Lojong

Mind Training Slogan

Mind Training: Slogan #1 First Train in thePreliminaries

This slogan is meant to remind us which are elements of fundamental truth that each of us lives with but seldom thinks about. Realities that are helpful to be aware of as we go about our daily lives. The rst truth is that each human life is unique and precious. Here but for a short while. The second is the presence of death which comes to us suddenly and without warning. The third reality is that not matter what we do whether good or evil we are caught up in the chain of cause and effect (karma). And the last speaks to the commonness of our suffering, both its inevitability and intensity. Each of us struggles with these realities whether were conscious of them or not. How we handle those realities makes the difference between a life of pain, imprisonment, and insanity and the experience of openness, freedom and sanity.

Mind Training: Slogan #2 Regard All Dharmas asDreams

This slogan recognizes that whatever you experience in your life pain, pleasure, happiness, sadness, grossness, renement, sophistication, crudeness, heat, cold, or whatever is purely memory. You can see the dream-like quality of your experience when you meditate. Thoughts and emotions seem to come out of thin air and then disappear to be replaced by an unrelated set thoughts and emotions. For example, rumination and regret over the past dissolves into fantasy about the future. Whether about the past, present or future, our thoughts and sensations are a mere mental creation. It is one way of looking at the concept of ultimate bodhichitta (awakened heart). Regard all Dharmas as Dreams is an expression of openness and compassion for our mental life. The cycles of desire and pain that we constantly put ourselves through. It points to a reality which is beyond the conceptual.

Mind Training: Slogan #3 Examine the Nature of UnbornAwareness

When he says examine, Trungpa simply means observe the nature of the mind. Unborn refers to the fact that the nature of the mind has no origin. It has no beginning. The word Primordial would also apply. When you try to grasp the mind it seems to come out of thin air. There is nothing there. Yet awareness exists because you are able to perceive things. The mind is colorless and shapeless. There is no why behind our ability to perceive. Beyond perception the mind has a blank, empty quality. This emptiness principle (shunyata) the understanding of nonexistence is very much similar to ultimate bodhichitta (awakened heart). We have to have an understanding of absolute compassion at the same time When you begin realizing nonexistence, then you can afford to be more compassionate, more giving. Trungpa asserts that there is a connection between awareness and mindfulness. You mind is always on something but the why cant be explained. The mind has no root. Everything begins to dissolve.

Mind Training: Slogan #4 Self-Liberate Even theAntidote

Either Trungpas explanation of this slogan is dense or I am, perhaps both are true. I think for most of it he was just having a little fun, so I will go right to the last paragraph. The whole point of this slogan is that antidotes of any kind are not regarded as appropriate things to do. We are not particularly seeking enlightenment or the simple experience of tranquility we are trying to get over our deception. To me, what he is saying is that antidotes are just concepts and we cant be too literal. Seeking enlightenment is not helpful because enlightenment or awakeness is a state of being not a destination. I think he is saying that we are simply trying to remove the obstacles (obscurations) that we, in our egohood, have created for ourselves.

Mind Training: Slogan #5 Rest in the Nature of Alaya, theEssence

Alaya is a level of consciousness that is simple, clear and nondiscriminating, not separating the world into I and other

It is a place which is beyond our ve senses and all mental machinations. Alaya is the basic goodness that underlies all perception and we must trust ourselves in order to rest there.

This level of consciousness is our home; it is where orders and information come from. The slogan is the beginning of slowing ourselves down.

Mind Training: Slogan #6 In Post Meditation, Be a Child ofIllusion

To be a child of illusion off the cushion is to see that phenomena is not solid, that our perceptions are created by our preconceptions. Through your mindfulness and awareness, you have sense that ones experience is spacious, pliable and workable while appreciating the play of phenomena as an illusion. We have room to play. Notes from Training the Mind . in post meditation experience there is a sense that everything is based on creating ones basic perceptions out of ones preconceptions. If you cut through thatinterject some awareness, you begin to see that the games are simply illusory ones. ..shine your bulb with a ash light. you do not have to solidify phenomena. Instead, you can continue your practice and develop some kind of ongoing awareness. If things become heavy and solid, you ash awareness and mindfulness into them. In that way you begin to see the world as pliable and workable. This slogan is about how to nurture ultimate bodhichitta in terms of mindfulness and awareness. We have to learn how we can actually experience that things in a post meditation situation are still workable, that there is room, lots of space. .. Being a child of illusion is very simple. It is being willing to realize the simplicity of phenomenal play and to use that simplicity as part of awareness and mindfulness practice.

Mind Training: Slogan #7 Sending and Taking Should Be Practiced Alternately. These Two Should Ride TheBreath.
Tonglen taking in the bad and sending out to the good is a way of sharing our genuineness with others and taking on their hypocrisy for them. It reverses the samsaric logic for taking the good for only ourselves and wishing that the bad befalls others. All the practice is quite literal, we dont necessarily expect results; we simply do tonglen and drop it. The practice encourages us to be more spacious and less solid. The whole point is to remove territoriality altogether. Notes from Training the Mind sending and taking will denitely have a good effect, quite naturally. I think it is a question of your general decorum and attitude.

In tonglen we are aspiring to take on the suffering of other sentient beings. We mean that literally: we are actually willing to take that on. You do not do it and then wait for the effect you just do it and drop it. So you dont possess anything. That is the point. Basically speaking, the mahayana path is trying to show us that we dont have to secure ourselves. We can afford to extend out a little bit quite a bit. You practice putting others rst by means of a very literal discipline, called tonglen. So you are suppose to actually be working hard for the sake of other people. We want to give our genuineness out to others and we want to invite their hypocrisy into us. Our genuineness has to be shared with someone. It has to be given up. The whole thing is that for a long time we have wanted to inict pain on others and cultivate pleasure for ourselves. That has been the problem all along. .. We have been doing the usual samsaric thing all the time, so we are trying to reverse samsaric logic a little bit and see what happens.

Mind Training: Slogan #8 3 Objects, 3 Poisons, And 3 Seeds ofVirtue

Posted: June 23, 2011 | Author: garyjfarrow | Filed under: Highlighted, Mind Training |Leave a comment

The three poisons are passion, aggression, and ignorance. The three objects are friends, enemies and neutrals upon whom we respectively project our passion, aggression and indifference ignorance. This slogan reminds us to practice tonglen for people who are friends, enemies and neutrals. For example, taking on the aggression of an enemy and sending out compassion removes the aggression from the enemy and so you have no object for your aggression nothing to be angry at and your aggression dissipates. You undercut the poison itself by removing the poison from others rather than dealing with yourself however the rub is that by doing this exercise, thepoison that which you now own is dissolved. This exercise helps us to realize the three seeds of virtue the absence of passion, aggression and ignorance. Notes from Training Your Mind: 3 Objects are friends, enemies and neutrals 3 Poisons are passion, aggression, and ignorance or delusion 3 Seeds of virtue are the absence of passion, aggression and ignorance Passion; wanting to possess: Aggression; wanting to reject; Ignorance: wanting to ignore (anti-prajna) Template: When we reect on our enemy, that inspires aggression. Whatever aggression our enemy has provided for us let the aggression be ours and let the enemy thereby be free of any kind of aggression. Take the neurosis of the aggression, passion or ignorance into ourselves so that the other is freed of it. The purpose of doing that is that when you begin to hold the three poisons as yours, when you possess them fully and completely, when you take charge of them fully, you will nd that the logic is reversed. If you have no object of aggression, you cannot hold your own aggression purely by yourself. If you have no object of passion, you cannot hold your own passion yourself. And the same way, you cannot hold on to your ignorance either.

