13. Don’t wallow in self-pity; don’t be jealous; don’t be frivolous. These three slogans all point to the same thing. Whatever I do, whether it’s wallowing in self-pity, being overwhelmed with jealousy or frivolously wasting my time, once I begin to see what I’m doing and recognize that it’s an habitual pattern, then I am …
17. Don’t be so predictable (don’t be so trustworthy). What could be more predictable than acting according to our own conditioning and habitual patterns? This slogan gets to the heart of our addiction to egoic drama, grasping at what we want and trying to escape what we dislike. As with all of these reminders, I …
30. When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of Bodhi. In this slogan, we can think of “evil” as “the effects of ego clinging.” We are invited to recognize all suffering as the result of clinging to a sense of solid, separate self. These things that happen to us …
31. Seeing confusion as the four Kayas is unsurpassable shunyata protection. In this very traditional slogan, the four Kayas (bodies) are: I think the essence of this slogan is the invitation to recognize that everything we experience – including confusion – arises spontaneously and without seeming origin. Yet there is a kind of clarity and …
14. Don’t ponder others; Don’t talk about injured limbs; Don’t malign others. This trio of “naked truth” slogans baldly states how we so often spend our time thinking about and talking about other people and their shortcomings. When I constantly think and gossip about what I see others doing that I don’t like, or compare …
15. Don’t wait in ambush; don’t bring things to a painful point; don’t try to be the fastest. Here’s another triptych of pointers to our habitual way of relating with others: we wait until the time is right to attack, keep going in a conflict until it hurts and always compete and try to outdo …
16. Don’t make gods into demons; abandon poisonous food; don’t act with a twist. These slogans all describe the common situation of turning something beneficial, such as gods and food, into something harmful, such as demons and poison. Even if I am firmly on the path and practicing regularly, I can still turn the path …
26. Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment. Similar to the slogan, “Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation,” this one is a reminder that I can view anger, resentment, frustration, hatred and other unpleasant emotional reactions as openings to a direct experience of the present moment. I can welcome these emotions as reminders rather than …
27. Don’t be swayed by external circumstances; don’t vacillate. These two slogans go together to remind us that the direct experience of our world starts in the sense perceptions and the mind. It’s the stories we tell ourselves about the direct experience that paint the world in different shades of “like” and “don’t like.” This …
28. Don’t misinterpret. This slogan invites differentiating between the genuine and idiot forms of compassion, patience and generosity. The idiot forms of each quality are based in fear and create ground and separation. They are what I do when I am scared to let others know I don’t know what to do. The genuine forms, …