s own hatred, The more one fights outer enemies, the more they will increase. Therefore, with the armies of loving-kindness and compassion, To tame one’s own mind is the practice of…

Verse 19 reminds me of the line in Star Wars when Han Solo tells Luke Skywalker, “Don’t get cocky, kid.” It reads, Even when you are famous, honored by all And as rich as the god of wealth himself, Know that success in the world is…

Verse 18 teaches us to love undauntedly. It reads, Even if one has a poor livelihood, is always insulted by people And is afflicted by a very severe illness or evil spirits, It is still the practice of a bodhisattva undauntedly to take on The negativities…