Don't expect applause.

Photo from Living with Wolves

          For social animals like wolves, communication among the group is vital in reinforcing bonds, maintaining stability and coordinating action. Body language - posture, facial expression, ear and tail position - are one way these animals express their intent and expectation non-verbally. Vocalizations may include barks, yips, whines, growls and whimpers; each sound is effective in sending important information and keeping the community united. Since smell is one of the wolf's most acute senses, scat and urine are used as identification and boundary markers. Humans too rely on communication; even one-year-olds can recognize facial expressions of approval or disapproval. This pressing need to earn the good opinion and applause from others often follows us into adulthood, usually to our disadvantage. As we train and practice on our spiritual path, we may look to others for positive feedback. Yet this compulsion is nearly always a distraction and rarely an aid. The Buddha reminded his followers that they were capable of perceiving for themselves whether a teaching was beneficial and true by simply putting it into practice. Our own experience will provide all the feedback we need.

What further reward is there beyond finding that our actions are gratifying, meaningful, and purposeful in themselves? ~ Traleg Kyabgon

For more information on the fifty-ninth slogan, go here.

Don't be frivolous.

Killdeer feigning broken wing - Photo by Earl McGehee

          Scientists have identified two ways the brain processes external information it receives: willful focus (like watching a traffic light) and automatic focus (such as seeing something unusual or hearing a loud noise). Several types of birds have become adept at using a predator's automatic focus as a distraction method. Birds that nest on the ground will walk away from their eggs while pretending to have a broken wing. Other birds will fly off from their nest and act as if their flight is impeded by injury. These displays are intended to divert the predator's focus away from the original target. The fifty-eighth slogan cautions us not to be frivolous (having no purpose or value) with our attention or energy. This instruction is not meant to keep us from having fun (which is worthwhile) but to be aware of how we try to distract ourselves from reality. We may enjoy our comfort so much, that we'll try hard not to attend to any insights that might unravel it. Yet when we work to push away clarity, we waste energy and compound our pain. To be awake requires that we embrace the truth with gentleness, rather than distract ourselves from it.

Do a little census of what you think about and how you spend your time. How do you distinguish between what is frivolous and what is worthwhile? ~ Judy Lief

For more information on the fifty-eighth slogan, go here. 

Don't be jealous.

Adelie penguins - photo by George Pellissier

          Adelie penguins breed and raise their young in Antarctica. To protect their eggs from the run-off when ice melts, their elevated nests are built from stones. Males with the best-looking nests are more likely to attract a mate, but unfortunately, they share space with a half million other Adelies. Good stones are highly prized and sought after, and because the nests are so close, the rocks in one penguin's nest are sometimes stolen by another. It may seem odd to compare thievery with envy, but isn't that what it is about - an attempt to steal someone's joy about their good fortune by our negative attitude or corrosive words? "Don't be jealous" is an encouragement to notice that hollow, grasping feeling when it arises within us, not to shame ourselves, but to wake us up. We can remember how good it feels to have someone genuinely share our happiness, the gift of doubling our joy. Where jealousy is accompanied by strong resentment, we can try a twist on loving-kindness (metta or maitri) meditation. We send out kind wishes for each person (beginning with those we feel benevolent toward and moving on to difficult people): "May your joy never decrease; may your good fortune continue." 

The practice of developing happiness for others confronts the patterns that bind us to these painful states and helps us loosen their grip. It opens the door to realizing that the happiness of others doesn't take anything away from us but can instead be our own happiness. ~ Sharon Salzberg

For more information on the fifty-seventh slogan, go here.

Don't wallow in self-pity.

Pill bugs photo by Edward S. Ross

          The pill bug, fondly known as the roly poly by children, is the only crustacean that can spend its entire life on land. These bugs live in damp, dark places and come out at night to feed on decaying plant matter (thus playing an important role in the decomposition process). Yet the characteristic most people associate with pill bugs is their ability to completely roll themselves into a ball when disturbed. The type of self-pity described in the fifty-sixth slogan has the same effect on us. We become completely self-absorbed, curling around our pain and misfortune as if protecting it. It becomes our only focus; we willingly give away our power of choice and remain stuck in our suffering. Our constriction keeps us from realizing we are not unique; no matter how 'good' people are, bad things will happen to everyone. This is simply part of being a physical being in an impermanent world. Rather than self-pity, we can choose compassion for ourselves and others which opens our heart and gives us a wider perspective. Such a response will help us unfurl from our tightness and understand that we are not alone. 

Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity. ~ Pema Chodron

For more information on the fifty-sixth slogan, go here.