Lojong Cards and Booklet

Lojong Cards and Booklet
This self-published deck and booklet are the intellectual property of Beverly King. Please do not copy or reproduce any photos or blog posts without permission.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one.


          The temperatures are sizzling here, and the markets are busy selling a fruit perfect for this kind of heat - watermelon. Most people have difficulty in determining whether an uncut melon is ripe before buying it. And since watermelons don't ripen once picked, some tips for choosing a sweet, fully developed one can be helpful:
  • It should have a deep, hollow sound ("thunk") when slapped.
  • The field spot (where it lay on the ground) should be yellowish, not white.
  • It should be relatively heavy (watermelons are 90% water).
  • The luster of the rind should be matte rather than shiny.
Of course there's no sure-fire way to judge the inside of a watermelon by its outside, which is precisely this slogan's point about people. The only person continually with us since birth is ourselves. While other people may have helpful observations, we are the best authority of our spiritual progress. Only we can truly tell if we're working with reality or running from it. Our practice can be evaluated by asking ourselves a few candid questions. Is my practice helping me know myself better - my thoughts, emotions and habitual reactions? Do I recognize my methods for deflecting insecurity (that only escalate my suffering)? Am I kind to myself and others? This assessment is not meant to produce self-satisfaction or self-denigration. Rather it acknowledges that we can be a trustworthy judge in seeing where we're stuck and where we're making headway.

You have never been away from yourself for even a minute. You know yourself so well. Therefore, you are the best judge of yourself.  ~  Chogyam Trungpa

For more information on the twentieth slogan, go here.

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