By holding your poison, you let go of the object, or the intent, of your poison. It is impossible to have an object of poison, because the poison belongs to you rather than the object. Find yourself just hanging out there with no one to project onto. Therefore, you can cut the root of three poisons by dealing with others rather than dealing with yourself. So an interesting twist takes place.

Mind Training: Slogan # 9 In All Activities, Train WithSlogans

Slogans are helpful daily reminders. Each day will present its own share of obstacles, which are opportunities to grow. Once we know the slogans well enough, these obstacles will trigger the appropriate slogan which represents a particular discipline of the mind that can be applied so that obstacles are turned into opportunities to remove obscurations from our buddha nature. This slogan represents an antidote to viewing the self as a xed and solid entity focused the acquisition of pleasure and the rejection of suffering. When the we nd ourselves xating on I, we think [1] May I receive all evils; may my virtues go to others and [2] Prot and victory to others; loss and defeat to myself. The idea of the ego is turned on its head. Notes from Training the Mind The idea is that in catching the rst thought, that rst thought should have some words whenever you feel that quality of me-ness, whenever you feel I and maybe am as well as then you should think of these two sayings: [1] May I receive all evils; may my virtues go to others. [2] Prot and victory to others; loss and defeat to myself.

Mind Training: Slogan #10 Begin the Sequence of Sending and Taking WithYourself
This is basic tonglen practice focusing on giving up passion, the desire to possess something. The slogan is connected with the paramita of discipline. Wanting and not wanting is involved with the desire to possess. The approach is to completely open yourself. Notes from Mind Training So whenever anything happens, the rst thing to do is take on the pain yourself. Afterward, you give away anything which is left beyond that, anything pleasurable- anything other than pain This slogan is connected with giving up passion, as it is passion which makes you demand pleasure for yourselfconnected with the parmita of discipline Realize that anything connected with wanting and not wanting is constantly involved with the desire to possess and not give out. So the approach here is to open your territory completely, let go of everything

It is wonderful that they are willing to let go of even their smallest corners of secrecy and privacy, so that their holding on to anything is gone completely

Mind Training: Slogan #11 When the World is Filled With Evil, Transform All Mishaps Into the Path ofBodhi
Obstacles always arise no matter what your life situation. Use them to help you along the path . This transformation of obstacles into the path of wakefulness helps move one from a poverty stricken mentality to a state of richness and resourcefulness which is essentially a position of generosity. Having a sense of richness and resourcefulness and practicing that is the point. Notes from Mind Training all problems should be transformed into a part of your wakefulness or bodhi. Such wakefulness is a result of shamatha-vipashyana discipline as well as your basic understanding of soft spot, or bodhichitta Obstacles always arise. That is something everybody experiences. And when obstacles happen,, any mishaps connected with those obstacles poverty mentality, xating on loss and gain, or any kind of competitiveness should be transformed into the bodhi path That is a very powerful and direct message. It is connected with not feeling poverty stricken all the time. . expressions of your own timidity and cowardice. They could all be regarded as expressions of your poverty mentality. Having already experienced the possibilities of absolute and relative bodhichitta, and practiced sending and talking, you should also begin to build up condence and joy in your own richness. That richness is the essence of generosity It is the sense of resourcefulness, that you can deal with whatever is available around you and not feel poverty stricken. Having a sense of resourcefulness and richness seems to be the main point.

Mind Training: Slogan #12 Drive All Blames IntoOne

One value of this slogan is that it helps to create an enlightened society by having each person take responsibility for their own problems. Somebody may have done something that created a problem for us however we take all blame into ourselves so that if we have a problem we own it. If we start blaming others, all it accomplishes is to spread the neurosis around. Drive all blames into one puts a stop to that. Each of us takes personal responsibility for the problems that we see in the world our own projections. As Trungpa Rinpoche says Interestingly tripsarelaid on us, but not by anybody. We decide to take on those trips ourselves, and then we become resentful and angry. It all about not projecting and not being projected upon.

Notes from Mind Training Drive all blames into one means that all the problems and the complications that exist around our practice, realization, and understanding are not somebody elses fault. All the blame always starts with ourselves. Interestingly, trips are laid on us, but not by anybody. We decide to take on those trips ourselves, and then we become resentful and angry. The blame for every mishap is always directed naturally to us; it is our particular doing Everything is based on our own uptightness. But it is we who are not letting go, not developing enough warmth and sympathy which makes us problematic. So we cannot blame anybody. Everything is due to our own uptightness, so to speak, which is known as ego holding, ego xation. The intention of driving all blames into one is that otherwise you will not enter the bodhisattva path. The slogan is the essence of the bodhisattva path. By taking that particular blame on yourself, you reduce the neurosis thats happening all around you. In this case, we are simply talking about how we can collectively smooth out this world, so that it could become an enlightened society. Creating an enlightened society requires general cultivation of that nature.

Mind Training: Slogan #13 Be Grateful toEveryone

No world, no hassles, no enlightenment. Without other, we have no experience to work with. When we take responsibility for our own experience, it follows that we should be grateful to others. Most of us have a problem with myself without others there would be no way to go beyond myself. We do not have to go looking for trouble, trouble will nd us. We have know idea how to play the living and dying game properly. It is a lighthearted situation including death. Do not take anything seriously that takes place. It is not the ultimate, nal problem. Problems arise and then they go. Notes from Mind Training Without the world we can not attain enlightenment, there would be no journey. By rejecting the world, we would be rejecting the ground and rejecting the path. All of our experiences are based on others. Without them we cannot attain anything at all we have no feedback, we have nothing to work with If there is no noise outside during our sitting meditation, we cannot develop mindfulness By prot and victory we mean anything that encourages to walk on the path of dharma that is created by the world. It is a fantastic idea that we are actually, nally fearless persons that prot is others and loss is ours. The slogan Be grateful to everyone follows automatically once we drive all blames into one.

