33. Change your attitude, but remain natural.

My conditioned attitude could be described as the “me plan.” I habitually grasp for what I love, push away what I dislike and ignore the rest. This slogan invites me to change this: to open to things as they are and make friends with myself and others. One part of this change is to get off the “me plan” by exchanging myself for others. By simply breathing in the undesirable and breathing out the desirable, I learn to cherish others and then relax.

The slogan’s instruction to “remain natural” refers to the frame of mind around this change of attitude. It is encouragement to approach the change as a process of becoming, rather than as a goal to accomplish. I find it helpful to come back to the analogy of the projector from Slogans 5 and 6 regarding absolute bodhicitta. My temptation might be to step into the storyline, to enter the projection on the screen, to jump onstage and grab the mic. However, when I settle down into my seat, stay in the audience, grab the popcorn and just enjoy the show, I am much more likely to remain natural as the change of attitude unfolds.