SLOGAN 53 • Don’t vacillate.
When you first encounter the dharma, you may be intrigued but wary, or quick to be inspired. If you are inspired, you may jump in enthusiastically, and read all sorts of books, take tons of classes, and practice a lot. But such enthusiasm tends to be short-lived, and after a while, your interest and energy begins to peter out. You begin to have second thoughts about the whole thing. [Read more…] about 53: Don’t Vacillate
52: Don’t Misinterpret
SLOGAN 52 • Don’t misinterpret.
This slogan focuses on six qualities—patience, yearning, excitement, compassion, priorities, and joy—and how they can be misinterpreted. More generally, the point is to see how we can twist things so that our avoidance of the dharma is considered to be a virtue rather than a fault. We are continually tempted to misinterpret teachings designed to soften our ego-fixation in such a way that they instead add more fuel to our self-absorption and distractedness. [Read more…] about 52: Don’t Misinterpret
51: This Time Practice the Main Points
SLOGAN 51 • This time, practice the main points.
This time…
Every so often, opportunities to practice the dharma come up. How many times have you let those opportunities pass you by? I think of this slogan as the mañana slogan. It is the idea that there will always be time to practice later, but right now there are just too many other things going on. [Read more…] about 51: This Time Practice the Main Points
50: Don’t Be Swayed by External Circumstances.
SLOGAN 50 • Don’t be swayed by external circumstances.
The good thing about mind training is that it can be practiced in all kinds of situations. You do not have to wait for the right conditions to arrive or make special arrangements in order to work with mind training. The only rearrangement that needs to be made is to your own attitude. [Read more…] about 50: Don’t Be Swayed by External Circumstances.
49: Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment
SLOGAN 49 • Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment.
Cultivating loving-kindness sounds so sweet and wholesome. When you look at the ads in spiritual publications, you see smiling faces and promises about how to achieve happiness and be more loving and kind. But how many times do you see the word resentment? [Read more…] about 49: Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment