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The next verses describe the process of training in exchanging, in which we place ourself ‘in the shoes’ of another person, for instance one who displays pride, as well as a person who is prey to our own arrogance, or who constantly competes. By doing this we have the means to recognise the qualities of our shared humanity.
There are three ways of training and here Rinpoche discusses the benefits of these as a practice: the first instruction is to exchange with someone who may be impacted by our own arrogant attitude, to see what it feels like to be on the receiving end, to experience envy and get a glimpse of how we appear to them. Pride is slippery, hard to see in oneself and easy to observe in others.
The text says that the shortcomings of pride and envy disrupt our relationships and happiness, causing competitiveness and jealousy and we must overcome these habitual responses by fully understanding the ramifications of our behaviour.
Further, it points out that as long as we engage these poisonous responses we have no chance of developing a compassionate outlook.
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Thank you Rinpoche, this chapter 8 covers so much, so much to learn and train in. As you say, step by step. The stanzas go about all sort of emotional and habitual behaviours, mental states and how this can disturb meditation. like strong attachment or aversion, desire and or hatred. And they offer thus food for contemplative meditation.. While listening and going through a whole process here, I discovered a lot about myself, good and bad, and I sort of fell apart in 1000 peaces and now find ground again. True practice and study and be more on my own, accept solitude. But through interaction with others, one discovers more about one’s mind, habits…so we need our fellow sentient beings along with the sacred Dharma teaching,
to learn our mind, isn’t that so? Others give us back were we are right or wrong, No?