A 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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REFRAIN FROM BEING EASILY SWAYED

(English Translation)

Refrain from being swept along by just any current
Human beings are carried along by the waters of desire
A body of water follows every hollow and rise
Since it always flows downward, do not follow its course

Refrain from being consumed by just any blaze
Living beings are burned by pride
Not every manifestation of the fire element is the same
Therefore, do not burn in the wildfire of afflictions

Refrain from being carried away by just any force
Human beings are exceedingly careless and fickle
The wind is strong, yet it has no reins
Therefore, do not storm about aimlessly in every direction

Refrain from clinging to just anything material
Living beings place their faith in the material world
Though the earth element appears firm, it is impermanent
Therefore, do not take the ever-changing for something permanent

In every circumstance, abide in the nature of mind
What is utterly changeless cannot be easily grasped
The nature of space does not yield to coercion
Therefore, examine your awareness and nurture your heart. ¹This poem is built around the classical Buddhist symbolism of the four great elements (mahābhūta): Water (усан махбод): desire, conformity, following the downward pull of craving. Fire (галан махбод): pride, passion, and destructive afflictions. Wind/Air (хий махбод): restlessness, instability, lack of direction. Earth (шороон махбод): attachment to material reality and apparent solidity. The final stanza transcends all four elements and points toward сэтгэлийн байгаль, sems nyid (the nature of mind), a central theme in Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen Teachings. ²A few key translation choices: “урсгал” is rendered as “current” rather than “stream” because it suggests both a water current and the figurative current of popular opinion. “түйтгэр” is translated as “afflictions”, referring here to inner disturbances or mental poisons that burn like wildfire. In Buddhist usage, this overlaps with the Sanskrit kleśa: states such as desire, anger, pride, and confusion that trouble the mind and lead beings into suffering. “сэтгэлийн байгаль” is translated as “the nature of mind”, a standard rendering in Buddhist literature for the underlying nature or condition of mind. “дотоод сэтгэлээ торд” literally means to “tend”, “groom”, or “care for” one’s mind or heart; “cultivate your inner heart” is intended to preserve both the ethical and contemplative dimensions of the phrase. The final line of the poem reads: Оюун судалж дотоод сэтгэлээ торд. Literally, this is something like: “Examine awareness and tend your inner heart-mind.” The Mongolian word сэтгэл encompasses both heart and mind, feeling and thought, and has no exact English equivalent. A fuller translation of this last line would preserve both dimensions, perhaps as “heart-mind.” However, I have chosen to end the translation of this beautiful doha with the simpler phrase “nurture your heart.” While this may sacrifice some conceptual precision, after a series of warnings against desire, pride, force, and attachment, I feel it better carries the gentleness of Zava Rinpoche’s suggestive, concluding voice. ³Translated by C.Pleteshner. English interpretation 4.06.2026 from the original Mongolian 26.04.2023. Translation is always an interpretation into another language and culture. Any errors in this regard are entirely my own, and for these I humbly apologise.

4.06.2026

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БҮҮ ХЯЛБАР БАЙ

(Original Mongolian)

Ямарч урсгалыг бүү дага
Хүмүүн нүгүүд хүслийн усанд урсаж буй
Усан биет нь аливаа хотгор гүдгэр дагамуй
Уруудан одохуй мөн тул бүү урс

Ямарч бадрангуйг бүү дага
Төрөлхийтэн нүгүүд омогт түлэгдэж буй
Галан махбод бүхэн адилгүй буй
Түйтгэрт түймрийн галд бүү шат

Ямарч хүчийг бүү дага
Бодгаль нугууд маш хөнгөн хуумгай буй
Хий салхин хүчтэй авч жолоо үгүй
Зүг үгүй хаа хамаагүй бүү шуур

Ямарч бодатыг бүү дага
Амьтан голтон нугууд бодисыг шүтэн буй
Шороон махбод хэдий хатуу ч мөнх бус
Үргэлжид хувьсан буйг бүү эндүүр

Ямарч үед сэтгэлийн байгальд орш
Огоот хувирал үгүй нугууд үл атгагламуй
Огторгуйн мөн чанар үл түрдэх буй
Оюун судалж дотоод сэтгэлээ торд

Зава Дамдин ринбүчи
26.04.2023

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NOTES

• 1
  This poem is built around the classical Buddhist symbolism of the four great elements (mahābhūta): Water (усан махбод): desire, conformity, following the downward pull of craving. Fire (галан махбод): pride, passion, and destructive afflictions. Wind/Air (хий махбод): restlessness, instability, lack of direction. Earth (шороон махбод): attachment to material reality and apparent solidity. The final stanza transcends all four elements and points toward сэтгэлийн байгаль, sems nyid (the nature of mind), a central theme in Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen Teachings. ↩︎
• 2
  A few key translation choices: “урсгал” is rendered as “current” rather than “stream” because it suggests both a water current and the figurative current of popular opinion. “түйтгэр” is translated as “afflictions”, referring here to inner disturbances or mental poisons that burn like wildfire. In Buddhist usage, this overlaps with the Sanskrit kleśa: states such as desire, anger, pride, and confusion that trouble the mind and lead beings into suffering. “сэтгэлийн байгаль” is translated as “the nature of mind”, a standard rendering in Buddhist literature for the underlying nature or condition of mind. “дотоод сэтгэлээ торд” literally means to “tend”, “groom”, or “care for” one’s mind or heart; “cultivate your inner heart” is intended to preserve both the ethical and contemplative dimensions of the phrase. The final line of the poem reads: Оюун судалж дотоод сэтгэлээ торд. Literally, this is something like: “Examine awareness and tend your inner heart-mind.” The Mongolian word сэтгэл encompasses both heart and mind, feeling and thought, and has no exact English equivalent. A fuller translation of this last line would preserve both dimensions, perhaps as “heart-mind.” However, I have chosen to end the translation of this beautiful doha with the simpler phrase “nurture your heart.” While this may sacrifice some conceptual precision, after a series of warnings against desire, pride, force, and attachment, I feel it better carries the gentleness of Zava Rinpoche’s suggestive, concluding voice. ↩︎
• 3
  Translated by C.Pleteshner. English interpretation 4.06.2026 from the original Mongolian 26.04.2023. Translation is always an interpretation into another language and culture. Any errors in this regard are entirely my own, and for these I humbly apologise. ↩︎

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FURTHER READING

For an ethnographic account of lived resilience during Mongolia’s Buddhist reconstruction, see Letter from Mongolia 01: Eej and the new lam.

Readers interested in creative distanciation and the cultivation of mental and auditory space may enjoy Soundscape 04: Creative Distanciation: Etude for Naro.

For the epistemological dimensions of the nature of mind and the role of faith in cultivating stability, see Letter from Mongolia 26: On Faith and Devotion: Part 3.

For a material expression of concentration and focus in daily Buddhist practice, see Artscape 14: Эрхи.

For a ritualised visual and musical expression of internal awareness, see Music Video 01: Praise to the Five Dakinis Mongolian with English subtitles.

For a concise poetic reflection on discipline as transformative spiritual practice, see Mongolian Poetry 44: The Five Stanzas.

Readers interested in resilience, commitment, and remaining with a chosen path may also enjoy Mongolian Poetry 39: If You….

End of transcript.

Please refer to the INDEX for other poems and articles that may be of interest.

© 2013-2026. CP in Mongolia. “Mongolian Poetry 54: Refrain From Being Easily Swayed” 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 June 2026. Last updated: 6 September 2026.