Song of Compassion ~ Shabkar

Avalokiteshvara, mighty Great Treasure of Compassion,
From my heart I invoke your blessing.
By this blessing, may compassion be born in my mind
And the minds of all beings under the sky.

If a man has compassion, he is Buddha;
Without compassion, he is a Lord of Death.

With compassion, the root of Dharma is planted;
Without compassion, the root of Dharma is rotten.

One with compassion is kind even when angry;
One without compassion will kill even as he smiles.

For one with compassion, even enemies will turn into friends;
Without compassion even friends turn into enemies.

With compassion, one has all Dharma;
Without compassion, one has no Dharma at all.

With compassion, one is Buddhist;
Without compassion, one is worse than a heretic.

Even if meditating on voidness, one needs compassion as its essence.
A Dharma practitioner must have a compassionate nature.

Compassion is the distinctive characteristic of Buddhism.
Compassion is the very essence of all Dharma.

Great compassion is like a wish-fulfilling gem.
Great compassion will fulfill the hopes of self and others.

Therefore, all of you, practitioners and lay-people,
Cultivate compassion and you will achieve Buddhahood.

May all men and women who hears this song
With great compassion benefit all beings!


Shabkar

from the book The Life of Shabkar: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin

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