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The first of these eight verses is speaking of the relationship between self and others. What is the usual situation in this regard? In general, one can say that one cherishes, of course with high regard, one's own self, one's own concerns, and therefore the task of achieving one's own welfare by finding happiness and avoiding suffering. This burden is borne by oneself as the person chiefly concerned. At the same time, concern for others is generally discarded, as being of little importance, or even insignificant.
This situation needs to be changed by undertaking the mental training which reverses this attitude of paying high regard to one's own welfare and thinking of other people's welfare as insignificant. What is to be done is to develop a high regard and great concern for the welfare of others, meanwhile looking on one's own welfare as relatively insignificant.
So this is the objective. In order to accomplish it, one requires a sustained mental training involving a number of different methods. I shall not have the time to give a very elaborate or precise explanation of this. However, if one desires to put into practice, this can eventually be done by studying a teaching of which I will give a very synthesized and brief explanation taken from the appropriate texts.
First of all is a text by Nagarjuna called "The Jewel Garland." There is an even clearer text in Shantideva's "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life." From these we learn that all of us are the same in our desire to find happiness and avoid suffering. As regards to our right to these, we are completely equal even in accordance with the law. So, as to our worthiness of being free from suffering and finding happiness, there is absolutely no distinction or difference between oneself and others. It is the same for all.
Similarly, we are all seemingly endowed with what is called a conceptual "I" or conventional "I" that wishes for happiness and freedom from suffering for itself. In terms of this spontaneous desire for one's own welfare, we are completely equal. Likewise, in general our worthiness to attain this happiness and be free from suffering is exactly the same for us all. So, too, is our potential for achieving that happy state the same for all. But, in terms of magnitude, the welfare of others is enormously more important. From this point of view, others are much more to be cherished than oneself. This is so, even though in various ways we are really the same; for despite all those aspects of sameness, I am just one person, whereas others are infinite in number.
If one is really objective about all this, it is quite clear. For example, in commerce, if it is a matter of money, as to the importance of one or many sums, there is no question. Also in many other situations in which all other factors are equal, if there is a choice between one and many, naturally the many will be regarded as much more important. Now, if one should disregard infinite numbers and concern oneself exclusively with one individual, would this be wrong? On the other hand, if one should disregard oneself and be concerned with many, would this be wrong? Obviously, the latter would be realistic. That would be the authentic approach, whereas disregarding infinite sentient beings or exploiting infinite sentient beings out of concern for oneself would be both unrealistic and improper.
Now, instead of meditating upon some meditational deity, we should now meditate upon ourselves, investigating within. Let us first of all visualize an infinite number of sentient beings on our right and hundreds of sentient beings on our left, with ourselves in the middle. If we are unbiased, what shall we do? Shall we disregard all those people and be concerned only about our own self, or shall we disregard our self and concern ourselves with these myriads?
Again, imagining our own self as just one person on the right and these myriads on our left, let us do what is normal, i.e. think in terms of the majority (as when voting) and decide what is to be done. We have put this in the context of democracy, which is a superb thing. In deciding whether to align himself with just one or with millions, any person with common sense will have no problem in coming to a decision to choose the many. If he looks at this with an objective, clear, unbiased mind, he will find how wrong he was to just cherish himself, as he has done until now.
Hitherto, we have been regarding our own welfare as supremely important. This attitude is unworthy, unrealistic; it is improper, it is in every way degraded, something to be abandoned! This is quite clear. But now and then, on the other hand, if one adopts an attitude of cherishing instead, perhaps by instinct, these myriads of people, that is something authentic, that is worthy. Such a person has a valuable mind, a noble mind. This is something to be cultivated on the basis of the verse from Geshe Lhangri Thangpa. The regard should be extended to all sentient beings. Instead of regarding them as being of minor consequence, no importance, no value, we should rather regard them as supreme, like the Wish Fulfilling Gem. We should cultivate this wish to cherish others as beings of supreme value.
The second verse of the text says: "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." Now the content of this line is in contrast with our previous attitude of looking down upon others. Rather we are now looking up to all sentient beings or thinking of them as our own brothers, while regarding oneself as inferior to them. We are now cherishing them and devoting our body, mind or entire being to the welfare of others, dedicating our self to the welfare of all creatures, now viewed as supreme.