All the people of the world or most of them, have a problem in dealing with myself. Without others we wouldnt have a chance to develop beyond ego The point is to appreciate that. If someone hurts, you should be thankful to them for giving you the opportunity to practice. You dont have to avoid such situations and you dont have to cultivate them. You just lead your life This whole approach is dealing with all kinds of hassles and transmuting them and working with them as a workable journey toward enlightenment. . we have no idea how to play games properly. It is not a big deal, it is an exchange. You are nally putting your name on the dotted line. It is a lighthearted situation including death. Keep that in mind. Make a slogan out of that. Whatever takes place, you do not take all that seriously. Whatever comes up you do not regard as the ultimate, nal problem, but as a temporary are-up that comes and goes.

Mind Training: Slogan #14 Seeing Confusion as The 4 Kayas Is Unsurpassable ShunyataProtection
The four kayas are the four steps the mind goes through when we are going through any experience We are open, uncertain how to perceive things that have arisen. We develop a clear idea about how these things go together We begin to make a relationship between the openness we experience and our idea of how things t together 4. We have a total experience of the whole. This is the way our mind functions. This is our state of being. Whatever comes up in our mind is subject to this process. Everything is always in accordance with the four kayas. The slogan points to understanding your mind by studying and watching yourself and by practicing meditation. You begin to realize that in essence your mind is empty and has no origin; the mind is light and clear and the expression of your mind is active. Thoughts simply come and go. Putting the whole thing together, there is no birth, no cessation, and no acting or dwelling at all. This is the best protection because it cuts the solidity of your beliefs. All thoughts and ideas are empty. Realizing this is your best. protection You realize that you are just authoring absurd, nonexistent things. That is the best protection for cutting confusion. This protection means you have no where to dwell, you are suspended in emptiness. You might nd yourself being egoless and realizing there is nothing to protect. Your protection is groundlessness. Notes from Mind Training Basic question is who and what to protectunderstanding of the way we perceive things as they are In perception (1) there will be a sense of openess uncertainty about how to perceive things (2) then we have a clear idea about how to organize things (3) we begin to make a relationship between the two. And nally (4) we have a total experience of the whole. Called the four kayas. This is the mental process of perception. 1. 2. 3.

We realize that whatever comes up in our mind is always subject to that ow., sudden pain, sudden anger, sudden aggression, sudden passion whatever might arise always follows the same process The nature is everything is nowness. Thoughts just emerge we cant watch their birth. They are just there. This slogan has to do with [the concept] of understanding your mind by studying and watching yourself and by practicing shamatha and vispashyana. By practicing these disciplines, you begin to realize that the essence of your mind is empty, that the nature of your mind is light and clear and that the expression or manifestation of your mind is active. There is no place from which thoughts arise,

Mind Training Slogan #15 Four Practices Are the Best ofMethods
The four practices are: 1. Accumulating Merit 2. Laying Down Evil Deeds 3. Offering to the Dons 4. Offering to the Dhamapalas When we accumulate merit, we refrain from evil behavior and cultivate virtuous action. Because you have learned to block out hope and fear, you have developed as sense of gentleness and sanity. In laying down evil deeds, the point is to look back and realize what you have been doing and not make the same mistake all over again. With offering the dons, you are grateful for misfortune when it visits again because it will wake you up. Regarding the dharmapalas, they are protectors that hurl you back on the path when you stray. So this slogan is all about cultivating virtuous action, not repeating your mistakes, being grateful for misfortune because it wakes you up and being thankful for the protectors who put you back on the path when you stray. Notes from Mind Training Four special activities for how to go about your daily life. The four categories are: accumulating merits; laying down evil deeds; offering to the dons; and offering to the dharmapalas (1) Accumulating merit for the purpose of trying to relate what is sacred or holy Concerned with simply letting things be. Whatever comes up be gratefulfor it. Let go of possessiveness altogether Whatever has happened, I would like to let go of this problem of holding back. You have to refrain from evil actions and cultivate virtuous actions. In order to do that you have to block out hope and fear altogether so you do not hope to gain anything from your practice and you are not particularly fearful of bad results. It is the idea of having a direct link with reality, very simple, without scheming at all.

You jump into the fear and refrain from the desire Because you have learned to block out hope and fear altogether, you have developed a sense of gentleness and sanity (2) Laying Down Evil Deeds The point is to look back and realize what you have been doing and not make the same mistake all over again. There is a 4 step method for confessing your neurosis. 1. Getting tired of your crime is a prerequisite 2. Refrain from that or to repent. From this time onward I am not going to do it. 3. Taking refuge in the Buddha. The criminal has to give up altogether rather than the crime being forgiven. Giving up oneself, giving up ones stronghold 4. Further completing the surrendering process. you begin to commit yourself as a traveler on the path. (3) Offering to the Dons. You are asking ghosts like sickness, misfortune, to comeback and wake you up again. You are grateful A don is a powerful neurotic attack (4) Offering to the Dharmapalas protectors of the teachings, to help you in your practice If you have the slightest temptation to step out of the dharmic world, the protectors will herd you back to that world. That is the meaning of asking the dharmapalas, or protectors, to help you in your practice

Mind Training: Slogan #16 Whatever You Meet Unexpectedly, Join WithMeditation
This slogan call us to use our reactions to surprise events in life as objects of meditation. To watch them and work with your own neurosis whether it be anger, passion or indifference. Pain or pleasure, Trungpa Rinpoche suggests doing tonglen for these occurrences, taking in the worst and sending the best. Tonglens stands our habitual reaction on its ahead and gives the practitioner a richer ground from which to respond. The method removes obscurations so that your innate goodness and decency can shine through. You come to relax and see the world as a more workable place Notes from Mind Training Concerned with bringing your experience onto the path properly Whatever comes up simply goes along with ones discipline, ones awareness of compassion Be open and precise, and to know your own territory at the same time. You are going to relate with your own neurosis rather than expanding that neurosis to others. Whatever you meet comes as a surprise. The idea is not to react right away to either painful or pleasurable situations. Instead, once more, you should reect on the exchange of sending and taking, or tonglen discipline The important point is when you take, you take the worst, and when you give you give the best. When you begin to settle down to that kind of practice, to that level of being decent and good, you begin to feel very comfortable and relaxed in the world. It actually takes away your anxiety altogether, because you dont have to pretend at all. You have a general sense that you dont have to be defensive and you dont have to powerfully attack others anymore.

There is such an accommodation taking place in you.

