Slogan Five

Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

            Certain Buddhist traditions describe eight types of consciousness. The first five are connected to the senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch) and the sixth is mental awareness (reflexive perception). Egoistic awareness is formed by our memories and experiences and becomes the repository that shapes our identity. The last type is alaya, pure awareness untainted by life experiences, judgments or preconceptions. This unbiased expanse of the mind is a place of refuge, a place that can prepare the ground for compassionate action. When we rest in this openness, we notice what is there but don’t cling to it – we gently let it go.

Photo: Hawk feather in Mondo grass.

            I was reading a book last night before bed, and one of the story’s characters had gotten his fingers caught in a Chinese handcuffs toy. This cylinder of woven bamboo allows for a finger to be placed in each end. The action of pulling the fingers back out makes the shape lengthen and shrink in diameter. The harder a person struggles to get loose, the tighter the toy squeezes. The not-so-obvious solution for releasing trapped fingers is to relax. We may struggle in the same manner with our thoughts. To borrow a line from Otis Redding, we don’t often sit on the dock of the bay and watch our thoughts roll away. We’re way too busy struggling; we throw rocks at the boats we don’t want tied at our dock or swim out to the boats we want to secure. But if we take Redding’s advice and observe our thoughts and emotions without judgment, without pulling or pushing, we’ll find a peaceful place to rest.

Slogan Four

Self-liberate even the antidote.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

            As we contemplate the last two slogans, we may believe we are beginning to figure things out. Our insight into emptiness – a mistaken view of a solid, stable sense of the world and ourselves – can become our answer and remedy for everything. But the fourth slogan cautions us not to turn our discoveries into a dogma; we should hold the slogans in an open palm not a closed fist. Otherwise we’ll attempt to use every insight to construct a solid conclusion, thus continuing our deception that we have something secure to which to cling. It also advises us to avoid replacing the experience of emptiness with a conceptual idea of emptiness. Pema Chodron clarifies, “We have to pull the rug from under our belief systems altogether. We can do that by letting go of our belief, and also our sense of right and wrong, by just going back to the simplicity and the immediacy of our present experience…”

Photo: Blue sky above cumulus clouds.

       I remember as a young adult learning about the patriarchal society, a community in which males hold positions of power in government, religion, the workplace and the family. “Aha,” I thought, “the oppression and inequality of women are why our society today is such a mess!” For several years, I painted every evil and every wrong in the world with this wide brush. I felt empowered by this information because I believed I had the answer for everything. Living in my head kept me smug and snug in my intellectual easy chair. Yet as I grew older, I began to notice all of my experiences didn’t perfectly align with my dogma. Yes, there were injustices against women, but not all of the men I encountered held such repressive beliefs. I began to see that a lack of communication, ignorance and fear were just as likely to cause such wrongs in society. My “absolute answer” that gave me a feeling of control and security was not so sturdy after all. The antidote of concepts is not a cure-all.

Slogan Three

Examine the nature of unborn awareness.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

                The third slogan looks within at the transparency of our identity. Though it appears connected to the brain, our awareness is not identical to it. Since we tend to view our mind as the place where identity resides, quietly observe (but don’t analyze) the thinking process. Pursue awareness to a deep level. Notice how perceptions of self are tied to things. The mind depends on the object perceived and the senses that perceive it – it coexists with everything. If these “things” are taken away, is there a perceiver separate from what is perceived? Is there a concrete “you” inside? We may discover our identities are only created by the thoughts we churn out. Yet beyond the ideas of “me” and “other,” we find a peaceful spaciousness.

Photo: Moon snail shell (“shark eye”) nestled among white clover.

       Our minds are constantly bombarded by stimuli - a knee scraped, soothing music, a stack of bills to be paid, the aroma of cinnamon rolls baking. The mind compares this information to our memory files of past information then creates emotion and thought that motivates us to act. This is "born" awareness, generated by things outside us. But there is another type of awareness that observes without judging or labeling; it does not separate everything into categories but sees all as a whole. How do you find it? Watch your mind and how it works. At first it may seem like an endless loop of thoughts and sensations, but be patient and keep watching. Eventually the unbiased observer will appear.

Slogan Two

Regard all experiences as dreams.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

                This statement should not be mistaken for a doctrine of nothingness – things aren’t literally a dream. Judy Lief explains that this slogan helps us “face up to our desire to make everything solid,” which we are apt to interpret as security. Yet everything is in a state of transition; even a mountain changes from day to day. Our thoughts and emotions are insubstantial too. The anger and rage we had toward the careless driver last week are now only a dim memory. As Pema Chodron states, “Every situation is a passing memory.” What we perceive is not in a fixed position but a state of flux. Pretending otherwise is like an attempt to, in Traleg Kyabgon’s words, “scoop water with a net.”

