A heartening poem by Mongolian scholar-poet Zava Damdin (b. 1976). Please refer to the Index of Mongolian Poetry and Articles for other works that may be of interest.
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ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCE, YOUR TRUE COMPANION
(English Translation)
If you are looked down upon by others,
cast out by others,
shamed and insulted by others,
and excluded from society,
then receive it gladly instead!
If you yourself are not greatly craving
the dim confusions of the world,
if you are not in love
with the same shameful habits,
it means that the freedom to practice the Dharma has come to you.
In the direction you have turned, there is nothing to hinder you.
As you sit gazing over the far, open plain, there is nothing to block your view.
Rock and stone become your steadfast support,
and the swallows circle round you in friendship.
As you walk within the city, all appearances are like a mirage.
Even citizens proud as tigers and leopards seem but a foolish play.
Challenging circumstance becomes your true companion
and comes to you along the way.
Even unfamiliar places appear familiar and well known,
and the clamour of the crowd sinks into emptiness, like an echo on the rocks.
Each whistle of the wind reminds you of impermanence,
each wave of the sea recalls the nature of saṃsāra.
If you keep your mind attuned to reflection,
you befriend an unbroken, radiant light.
The Egüzer of Wrathful Mañjuśrī
22.04.2026
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Translated by C. Pleteshner, 22.04.2026, from the Mongolian original dated 20.04.2026. Translation necessarily involves interpretation across languages and cultures. Any errors are entirely my own, and for these I humbly apologise.
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МУУ ШАЛТГААН ЧИНИЙ ҮНЭНЧ НӨХӨ
(Original Mongolian)
Чи бусад дор дорд үзэгдэж
Бусад дор гадуурхагдаж
Бусдаар гутаагдан доромжлогдож
Нийгмээс хасагдсан бөгөөс
Чи харин ч баяртай хүлээж ав!
Чи л өөрөө орчлонгийн будангуйд ихэд тачияадаггүй бол
Тэдэн лүгээ адил гутамшигт зан дор дурладаггүй бол
Чам дор ном үйлдэх эрх чөлөө ирлээ л гэсэн үг
Хандсан зүг дор чинь тээглэх шалтгаан үгүй
Хараа алдам талыг ширтэн суухуй дор халхлах зүйл үгүй
Хад чулуу чиний үнэнч түшиг болж
Хараацай шувуу чамайг тойрон нөхөрлөнө
Балгадын дотор явахуй дор бүгд зэрэглээ мэт үзэгдэнэ
Барс ирвэс мэт омогтой иргэд ч мунхаг жүжиг мэт санагдмуй
Муу шалтгаан чиний үнэнч нөхөр лүгээ болж эерэг мөр болон ирмүй
Таних үгүй газар ч танил дасал мэт болоод
Олны цуугиан хадны цуурай мэт хоосон дор шингэмүй
Салхины исгэрээ бүр мөнх бусыг сануулж
Далайн давлагаа бүр орчилын мөн чанарыг дуртгамуй
Сэтгэл лүгээ үргэлж тольдвоос тасрах үгүй гэгээн гэрэл лүгээ нөхөрлөмүй
Догшин Манзуширийн егүзэр
20.04.2026
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FURTHER READING
For another reflection on solitude as an occasion for inner cultivation, see Mongolian Poetry 30: If You Seek To Truly Exist.
Readers interested in internal adversary may also enjoy Mongolian Poetry 56: Where is the Enemy We Fear?
For a poetic meditation on temporality, see Mongolian Poetry 15: Time .
End of transcript.
Please refer to the INDEX for other poems and articles that may be of interest.
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© 2013-2026. CP in Mongolia. “Mongolian Poetry 42: Adverse Circumstance, Your True Companion” is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Open access should not be understood as the absence of attribution. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Posted: 22 April 2026. Last updated: 14 September 2026. |