Mind Training: Slogan #17 Practice the Five Strengths, The Condensed HeartInstructions
The ve strengths mentioned in the slogan are strong determination, familarization, seed of virtue, reproach, and aspiration. All of them require focus and devotion. Strong determination means a life long commitment to manifesting bodhichitta in every moment. This commitment has a strong sense of appreciation and joy. The practice becomes a source of good cheer. Your dharmic subconscious gossip becomes more powerful than your ordinary subconscious gossip. is the way Trungpa Rinpoche expressed the concept of familarization. Your insanity gives way to mindfulness, realization and familarity with wakefulness. The seed of virtue is the focus on manifesting bodhichitta in body, speech and mind. The dharma is part of you. Disgust with the painful world is samsara is reproach. It is a recognition of how youego has createdmuch trouble and suffering. You are free from burden in your practice so that you aspire to carry your practice into new aspects of your life,applying your practice to whatever difculties and obstacles that come up. This slogan helps us remember to manifest bodhichitta always; let your subconscious absorb the dharma; give up the world of samsara and the egos suffering; and keep opening your practice to more aspects of your life. Notes from Mind Training We have ve energizing factors, or ve strengths, so that we can practice our bodhisattva discipline throughout our whole life: strong determination, familarization, seed of virtue, reproach, and aspiration (1) Strong Determination The practitioner should always have the attitude of maintaining bodhichitta for this lifetime, this year, this month, this day. Practice is a way of strengthening yourself. The idea of rst strength is thatas soon as you wakeup, you reafrm your strong determination to continue with your bodhichitta practice. Maintain your practice with continual exertion, which means joy. Strong determination you have a sense of appreciation and joy, your practice does not become a cage. Instead your practice becomes a way of cheering yourselves up constantly The idea is one of waking up basic goodness, the alaya principle, and realizing you are in the right spot, the right practice. (2) Familiarization. Because you have already developed strong determination, everything becomes a natural process. Your dharmic subconscious gossip has become more powerful than your ordinary subconscious gossip. You are getting used to bodhichitta as an ongoing realization.

You no longer regard dharma as a foreign entity, but you begin to realize that dharma is a household though, a household word, and a household activity Your basic strength begins to become more powerful, so that your basic wickedness or insantity is changed into mindfulness and realization and familarity with wakefulness. (3) Seed of virtue. You have tremondous yearning all the time, so you do not take a rest from your wakefulness. In this case, virtue means that your body, speech and mind are all dedicated to propagating bodhichitta in yourself. (4) Reproach. Reproaching your ego. It is revulsion with samsara. You are encouraged to say to your ego: You have created tremendous trouble for me, and I dont like you. You have caused me so much trouble by making me wander insamsara. I have no desire to hang around with you. Im going to destroy you. This you who are you, anyway? Go away! I dont like you. (5) Aspiration. End each session of meditation practice with the wish 1. to save all sentient beings by himself, single-handedly; not forget 2-fold bodhichitta 3. to apply bodhichitta in spite of whatever chaos and obstacles may arise. Because you have experienced joy and celebration in your practice, it does not feel like a burden to you. Therefore, you aspire further and further. It is also general instruction on becoming a very pliable person, so that the rest of the world can use you as a working basis for their enjoyment of santity.

Mind Training Slogan #19 All Dharma Agrees at OnePoint

All dharma teachings point to moving beyond ego, exchanging self-aggrandizement for impersonal enlightenment. The Hinayana path depends on openness, we tame the ego through the application of mindfulness which cuts through sloppiness and wandering mind. It undermines the mechanism of subconscious gossip and discursive thinkingby which the ego maintains itself by Our awareness expands the whole environment making us less claustrophobic and ego centered and allowing a greater connection tothe world. Since we have nothing to cling to onthe Mahayana path, the emphasis is on compassion based on emptiness no ground -we utilizewarmth and skillful means. The foundation of compassion, whichis the focus of all teachings,is non-ego, non-territoriality. The shedding of the ego is the scale that measures the practitioner. Notes from Mind Training Dharma means only teachings All teachings are basically a way to subjugating or shedding of ego No other dharma, no other teachings exist in the teachings of Buddha Giving up our personal project of ego aggrandizementandand attaining the impersonal project of enlightmentdepends on how heavy handed or open you are Hinayana version of taming the ego is to cut through sloppiness and wandering mind by the application of shamatha discipline or mindfulness.

Shamatha practice cuts through the fundamental mechanism of ego which is that ego has to maintain itself by providing lots of subconscious gossip and discursive thoughts. Awareness (Vipashyana) of the whole environment and bringing that into our discipline allows us to less ego-centered and more in contact with the world around us, so there is less reference point to me and my-ness. Mahayana, our concern more with warmth and skillfulness. We have nothing to hang on to ourselves, so we can give away each time The basis of compassion is nonterritoriality, non-ego, no ego at all. If you have that you have compassion All dharmasagrees at one point means there is no ego clinging, then all dharmas are one, all teachings are one. That is compassion Compassion develops from shunyata, or nonground, because you have nothing to hold on to, nothing to work with, no project, no personal gain, no ulterior motives. We bring left over ego onto the path of dharma by examining it and making use of it. Whatever happens in your life becomes a way of measuring your progress on the path how much have you been able to shed your ego. The shedding of the ego is the scale that measures the practitioner. The lighter the better.

Mind Training Slogan #20 Of the Two Witnesses, Hold the PrincipalOne
Whena person has an opinion about you, and you have another opinion about yourself, go with you own witness because you are the one who truly knows yourself. You are the best judge. Just witness what you are from the perspective of non-ego, simply evaluating the merit of it. Notes from Mind Training Always be true to yourself The authentic witness of yourself is yourself You know yourself so well. Therefore you are the best judge of yourself. There are alot of unsaid things happening to you all the time. The judgement of how you are progressing in your lojong practice is yours. That is not self-centered, it is self inspired from the point of view of the nonexistence of ego. You just witness what you are. You are simply witnessing and evaluating the merit, rather than going back over it in a Jungian or Freudian way.

Mind Training Slogan #21 Always Maintain Only a JoyfulMind

Despite all sorts of mishaps, continuously maintain a joyful satisfaction with your existence. Mishaps are encouragement for you to practice the dharma. The problems of others are also good; you should share in them and bring them into your practice.

Knowing that you are on the path is a wonderful thing, you are actually doing something with yourself. Most people dont know what to do with themselves. Joy fosters compassion. Cheerfulness takes a lot of guts, it is founded in buddhanature and rooted in the basic compassion of those who have gone before you. Somebody must provide some kind of harmony so that we are able to develop sanity in this world. Somebody has to plant the seed so that sanity can happen on this earth. Notes from Mind Training Continuously maintain only joyous satisfaction in spite of the problems of life Every mishap is good because it is encouragement for you to practice the dharma Other peoples mishaps are good also: you should share them and bring them into the continuity of your practice. To start with, you maintain a sense of cheerfulness because you are on the path; you are actually doing something about yourself. Working with the Dharma is fantastic. You should feel wonderful that someone even thought of such an idea. There is a basic sense of cheerfulness that allows you to wake yourself up. Joy seems to be the beginning of compassion. This kind of cheerfulness has alot of guts. It is founded in buddhanature. It is founded in the basic compassion of people who have done such a thing themselves. But if somebody doesnt begin to provide some kind of harmony, we will not be able to develop sanity in this world at all. Somebody has to plant the seed so that sanity can happen on this earth.

