“What Do You Want To Be”

"What Do You Want To Be".

Mind Training Slogan #51 This Time, Practice the Main Points

“This” time refers to this lifetime. The teaching is threefold:

1. The benefit of others is more important than yourself,
2. Practicing the teachings of the guru is more important than analytical study
3. Practicing bodhichitta is more important than any other practice

Mind Training Slogan #50 Don’t Be Swayed by Eternal Circumstances.

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 # 48 Train Without Bias in All Areas. It is Crucial Always to Do this Pervasively and Wholeheartedly

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 # 49 Always Meditate on Whatever Provokes Resentment

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

Mind Training Slogan #47 Keep the Three Inseparable

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

Mind Training Slogan #46 Pay Heed that the Three Never Wane

In order that our attitude is one of having basic strength and basic energy, there are three things we should not let wane.

1. Devotion to your spiritual friend with an attitude of admiration, dedication, and gratefulness
2. Delight and appreciation towards lojong, training the mind
3. Practice of the hinayana and mahayana disciplines – your conduct

Mind Training Slogan #44 Train in the Three Difficulties

The three difficulties pertain to your relationship with your own kleshas.

The first difficulty is to realize at what point are you tricked by your emotions or kleshas. You must look and understand that trick.  The second difficulty is to dispel or exorcise our emotionalism.  And the third difficulty 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 difficult to overcome them; and thirdly , it is very difficult to cut through them. Those are the three difficulties.

The antidote to when your neurosis comes up is to cut through your ego because the neurosis comes from selfishness. 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. Difficult to recognize kleshas
2. Difficult to overcome them
3. Difficult 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 #43 Observe these Two, Even at the Risk of Your Life

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.