Train in the three
difficulties.
From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:
Imagine going to meet some companions for dinner and deciding to take a short-cut through a dark alley. Focused solely on not being late, we neglect to notice a shadowy figure behind us. Suddenly a bag is thrown over our head, and though we struggle and yell, we can’t free ourselves. Once our wallet has been taken, we are left bruised and shaken on the ground. Yet the very next weekend, we take the same short-cut. This scenario is much like dealing with our kleshas – the onset of intense feelings and thoughts caused by aversion or desire. First we get blindsided by our emotions, then confused about how to handle them. Even after things settle down, we continue to wind up in the same place over and over. How can we work with these three difficulties? When we are mugged by a klesha, we can use it as a chance to wake up and identify it as the neurosis it is. Instead of choosing a habitual reaction, we can do something different. Finally, we can continue to train using these practices instead of allowing our emotions to control us.
Imagine going to meet some companions for dinner and deciding to take a short-cut through a dark alley. Focused solely on not being late, we neglect to notice a shadowy figure behind us. Suddenly a bag is thrown over our head, and though we struggle and yell, we can’t free ourselves. Once our wallet has been taken, we are left bruised and shaken on the ground. Yet the very next weekend, we take the same short-cut. This scenario is much like dealing with our kleshas – the onset of intense feelings and thoughts caused by aversion or desire. First we get blindsided by our emotions, then confused about how to handle them. Even after things settle down, we continue to wind up in the same place over and over. How can we work with these three difficulties? When we are mugged by a klesha, we can use it as a chance to wake up and identify it as the neurosis it is. Instead of choosing a habitual reaction, we can do something different. Finally, we can continue to train using these practices instead of allowing our emotions to control us.
Photo: Three ant lion (Myrmeleon sp.)
sand traps.
Do you remember the classic “snake in a can” gag? A tin
labeled as salted, mixed nuts held a fabric-covered spring inside. When the lid
was lifted, the “snake” would pop out, startling the unsuspecting person who
opened the can. But once a person was aware of the joke, he couldn’t be fooled
again. Unfortunately, we’re not so cognizant of our emotional states. The three
difficulties spoken of in the forty-fourth slogan refers to the stages we go
through as these intense states arise quickly, catch us off-guard, and continue
to happen again and again. Training with them involves:
- · Seeing them as an affliction that causes our suffering.
- · Altering our response (stop fueling the emotions with our thoughts).
- · Committing to continue this change (refuse to bite any “baited hooks”).
There’s no need to open that
nut can when you already know what’s inside.
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