Mind Training Slogan #22 If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained. Mind Training Slogan #23 Always Abide by the Three BasicPrinciples
The three principles, mindfulness practice, benevolence, and crazywisdom, respectively represent the hinayana, mahayana and vajrayana traditions. The principles are also described as keeping your refuge and bodhisattva vows; refraining from outrageous action, you actin a self sacricing manner; andbeing patient with everyone. Through wisdom (prajna) you realize fully how you are always trying to become something. You may attempt to puff yourself up because you are involved with logong and tonglen. Follow the basic points of conduct discipline. Be watchful of who you are, what you are, and what you are doing. Notes from Mind Training How we practice the Buddhadharma in accord with three basic principles hinayana (mindfulness practice), mahayana (benevolence) and vajrayana (crazy wisdom) all at the same time

Principles also described as (1) keeping the refuge and bodhisattva vows, keeping them completely; (2) refraining from outrageous action, you act in a self sacricing manner. Dont become a seless exhibitionist (3) be patient with everyone not just your friends or people you are trying to cultivate Through prajna you realize how much you are trying to become something. Having do lojong you may think its time to be a hero. Watch out for that. This is one of the basic points of conduct discipline. It is connected with the paramita of prajna; because you begin to discriminate who you are, what you are and what you are doing, you are constantly watchful of all that.

Mind Training Slogan #24 Change Your Attitude, But RemainNatural

By change your attitude the slogan means changing your priorities from taking care of yourself to the care of others. There is a naturalness to this, a sense of relaxation. Instead of cherishing yourself, you cherish others. Notes from Mind Training We tend to think of ourselves rst. We want to perserve our own ground. Change your attitude and put others rst. This slogan applies to your attempts to impose your power and authority on others. You also try and get away with things such as not doing the dishes hoping somebody else will do it. Changing your attitude means reversing your attitude altogether instead of making someone else do something, you do it yourself Remain Natural means there is a sense of relaxation. Instead of cherishing yourself you cherish others then you just relax.

Mind Training Slogan #25 Dont Talk About InjuredLimbs

We often talk about other peoples defects as a way to build ourselves up through our own arrogance and aggression. The slogan says dont take delight in the psychological or physical state of another person. We need not exaggerate the defects of others by remarking about them. If a person is freaked out, dont regard it as an ugly manifestation of that person, look at it in a general sense of that persons response to reality. Notes from Mind Training Because of your arrogance and aggression, you prefer to talk about other peoples defects as a way of building yourself up. The point is dont take delight in somebody elses defects or injured limbs peoples psychological or physical state

If a person has problems dealing with his or her life, we dont have to exaggerate that by making remarks about it. If somebody is completely freaked out and exaggerating their realm of phenomena or freaked out about having an encounter with somebody, that is not regarded as an ugly manifestation of that person. It is just a general sense of his or her response to reality, which takes place all the time.

Mind Training Slogan #26 Dont PonderOthers

Dont put other people down. Notes from Mind Training Pondering Others means picking on other peoples misgivings and problems. One of the problems we have generally is that when somebody does something to us or violates our principles we keep picking on that particular things.

Mind Training Slogan #27 Work with the Greatest DelementsFirst

You do not just want to work with chicken shit, you want to work with the chicken itself. This is Trungpa Rinpoches way of saying that it is important to work with major hangups rst, those tied in with our neuroses or related major obstacles such as aggression, passion, pride or jealously. In doing this work, one should not focus on a particular result rather work directly and straightforwardly on whatever problem that comes up. Mind Training You should work with your greatest obstacle rst whether it is aggression, passion, pride, arrogance, jealously, or what have you. Working with the greatest delements means working with the highlights of your experience or your problems. You do not just want to work with chicken shit, you want to work with the chicken itself. If we have philosophical, metaphysical, poetic, artistic, or technological hangups related with our particular neurosis, we should bring them out rst, rather than last. We should not try to arrive at certain results. We simply work on any highlight or problem that comes up in our state of mind directly and straightforwardly.

Mind Training Slogan #28 Abandon Any Hope ofFruition

If you want to become happier, more joyous, famous, wise, or enlightened from your lojong practice, you are missing the point. The discipline is a means and an end in itself. Dont perpetuate samsara by attaching a personal goal to the practice. Notes from Mind Training Give up pretense to realizing any end (such as becoming more popular) from lojong training. But you want to subjugate the world in your own particular style, however subtle and sneaky that may be. Any pursuit of this lifes happiness, joy, fame, or wisdom, or the hope of attaining some state of glorious liberation in the life hereafter, could be regarded as a problem.

Mind Training Slogan #29 Abandon PoisonousFood

In our practice, poisonous food is building up your own ego or cultivating superiority over others. This slogan declares that self-aggrandizement poisons our attempts to remove obscuration and reveal our buddhanature. Notes from Mind Training Building your own ego by giving up your ego - it is called eating poisonous food. It means that whatever we do with our practice, if that practice is connected with our personal achievement, which is called spiritual materialism or becoming superior to others that is eating poisonous food. Such food may be presented to us beautifully and nicely but when we eat it stinks.

Mind Training Slogan #30 Dont be soPredictable

A persons normal reaction to having a serious conict with a person is to hold a grudge. The slogan is telling us Dont be so predictable and give up our antagonism towards the other person. Notes from Mind Training But if somebody gives you a bad deal, or if you have a lot of conict with somebody, you should not constantly hold a grudge against him. The point is to give up altogether your long memory of antagonism.

Mind Training Slogan #31 Dont MalignOthers

This slogan simply means dont put others down. Notes from Mind Training Underneath you are trying to put people down, trying to get revenge. Disparaging people is based on showing off your own virtue.

Mind Training Slogan 32 Dont Wait inAmbush

After you have had a difcult time with somebody,dont plot and scheme to kick them when they are down. Revenge is a form of aggression. Notes from Mind Training You wait for somebody to fall down so that you can attack If you are having a disagreement with somebody, you dont usually attack him right away because you dont want to be in a powerless position.

Mind Training Slogan #33 Dont Bring Things to a PainfulPoint

Dont bring things to a painful point means dont blame your own suffering on somebody else. Also dont try to impose your power on someone else. You are to encourage others along the path and walk behind them. In other words dont make following the path a race. Notes from Mind Training Dont blame you sense of dissatisfaction, pain, and misery on somebody else, and do not try to lay your power trips on others. Whatever power you have domestic power, literary power, or political power dont impose it on somebody else. An important point of the bodhisattva idea is to encourage people on their path. Instead of trying to get ahead of others on the path, you develop the other way around you come along behind others.

