Note: I am not a practicing Buddhist but encountered these pearls of wisdom in the writings of the Dalai Lama, whose courage, integrity and presence of mind I admire greatly. Here I am engaging the text, though the danger in that is always that in placing my own experience over it I may inadvertently skew its meaning. I’d welcome comments from any of you who may have a better understanding of these principles. I find the spirit of these two “verses” radically freeing, although I am completely at a loss so far as sustaining the practice of them in my life. Peace, Dawn

From the Eight Verses of Buddhism:

V
When others out of envy treat me badly
With abuse, slander and the like,
May I suffer the defeat
And offer the victory to others.

VI
If someone whom I have benefited
With great hope hurts me very badly,
May I behold him
As my supreme guru.

Verses Five and Six

Pain! What agony grieves my soul in remembering now
that silver cup you lifted gently to my lips with
all compassion to honor that which you saw
as honorable in me. That cup flowed
once with the promise of spring but
has long since been retracted.

Snatched from my fragile fingers, I see it is only a dual symbol
of success and shame that was wielded as a weapon
to break my will to serve, all it seems because
you chose to listen to and believe
the proliferation of whispers
and slanderous lies

Plucked from a malevolent wind, left flapping in a cold breeze.
Such foul thought may indeed slowly dissipate, but
its gaseous contamination seeps through the skin
of the unprotected and taints one’s view
of another, corrupting shared hope,
stunting growth, seizing faith.

Though I have suffered greatly, I will not succumb
to the raised fist or flood of tears that would only
serve the fleeting emotion within. Neither will I
denounce the meaning of this tragedy or turn
my back without acknowledging
what loss there has been.

Rather I lift high my defeat as an offering, and
lay at the altar of love every last insecurity.
I dedicate my loss as victory to all
the masses of hurting humanity,
and I pray that we might drink
deep from the cup of life.

And as for you, in whom I placed such hope and trust:
Stealing glory and judging so easily, knocking me
so far off course – in these eyes of all compassion,
you shine. I know you are the greatest teacher
of my soul. I welcome you, supreme guru,
and forgive you, my friend.