Photo: Smoke from Palo Santo incense in an abalone shell.

     Do you remember the mood rings from the 1970s? The glass stone had heat-sensitive liquid crystals in a strip beneath it that made it change colors based on the temperature. The first one I bought seemed to show no color change - it stayed black no matter how hard I stared at it. Eventually I forgot about it and got busy with other things. I was surprised to discover later it had turned a lovely shade of green. We all have moments when our emotions seem so intense and overwhelming; our thoughts tell us life will never change and will always be this way. But nothing is rigid and fixed, whether thoughts, emotions or circumstances. Like the wispy smoke in the card, they may appear permanent, but we are just observing one phase of an ongoing procession.

Slogan One

First, train in the preliminaries.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

                The preliminaries remind us of the human condition and inspire us to begin and sustain our practice. The first slogan is a foundation for all the rest, and is built on the Four Reflections:

·         The preciousness of human life.

·         The truth of impermanence (change) and the inevitability of death.

·         Thoughts, words and actions have consequences (cause and effect).

·         A repetitive cycle of suffering caused by a constant search for security.

The only adequate response is a practice that will allow us to develop wisdom, compassion and resilience –training to strengthen the mind and heart.

Photo: Nest among a tangle of Confederate jasmine in bloom.

       I recently put together a baby swing for our new grandson. When I pulled all the many pieces and screws out of the box, I had no desire to sort all the parts and read the directions. I just wanted to put the swing together as quickly as possible. That's my natural response - just get it done. But without understanding the directions, I doubt the swing would have worked the way it was designed. I couldn't jump from the first step to the last successfully. In the same way, I need to ground myself in the Four Reflections before I dive into the rest of the slogans. Once I begin to comprehend them and apply them, I can "hatch out" and move on the the next slogan.

Point Seven of the Seven Points

Point Seven – Guidelines of the Practice

            Several decades ago, bowling alley proprietors were wondering how to encourage younger children to take up the game. The problem was the gutters - most kids could not roll the ball without it veering off to one of the sides. Without knocking down any pins, it didn't take long before they became frustrated and gave up. The invention of bumper bowling changed their constant disappointment to pleasure; it aided not only the younger set, but also those with developmental disabilities. Heavy-duty cardboard tubes were first used, then inflatable tubes followed by retractable rails. Bowling balls that drifted towards the gutters were deflected back to the lane by the bumpers, assuring that the ball would make it to the pins. Like bowling bumpers, the slogans (39 - 59) of Point Seven keep us from swerving off our path. Eight of them suggest what not to do, while fourteen of them encourage us in what to do. These guidelines are particularly helpful in our daily lives (off the meditation cushion). They can bump our attention back to our spiritual intentions and keep us out of the gutter of self-centeredness.

Point Six of the Seven Points

Point Six – Commitments of the Practice

            Humans love loopholes. Even when we’re young, we look for ways around rules and rationalizations for our behavior. Take for example little Johnny, whose mom gets him up early, dresses him in his Sunday clothes, and then firmly tells him to stay clean for the family photograph they’ll be taking soon. When she checks on him an hour later, she finds him back in bed with wrinkled clothes and mussed hair. When scolded he replies, “But I am clean - I didn’t get dirty!” Fast forward to Johnny as a young teen; before leaving to go out, his parents remind him to eat at least one vegetable with whatever else he has for supper. Upon returning later, his parents discover Johnny has consumed a plateful of French fries with ketchup for a meal. When they ask what happened to his promise to eat a vegetable, he explains, “Since ketchup comes from tomatoes, I thought that would count.”

            At first glance, the Sixth Point (slogans 23-38) may seem like a long list of “don’ts” from a strict parent. Yet they are actually methods for improving our interactions with other people so as to avoid causing unnecessary harm. By being so specific, these slogans prevent much “wiggle room” when it comes to our commitment to compassion. But even if we catch ourselves doing the opposite of what a slogan suggests, Pema Chodron emphasizes that there’s no need for self-denigration. She suggests we use such an opportunity to explore three things: the circumstance, our reaction, and our strategy for dealing with the situation. We may find a habitual pattern that causes suffering to everyone involved (without the relief we expected). That observation may be all the encouragement needed to stop looking for loopholes and embrace a more gentle strategy.
Photo: A cowrie shell hiding among six tumbled stones.