Don't misinterpret.

Scarlet kingsnake photo by Glenn Bartolotti

The scarlet kingsnake, a nonvenomous native of the southeastern and eastern U.S., has a color pattern that mimics the much-feared coral snake. To tell the harmless snake from its poisonous look-alike, a helpful rhyme was created: “Red on black, scratch its back; red on yellow, kill a fellow.” The slogan “Don’t misinterpret” is a warning not to mistake the qualities that support our practice – such as patience, compassion and kindness – for their self-serving impersonators. When our mind is clouded by desires and fears, we may create distorted versions of these spiritual principles to fit them around our personal preferences. Rather than using challenges to train, we twist the teachings we’ve learned in an effort to become comfortable or remain complacent. Yet the dharma encourages us to be in touch with reality instead of purposefully ignoring it. We can pay attention to certain ‘markings’ of the mind (frustration, self-importance or impatience) to discover our misinterpretation. Then we can drop our agenda, open our heart and train with what life offers us.

When your spiritual practice is making you unhappy, when you feel grim or miserable about it, or on the other hand, when you are feeling happy about your practice and therefore quite arrogant and disapproving of others who are not as peaceful and holy as you imagine you are – when this is your situation, it is a sure sign that you are misinterpreting. ~ Norman Fischer

For more information about the fifty-second slogan, go here.