Each of Verses 12-17, begins with “Even if…”

“Even if someone steals everything you own...” ” Even if you have done nothing wrong at all And someone still tries to take your head off…” “Even if someone slanders your name and spreads rumors about you…” “Even if someone humiliates you in front of a crowd of people…” “Even if a person you have cared for as your own child treats you as her worst enemy…” “Even if your peers put you down to make themselves look better…”

Then in Verse 18, we have another circumstance…

“When you are down and out, held in contempt, desperately ill and emotionally crazed, don’t lose heart. Take into you the suffering and negativity of all beings — this is the practice of a bodhisattva. “

And the opposite in Verse 19…

“Even when you are famous, honored by all, and as rich as the God of wealth himself, note that success in the world is ephemeral, and don’t let it go to your head—this is the practice of a bodhisattva.” 

Ken McLeod writes, “In all of these verses, Togmé Zangpo “describes how to practice in the face of injury, insult or the incomprehensible situations that commonly provoke anger and rage. In all these situations you use anger as a basis for taking and sending practice.”

Verse 20, then, gives us the solution to all of these situation…

“If you don’t subdue the enemy inside–your own anger—the more enemies you subdue outside, the more that come. Mastering the forces of loving kindness and compassion, and subdue your own mind—this is the practice of a bodhisattva.“

“Forget metaphors for a moment. If you do not resolve your own anger, you experience the world in terms of opposition and conflict, because that is how anger presents the world to you. No matter how many people you frightened, intimidate, lay into or beat up, all it takes is another disagreement, another vexation, and you are fighting again.

“When you wage war on anger, even with the forces of loving kindness and compassion, you are still waging war. A war on hell means you are in hell. War is not the way out.

“To return to the language of metaphor, your anger is a frightened, scared, hurt and lonely child having a tantrum. Hold that child tenderly holding tension. The tenderness is where the forces of loving kindness and compassion come in. Do not try to make her do anything. Just hold her. Let her cry. Let her rage. Do not react to her pain, distress, fear or outburst. Hold tenderly with loving kindness and compassion.”