Don’t talk about injured limbs.

Photo by Marlon du Toit

          Animal behavior expert Aubrey Manning relayed an occurrence witnessed by the warden of a wildlife park in South Africa. His story is a tender and touching example of animal empathy and altruism:

One particular evening, he was watching a group of elephants drinking at a waterhole when one unusual-looking elephant pushed to the front. It had almost no trunk at all, clearly having lost most of it in a fight or accident, or possibly through infection. Such a disfigured elephant should have died very quickly, but instead the game warden watched in genuine amazement as several elephants - one after the other - used their own healthy trunks to suck up water and then squirted that water into the mouth of the elephant who couldn't drink for herself.

Unlike the elephants, most humans tend to be less helpful when someone's shortcomings or failings are exposed. We gossip, making cutting or condescending remarks, hoping to bolster our self-esteem or erase a pain for which we hold the other accountable. Yet we get no lasting satisfaction from our belittling statements, and we create more suffering for ourselves. As B. Alan Wallace explains, "The more passion one has about the faults of others, the more agitated the mind becomes." Lojong training can help us explore such tendencies, showing us the illusions our habitual patterns often hide behind.

Taking responsibility for your own actions is another way of talking about awakening bodhichitta, because part of taking responsibility is the quality of being able to see things very clearly. ~ Pema Chodron

For more information on the twenty-fifth slogan, go here.