Mind Training Slogan #34 Dont Transfer the Oxs Load to theCow
When we have a problem, its easy to blame circumstances or other people. Dont pass the buck. We want to reduce the chaos and trafc in the samsaric world. Notes from Mind Training Easy to blame somebody else If there were no you to initiate situations, there would not be any problems at all Dont transfer a heavy load to someone weaker than you. You dont want to just pass on your problems. Dont pass the buck we are suppose to be cutting down on chaos and creating less trafc in the samsaric world.

Mind Training Slogan #35 Dont Try to be theFastest

Dont make a race of developing your understanding of the dharma or deepening your practice. It is no game. We are trying to cultivate a seed of benevolence and gentleness. Notes from Mind Training When practitioners begin to develop their understanding of the dharma sometimes they try to accumulate knowledge or practice faster than their friends They are always trying to race with other people. The whole thing has become a game rather than actual practice and there is no seed of benevolence and gentleness in the practitioner. The point

Mind Training Slogan #36 Dont Act With aTwist

This slogan pertains to a form spiritual materialism. Dont be sneaky and volunteer for the worse in hopes of receiving the best. The attitude of looking for personal benets from practice should be dropped. Notes from Mind Training The twist is that you volunteer for the worst with the expectation of getting the best

You could act towards others with a twist with the pretense of being a benevolent person. Acting with a twist is a form of spiritual materialism with its ulterior motive to work on behalf of ones ego. The practice of this slogan is to drop the attitude of looking for personal benets from practice either as an immediate or long-term result.

Mind Training Slogan #37 Dont Make Gods IntoDemons

Life is inherently joyful. One should not make the painful aspects of life bigger than they are. Notes from Mind Training Refers to our general tendency to dwell on pain and go through life with constant complaints. We should not make painful that which is inherently joyful. You are so arrogant about the whole thing [practice]that your achievement becomes an evil intention, you want to show off Your achievement may be the right kind of achievement and you have a good experience if you regard that as a way of proving yourself and building up your ego, it is not so good.

Mind Training Slogan #38 Dont Seek Others Pain As Limbs of Your OwnHappiness
This gist of this slogan is that we should not build our own happiness upon the pain of others. Dont hope that somebody else will suffer so that we can benet. Notes from Mind Training Dont hope that somebody else will suffer so that you can benet from it We should not build our own happiness on the suffering of others Happiness that is built on pain is spurious and only leads to depression in the long run.

Mind Training Slogan #39 All Activities Should Be Done With OneIntention
Our highest intention is to be gentle and helpful to others. We should act with this intention not matter what we are doing. Notes from Mind Training

The one intention is to have a sense of gentleness toward others and a willingness to be helpful to others always. That seems to be the essence of the bodhisattva vow. In whatever you do sitting, walking, eating, drinking, even sleeping you should always take the attitude of being of benet to all sentient beings.

Mind Training Slogan #40 Correct All Wrongs With OneIntention

When in difcult circumstances such as having sickness, money, or domestic problems, you should develop compassion for all sentient beings who suffer in the same way. Lojong practice is very helpful. Instead of having a negative attitude, we have to overcome an bad experience that we have. Maintain your practice even when things are bad. To correct all wrongs means to suppress all kleshas. You must deliberately, immediately, and very abruptly get rid of all kleshas.

Mind Training Slogan #41 Two Activities: One at the Beginning, One at theEnd
Begin and end each day with two fold bodhichitta. You should remember bodhichitta and not separate yourself from it and at the end of the day look back and see what you have done. Be delighted if you maintain two fold bodhichitta throughout the day. Take the same attitude the next day. And if you separated from bodhichitta, you should vow to reconnect with it the next day. When you get up in the morning, start off the day by promising yourself that you will work on twofold bodhichitta and develop a sense of gentleness towards yourself and others. Take your pain on yourself and dont blame the world or other sentient beings. Do the same thing when you go to bed. This will support your commitment.

Mind Training Slogan #42 Whichever of the Two Occurs BePatient

Whatever happens good or bad, maintain your patience and practice. The point is patience, which means taking more time and being forbearing.

You should see suffering as the result of previous karma. Therefore there is no need to feel remorseful. Instead you should simply try to purify any evil deeds and obscurations. Extreme happiness also comes from previous karma, so there is no reason to indulge it. Your sense of personal authenticity and power should be resolved into virtue.

Mind Training Slogan #43 Observe these Two, Even at the Risk of YourLife
You should maintain the general livelihood of being a decent Buddhist and the special discipline of the practice of lojong or mind training. This practice should become a very important practice in your life. You should always keep that bond, even at the risk of your life.

Mind Training Slogan #44 Train in the ThreeDifculties

The three difculties pertain to your relationship with your own kleshas. The rst difculty is to realize at what point are you tricked by your emotions or kleshas. You must look and understand that trick. The second difculty is to dispel or exorcise our emotionalism. And the third difculty is to cut the continuity of that emotionalism. In other words, in the beginning it is very hard to recognize your neuroses; then it is difcult to overcome them; and thirdly , it is very difcult to cut through them. Those are the three difculties. The antidote to when your neurosis comes up is to cut through your ego because the neurosis comes from selshness. Finally you have to have the determination not to follow the neurosis or continue to be attracted to it. There is a sense of abruptly overcoming neurosis. All together there are six categories: 1. Difcult to recognize kleshas 2. Difcult to overcome them 3. Difcult to cut through them 4. Recognize them 5. Overcome them 6. Vow not to recreate them. The idea is to indoctrinate yourself so that you cannot get away from the monolithic principle called buddha nature.

Mind Training Slogan #45 Take on the Three PrincipalCauses

Causes refers to those things that make you a good dharmic person or bodhisattva. The three are:

1. Have a good teacher 2. Apply your mind and demeanor to the dharma 3. Have housing, clothes and food so that you may practice the dharma Your teacher allows you to get in learning circumstances. The basis of the second cause is to realize that ones mind should be tamed. Ambition mind, using Buddhism to achieve a certain end, is not all that good. A better approach is to say, I would like to devote myself to the dharma completely and fully. The third cause is to create the right circumstances having food, shelter and clothes so that you may be able to practice the dharma. You should take on and practice the three causes.

Mind Training Slogan #46 Pay Heed that the Three NeverWane
In order that our attitude is one of having basic strength and basic energy, there are three things we should not let wane. 1. 2. 3. Devotion to your spiritual friend with an attitude of admiration, dedication, and gratefulness Delight and appreciation towards lojong, training the mind Practice of the hinayana and mahayana disciplines your conduct

Mind Training Slogan #47 Keep the ThreeInseparable

Your practice of lojong should be wholehearted and complete. In body, speech, and mind, you should be inseparable from lojong.

Mind Training Slogan # 49 Always Meditate on Whatever ProvokesResentment

Always meditate on that which is most difcult. If you do not start right away, the moment of difculty arises, it is very hard to overcome it.

Mind Training Slogan # 48 Train Without Bias in All Areas. It is Crucial Always to Do this Pervasively andWholeheartedly
The practice of lojong includes everyone and everything. It is important to be thorough and impartial in your practice, excluding nothing at all that comes up in your experience.

