Slogan Sixteen

Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.

From the Lojong for Laypersons booklet:

            There are times when life surprises us to the point where our minds are shocked into stillness. These moments may be a pleasant surprise (a friend declares his or her love) or an unpleasant one (a boss delivers a pink slip). Either way, we can rest in that pause - the nature of alaya - an unbiased expanse of the mind. Of course the pause won’t last forever, and our thoughts will start churning out at a furious pace. Instead of responding in our habitual way, we can respond with openness and courage through awareness. Whether it is positive or negative, we can practice tonglen. No matter what we meet unexpectedly, we can use it to cultivate compassion and reconnect to the spaciousness of our minds.

Photo: Green treefrog hiding during the day in a storage shed.

            When I first learned to drive, I would often catch myself on autopilot as I drove along boring stretches of road. Late one afternoon, as I was driving down a curvy, rural road in such a mindless way, I ran off the pavement and onto the shoulder. I quickly over-corrected and found myself rolling down the road on two wheels instead of four. Thankfully I landed on all four wheels without a crash, but that incident impressed upon me the need to pause before I react. Years later when it happened again, I was able to let the car slow down before I pulled back onto the road. The sixteenth slogan could easily be called “Pause for the cause.” When I have an adrenaline rush, I can hesitate before I respond. That small space of sanity can help keep my reaction from being based on pure emotion. Pause, open then proceed.