Slogan Fifty-two

Don’t misinterpret.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

            The ego likes to make sure all its efforts are self-serving, so it’s no surprise that we would misinterpret teachings to suit our own personal agenda. We seize a spiritual quality and apply it to an inappropriate object or circumstance.  This way we remain cozily tucked into our complacency and don’t have to worry about changing ourselves. For instance, we might explain our silence as patience and tolerance when actually we just want to avoid confrontation of any kind. Instead of being enthusiastic about our spiritual practice, we save our excitement for a winning bid on Ebay. In doling out compassion, we decide who is deserving of it and who is not. We manage to make fun a priority, but fail to schedule time to meditate. And though we experience joy, it is often based on a rival’s mistakes and misfortunes. These desirable qualities are meant to transform us, not give us an excuse to remain the same.

Photo: Not one flower but a cluster; a composite flower (zinnia) composed of small ray and disk flowers.

            I tend to overuse commas, colons, semicolons and dashes. When I have time, I try to double-check my punctuation by looking online for correct usage. Yesterday I was doing this when I came across some sites that showed what a difference a simple comma or colon can make in the meaning of a sentence. For instance:

A woman without her man is nothing.

or

A woman: without her, man is nothing.

And another:

I woke up in bed with my spouse, a chef, and a culinary arts instructor.

or

I woke up in bed with my spouse, a chef and a culinary arts instructor.

Now if you’re a man, you might prefer the first sentence; a woman might prefer the second. And if you are a monogamist, I imagine the fourth sentence would be favored over the third. The simple slogan of “don’t misinterpret” is a warning that my ego will translate meanings in a way that would favor me over another. As an example, the slogan “don’t transfer the ox’s load to the cow” could be interpreted as if I am the one being taken advantage of instead of the other way around. This device of the ego will only hinder my progress. Spiritual punctuation can bring me clarity and awareness, but only when I use it correctly.