Mind Training Slogan #50 Dont Be Swayed by EternalCircumstances.

Although your external circumstances may vary, your practice should not be dependent on that. Whether you are sick or well, rich or poor, have a good reputation or bad reputation, you should practice lojong. It is very simple if you situation is right, breathe that out; if your situation is wrong, breathe that in.

Mind Training Slogan #51 This Time, Practice the MainPoints

This time refers to this lifetime. The teaching is threefold: 1. 2. 3. The benet of others is more important than yourself, Practicing the teachings of the guru is more important than analytical study Practicing bodhichitta is more important than any other practice

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Lojong
en.wikipedia.org Lojong (Tib. !"$%,Wylie: blo sbyong) is a mind training practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on a set of aphorisms formulated in Tibet in the 12th century by Geshe Chekhawa. The practice involves rening and purifying ones motivations and attitudes. The fty-nine or so slogans that form the root text of the mind training practice are designed as a set of antidotes to undesired mental habits that cause suffering. They contain both methods to expand ones viewpoint towards absolute bodhicitta, such as Find the consciousness you had before you were born and Treat everything you perceive as a dream, and methods for relating to the world in a more constructive way with relative bodhicitta, such as Be grateful to everyone and When everything goes wrong, treat disaster as a way to wake up. Prominent teachers who have popularized this practice in the West include Pema Chodron,Ken McLeod, Alan Wallace, Chogyam Trungpa, Sogyal Rinpoche, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and the 14th Dalai Lama.

History of the practice

Lojong mind training practice was developed over a 300-year period between 900 and 1200CE, as part of the Mahyna school of Buddhism. Atia (9821054 CE), a Bengali meditation master, is generally regarded as the originator of the practice. It is described in his book Lamp on the Path to Enlightenment (Bodhipathapradpa). The practice is based upon his studies with the Sumatran teacher, Dharmarakita, author of a text called the Wheel of Sharp Weapons. Both these texts are well known in Tibetan translation. Atia journeyed to Sumatra and studied with Dharmarakita for twelve years. He then returned to teach in India, but at an advanced age accepted an invitation to teach in Tibet, where he stayed for the rest of his life. A story is told that Atia heard that the inhabitants of Tibet were very pleasant and easy to get along with. Instead of being delighted, he was concerned that he would not have enough negative emotion to work with in his mind training practice. So he brought along his ill-tempered Bengali servantboy, who would criticize him incessantly and was challenging to spend time with. Tibetan teachers then like to joke that when Atia arrived in Tibet, he realized there was no need after all. The aphorisms on mind training in their present form were composed by Chekawa Yeshe Dorje (11011175 CE). According to one account, Chekhawa saw a text on his cell-mates bed, open to the phrase: Gain and victory to others, loss and defeat to oneself. The phrase struck him and he sought out the author Langri Tangpa (10541123). Finding that Langri Tangpa had died, he studied instead with one of Langri Tangpas students, Sharawa, for twelve years. Geshe Chekhawa is claimed to have cured leprosy with mind training. In one account, he went to live with a colony of lepers and did the practice with them. Over time many of them were healed, more lepers came, and eventually people without leprosy also took an interest in the practice. Another popular story about Geshe Chekhawa and mind training concerns his brother and how it transformed him into a much kinder person.

The Root Text

The original Lojong practice consists of 59 slogans, or aphorisms. These slogans are further organized into seven groupings, called the 7 Points of Lojong. The categorized slogans are listed below, translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee under the direction of Chgyam Trungpa Rinpoche. It is emphasized that the following is translated from ancient Sanskrit and Tibetan texts, and therefore may vary slightly from other translations. Some slogans may feel esoteric or difcult to comprehend. Many contemporary gurus and experts have written extensive commentaries elucidating the Lojong text and slogans. Some of these works can be found under the Notes section of this article. Point One: The preliminaries, which are the basis for dharma practice Slogan 1. First, train in the preliminaries; The four reminders. or alternatively called the Four Thoughts 1. Maintain an awareness of the preciousness of human life. 2. Be aware of the reality that life ends; death comes for everyone; Impermanence. 3. Recall that whatever you do, whether virtuous or not, has a result; Karma. 4. Contemplate that as long as you are too focused on self-importance and too caught up in thinking about how you are good or bad, you will experience suffering. Obsessing about getting what you want and avoiding what you dont want does not result in happiness; Ego. Point Two: The main practice, which is training in bodhicitta. Absolute Bodhicitta Slogan 2. Regard all dharmas as dreams; although experiences may seem solid, they are passing memories. Slogan 3. Examine the nature of unborn awareness. Slogan 4. Self-liberate even the antidote. Slogan 5. Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence, the present moment. Slogan 6. In postmeditation, be a child of illusion. Relative Bodhicitta Slogan 7. Sending and taking should be practiced alternately. These two should ride the breath (aka. Practice Tonglen). Slogan 8. Three objects, three poisons, three roots of virtue The 3 objects are friends, enemies and neutrals. The 3 poisons are craving, aversion and indifference. The 3 roots of virtue are the remedies. Slogan 9. In all activities, train with slogans. Slogan 10. Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself. Point Three: Transformation of Bad Circumstances into the Way of Enlightenment Slogan 11. When the world is lled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi. Slogan 12. Drive all blames into one. Slogan 13. Be grateful to everyone. Slogan 14. Seeing confusion as the four kayas is unsurpassable shunyata protection. The kayas are Dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, nirmanakaya, svabhavikakaya. Thoughts have no birthplace, thoughts are unceasing, thoughts are not solid, and these three characteristics are interconnected. Shunyata can be described as complete openness. Slogan 15. Four practices are the best of methods. The four practices are: accumulating merit, laying down evil deeds, offering to the dons, and offering to the dharmapalas. Slogan 16. Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation. Point Four: Showing the Utilization of Practice in Ones Whole Life Slogan 17. Practice the ve strengths, the condensed heart instructions.

