8-STEPS NOTES

This book is based on the widely renowned Eight Verses of Training the Mind (Lojong Tsig Gyema), which was composed by Bohisattva Langri Tangpa, an eleventh-century Buddhist Master from Tibet. Though comprising only eight four-line verses, this remarkable text reveals the essence of the Mahayana Buddhist path to enlightenment, showing how we can transform our mind from its present confused and self-centered state into the perfect wisdom and compassion of a Buddha.

• Every living being has the potential to become a Buddha, someone who has completely purified their mind of all faults and limitations, and brought all good qualities to perfection.
• Delusions are not an intrinsic part of the mind - if we apply the appropriate methods they can be completely eliminated and we can experience the supreme happiness of full enlightenment.
• Everyone wants to be happy, no one wants to suffer, but very few people understand the real causes of suffering and happiness.
• We tend to look for happiness outside ourself, spending all our time adjusting the external world, yet we are no happier.
• Superficially it looks like our world is improving, but if we look more deeply, we shall see that there are many problems now that never existed before.
• It is time we sought happiness from a different source, happiness is a state of mind, so the real source of happiness must lie within the mind, not in external conditions.
• We have been trying to change the world, this clearly does not work, now we need to change our mind. (trying to cover our feet instead of the whole ground)

• States of mind that are conducive to happiness are called virtuous minds - states of mind that disturb our mind and cause suffering are called delusions, and their only function is to cause us harm.
• Delusions such as desirous attachment, anger, and so forth are distorted ways of looking at ourself, other people, and the world around us.
• When our mind is under the influence of delusions, we are out of touch with reality, and are in a sense, hallucinating.

• The source of all delusions is a distorted awareness called self-grasping ignorance and the type of self-grasping that harms us most is grasping at our own self, or, I, as inherently existent.
• Because of this self-grasping we develop self-cherishing which is a mind that regards our self as supremely important, gives rise to delusions and causes us to engage in negative actions. This is the source of suffering for both our self and others (actions and their effects - karma).
• We can eliminate by becoming familiar with and replacing them with the opposite virtuous minds. (becoming familiar with patience and love as a way to reduce our anger for instance)
• To eradicate delusions completely, we must destroy their root, which is the mind of self-grasping, therefore, we need to familiarize our mind with the true nature of reality, or ultimate truth.
• The permanent cessation of delusion and suffering is known as liberation or nirvana. This is a wonderful achievement, but is not enough, our ultimate aim must be to help all living beings to do the same.
• By completely removing all traces of ignorance and delusion from their mind, Buddhas attain omniscient wisdom and the limitless ability to help all living beings.
• Buddhas have many supreme qualities that enable them to help and guide living beings.
• The founder of Buddhism in this world was Buddha Shakyamuni, who gave 84,000 teachings. These teachings are known as Dharma. In the texts upon which 8-steps is based, Bodhisattva Langri Tangpa has condensed these teachings into eight short verses which contain step by step path to complete inner peace and happiness.
• These teachings are as relevant to day as they were when they were written over 900 years ago.
  
• An understanding of cause and effect, or karma, is helpful to understanding the practices given in the text.
• The mind is a formless continuum that is a separate entity from the body.
• When we die, the mind does not cease, instead a deeper level of consciousness called the very subtle mind continues.
• Every action we perform leaves imprint, or potential on our very subtle mind, and each karmic potential eventually gives rise to its own karmic effect.
• Positive actions lead to positive effects, negative actions lead to negative effects.
• This definite relationship between actions and effects is known as the law of karma.
• Ordinary beings do not choose their rebirth, but are reborn in accordance with the karma that arises at the time of death.
• We are blown to future lives by the winds of our karma.
• The uninterrupted cycle of death and rebirth without choice is called cyclic existence, or samsara in sanskrit.
• What keeps us in samsara is our contaminated actions which are motivated by delusions, which is in turn motivated by self-grasping ignorance.
• By practicing the Buddhist path to liberation and enlightenment, we can destroy this self-grasping.
• We can free ourselves from samsara and we can then be in a position to help others do the same.