Lojong, or mind training, is a core practice in all the lineages of the Tibetan tradition. Lojong teachings may best be characterized as methods to transform the mind by turning it away from self-centeredness and cultivating the mental habits that generate bodhicitta, which places the benefit of others above all else.

The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, a text composed by the Buddhist Master Geshe Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), explains the Paramitayana practice of method and wisdom, where the first seven verses deal with method—loving kindness, bodhicitta—and the eighth verse deals with wisdom. As a highly revered text from the Mahayana Lojong tradition, its instructions offer the essential practices for cultivating the awakening mind of love, compassion, and wisdom. As such, these eight-verses embody the true essence of the Mahayana path to liberation, and even a single line of this practice encapsulates the entire teachings of the Buddha. Consequently, this mind-training practice has the incredible power to help subdue our mental afflictions and to eradicate those self-oriented behaviors that tend to cherish our welfare at the expense of all other. Therefore, since the goal of mind training is to facilitate the radical transformation of our thoughts, attitudes and habits, mind training challenges our negative thinking and attitudes, enabling us to acquire a deeper appreciation of other beings as our true friends. In doing so, we recognize that our true enemy lies inside ourselves and not outside of us.