The 5 strengths are: strong determination, familiarization, the positive seed, reproach, and aspiration. Slogan 18. The mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death is the ve strengths: how you conduct yourself is important. When you are dying practice the 5 strengths. Point Five: Evaluation of Mind Training Slogan 19. All dharma agrees at one point All Buddhist teachings are about lessening the ego, lessening ones self-absorption. Slogan 20. Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one You know yourself better than anyone else knows you Slogan 21. Always maintain only a joyful mind. Slogan 22. If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained. Point Six: Disciplines of Mind Training Slogan 23. Always abide by the three basic principles Dedication to your practice, refraining from outrageous conduct, developing patience. Slogan 24. Change your attitude, but remain natural. Reduce ego clinging, but be yourself. Slogan 25. Dont talk about injured limbs Dont take pleasure contemplating others defects. Slogan 26. Dont ponder others Dont take pleasure contemplating others weaknesses. Slogan 27. Work with the greatest delements rst Work with your greatest obstacles rst. Slogan 28. Abandon any hope of fruition Dont get caught up in how you will be in the future, stay in the present moment. Slogan 29. Abandon poisonous food. Slogan 30. Dont be so predictable Dont hold grudges. Slogan 31. Dont malign others. Slogan 32. Dont wait in ambush Dont wait for others weaknesses to show to attack them. Slogan 33. Dont bring things to a painful point Dont humiliate others. Slogan 34. Dont transfer the oxs load to the cow Take responsibility for yourself. Slogan 35. Dont try to be the fastest Dont compete with others. Slogan 36. Dont act with a twist Do good deeds without scheming about beneting yourself. Slogan 37. Dont turn gods into demons Dont use these slogans or your spirituality to increase your self-absorption Slogan 38. Dont seek others pain as the limbs of your own happiness. Point Seven: Guidelines of Mind Training Slogan 39. All activities should be done with one intention. Slogan 40. Correct all wrongs with one intention. Slogan 41. Two activities: one at the beginning, one at the end. Slogan 42. Whichever of the two occurs, be patient. Slogan 43. Observe these two, even at the risk of your life. Slogan 44. Train in the three difculties. Slogan 45. Take on the three principal causes: the teacher, the dharma, the sangha. Slogan 46. Pay heed that the three never wane: gratitude towards ones teacher, appreciation of the dharma (teachings) and correct conduct. Slogan 47. Keep the three inseparable: body, speech, and mind. Slogan 48. Train without bias in all areas. It is crucial always to do this pervasively and wholeheartedly. Slogan 49. Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment. Slogan 50. Dont be swayed by external circumstances. Slogan 51. This time, practice the main points: others before self, dharma, and awakening compassion.

Slogan 52. Dont misinterpret. The six things that may be misinterpreted are patience, yearning, excitement, compassion, priorities and joy. Youre patient when youre getting your way, but not when its difcult. You yearn for worldly things, instead of an open heart and mind. You get excited about wealth and entertainment, instead of your potential for enlightenment. You have compassion for those you like, but none for those you dont. Worldly gain is your priority rather than cultivating loving-kindness and compassion. You feel joy when you enemies suffer, and do not rejoice in others good fortune. Slogan 53. Dont vacillate (in your practice of LoJong). Slogan 54. Train wholeheartedly. Slogan 55. Liberate yourself by examining and analyzing: Know your own mind with honesty and fearlessness. Slogan 56. Dont wallow in self-pity. Slogan 57. Dont be jealous. Slogan 58. Dont be frivolous. Slogan 59. Dont expect applause.

One seminal commentary on the mind training practice was written by Jamgon Kongtrul (one of the main founders of the non-sectarian Rime movement of Tibetan Buddhism) in the 19th century. This commentary was translated by Ken McLeod, initially as A Direct Path to Enlightenment. This translation served as the root text for Oshos Book of Wisdom. Later, after some consultation with Chogyam Trungpa, Ken McLeod retranslated the work as The Great Path of Awakening. Two signicant commentaries to the root texts of mind training have been written by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (founder of the New Kadampa Tradition) and form the basis of study programs at NKT Buddhist Centers throughout the world. The rst, Universal Compassion is a commentary to the root text Training the Mind in Seven Points by Geshe Chekhawa. The second, Eight Steps to Happiness is a commentary to the root text, Eight Verses of Training the Mind by Geshe Langri Tangpa. In 2006, Wisdom Publications published the work Mind Training: The Great Collection (Theg-pa chen-po blo-sbyong rgya-rtsa), translated by Thupten Jinpa. This is a translation of a traditional Tibetan compilation, dating from the fteenth century, which contains altogether forty-three texts related to the practice of mind training. Among these texts are several different versions of the root verses, along with important early commentaries by Se Chilbu, Sangye Gompa, Konchok Gyaltsen, and others.

References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Pema Chdrn (2007), Always Maintain a Joyful Mind. (Boston: Shambhala) ISBN 978-1-59030-460-0. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Transforming the Mind: Eight Verses on Generating Compassion and Transforming your Life, Thorsons (2000) ISBN 0-7225-3865-0 PB Joyful Path of Good Fortune: The Complete Buddhist Path to Enlightenment, pages 6-14, Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1995) ISBN 978-0-948006-46-3 Langri Tangpas Eight Verses for Training the Mind http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Sharawa Sharawa link for info Universal Compassion: Inspiring Solutions for Difcult Times, pages 5-6, Tharpa Publications (4th. ed., 2002) ISBN 978-0-948006-72-2 [1] [2] four reminders on Shambala Sun

9. http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Four_thoughts Four Thoughts on Rigpa Wiki 10. Chodron, Pema (2007). Always Maintain a Joyful Mind. Boston & London: Shambhala. ISBN9781590304600. http://www.shambhala.com. 11. Kongtrul, Jamgon, A Direct Path to Enlightenment (trans. Ken McLeod) (out of print) 12. Kongtrul, Jamgon, The Great Path of Awakening (Trans. Ken McLeod) 13. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Universal Compassion: Inspiring Solutions for Difcult Times, Tharpa Publications (4th. ed., 2002) ISBN 978-0-948006-72-2 14. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness, Tharpa Publications (2000) ISBN 978-0-9817277-8-3

Notes
Pema Chodron, Start Where You Are Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness Geshe Rabten and Geshe Dhargyey, Advice from a Spiritual Friend Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Enlightened Courage Geshe Thupten Jinpa Mind Training: The Great Collection; Essential Mind Training (Translation by Geshe Thupten Jinpa) Wisdom Publications 2011 Shamar Rinpoche, The Path to Awakening (A Commentary on Ja Chekawa Yeshe Dorjes Seven Points of Mind Training Lojong, Developing the Good Heart: Level 3 of The Steps to Buddhahood (Lam Rim) by The Asian Classics Institute Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Universal Compassion: Inspiring Solutions for Difcult Times (commentary on Training the Mind in Seven Points by Geshe Chekawa) Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness, Tharpa Publications (2000) ISBN 978-0-9817277-8-3 (commentary on Eight Verses of Training the Mind by Geshe Langri Tangpa)

External links
Lojong Texts from Lotsawa House Lojong and Tonglen Community Site H.H. Shamar Rinpoche: The Seven Points of Mind Training of Atisha The Heart Practice of Tonglen Kadampa Buddhism and Training the Mind Mind Training in Seven Points: Root Text by Ken McLeod View page ratings Rate this page Rate this page Page ratings Whats this? Current average ratings. Trustworthy Objective Complete Well-written I am highly knowledgeable about this topic (optional) I have a relevant college/university degree It is part of my profession It is a deep personal passion The source of my knowledge is not listed here I would like to help improve Wikipedia, send me an e-mail (optional)

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