The Five Strengths are instructions for dying.

Photo by Zen Sutherland

The truth is that we are all singing and dancing on the Titanic, but we behave as if it’s a cruise to Bermuda. ~ Larry Rosenberg

          Everything in this world, no matter how strong or sturdy, is subject to the reality of impermanence. If the dharma has become an integral part of our life, it will be a trustworthy guide as we experience the greatest change of all. Familiarization reminds us that death is not some form of punishment but a natural part of life. We can relax and move with rather than against its flow. The cultivated seed of goodness allows us to freely let go of remorse or resentment. We then experience tenderness toward others and ourselves without clinging. Reproach points out that fear of uncertainty is produced by an ego that doesn’t really exist. The openness of strong determination brings clarity rather than confusion. Instead of being anxious, we have the option of being curious about this new adventure. And aspiration helps us remember and connect to other people who are facing death; we can use tonglen to send out the comfort we wish for ourselves.

Seeing there’s no time to stay long, I put aside the words and practiced the meaning.
~ Godrakpa Sonam Gyaltsen

For more information on the eighteenth slogan, go here.

Train in the Five Strengths.

Southern Live Oak - photo by Louis Dallara 

          Among the majestic trees of the South, Quercus virginiana is one of the belles of the ball. With sweeping arms that dip to the ground, the live oak's width is about twice that of its height. The tree's deep tap root anchors it when young; as the canopy expands, a lateral root system develops that can radiate up to 90 feet from the trunk. Its low center of gravity and impressive root structure have enabled many live oaks to withstand the force of hurricane winds that claimed the lives of other trees. In the same way, the Five Strengths support us in sustaining the vitality of our practice. Strong determination - the tap root - helps us keep our heart and mind open and connected, regardless of what life presents us. We come to realize, as J.N. Hollingworth stated, that "something is more important than fear." Familiarization allows us to apply what we've learned to whatever each day brings. The seed of goodness is a reminder that everyone already contains a reservoir of tenderness and openness. We just need to water the seed so it will grow. Reproach asks that we first cultivate self-compassion and a sense of humor. Then we can gently smile when we catch red-handed the person responsible for our suffering (our own self). Aspiration gives us encouragement when we feel that we have failed. We can recognize our current limits while aspiring to develop beyond them. These essential instructions are aids in maintaining our course through any weather.

You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather. ~ Pema Chodron

For more information on the seventeenth slogan, go here.

Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.

Cooper's hawk - photo from Wikimedia Commons

          My backyard is full of bird feeders designed to entice a variety of birds. As I relaxed and watched the avian activity from my porch one afternoon, a gray hawk swooped down and grabbed a smaller bird. It happened so suddenly, I was completely taken by surprise. It took a few seconds for me to even register what had happened. No matter whether they are astonishing or horrifying, these unexpected moments have a way of stopping the mind. This brief gap when all concepts seem to dissolve offers us a chance to rest in alaya - the natural, spaciousness of the mind. But once our conditioning kicks back in ("Where's my bird book? I should have had my camera!"), we can move from an absolute bodhicitta experience to a relative bodhicitta one. In the case of something wonderful, I can send out the wish for others to experience this joy; if unpleasant, I can embrace the suffering of others and breathe out comfort and peace. No matter how the unexpected shows up, it is a chance to widen the heart. 

We are one blink away from being fully awake.  ~ Pema Chodron

For more information on the sixteen slogan, go here.

Four practices are the best methods.

The Wave - Photo by Greg Bulla

          Located in Arizona is a sandstone rock formation known as "The Wave." Years of erosion - first by water then by wind - have shaped its undulating form and thin ridges. Our existence is likewise shaped by conditions. In our elusive search for security, we have a tendency to develop established patterns that become automatic. Yet lojong provides a way to train our minds, allowing us a choice in how we respond. The Four Practices of this slogan can help us resist and transform our habitual reactions. "Accumulating merit" cultivates generosity without an agenda. "Acknowledging neurotic actions" guides us in changing our course so that we create less suffering for ourselves and others. "Offering to the dons" opens our hearts and minds to viewing challenges as opportunities to awaken. "Offering to the dharma protectors" is a way to show appreciation for the teachings of Buddha through applied dharma in daily life. We can let circumstances mold us, or we can use them as spiritual nudges and agents of change.

We have an infinite number of ways that we distort our experiences through habits of the mind. ~ Sharon Salzberg

For more information on the fifteenth slogan, go here.

The ultimate protection is emptiness; know what arises as confusion to be the four kayas.

Photo by Rolf Hicker

          The mind has two facets: its natural essence that flows freely, and its confused state that arises when the essence is obstructed by mental formations (thoughts, emotions, sensations).  The kayas describe the fluid nature of the essence of mind, how our perceptions appear and then dissolve. Comparing them to the water cycle may help with understanding them.  The dharmakaya can be thought of as the atmosphere, the nirmanakaya as water, the sambhogakaya as a cloud (the combination of atmosphere and water), and the svabhavivakaya as the whole cycle itself. The nirmanakaya is the physical aspect of the mind; it is our perception of what our senses show us. The dharmakaya is the transcendental aspect from which everything arises. This kaya is boundless, spacious, and formless – “empty” – lacking any independent existence or lasting substance. The union of these two kayas is the cognitive aspect of the mind, the sambhogakaya. The energy and vibrancy in our sense perceptions, when combined with infinite openness, produce clarity and equanimity. Our thoughts, emotions and sensations are experienced, yet they are recognized as being unstable and impermanent. Obstructions to this natural flow occur not because feelings and concepts arise, but because we become attached to them. Yet we can wake up to our ego’s grasping habit – wanting this but not that. Unhooked from its seduction, we ease our suffering by realizing these mind states are not as solid or unchanging as first thought. Deprived of a concrete self, these things are able to wash right through us.

How joyful this freedom from confusion arising as luminosity! ~ Ngotrup Gyaltsen

For more information on the fourteenth slogan, go here.

Be grateful to everyone.

Mimosa pudica - photo by H. Zell

          Every spring a sprawling plant appears under a particular oak in my neighborhood. Its blooms resemble gumball-size, florescent-pink explosions. But the most interesting feature of this plant is its reactive movement which characterizes its common name - sensitive plant. If the plant is disturbed by a touch, temperature change or breeze, the leaflets fold inward exposing its prickly stems. The reaction is thought to discourage insects and herbivores who might munch on the leaves. Yet the defense is energetically costly for the plant as it interferes with the process of photosynthesis. Most people have similar reactions when provoked by people or situations. We close up and show our thorny sides; our habitual patterns come out in full force. But this slogan is a reminder to be thankful to whomever or whatever makes us aware of our blind spots. Our irritations show us where to focus in order to deepen our practice, where we need to be calmer, more patient and flexible. What provokes us becomes training equipment to help us widen our minds and hearts.

Each time someone provokes us, we have a chance to do something different, to tend to our own reactions. Either we can strengthen old habits or we can take a moment to pause.
  ~ Carrie Dinow

For more information on the thirteenth slogan, go here.

Drive all blames into one.

Delta - photo by Arthur Belala, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

          Farmers here have begun fertilizing their fields in preparation for the growing season. Plants in nature extract nutrients from the soil, and what gets used by them is returned when the plant dies. However with cultivated crops, what gets extracted isn't given back and requires the addition of fertilizers. Unfortunately what benefits the farmers has adversely impacted our coastal waters. The water runoff from the fields includes nitrates, which wash down the major rivers into the sea. Algae and other microorganisms feed on the nitrogen, bloom and die. Their decomposition creates a low-oxygen area known as a "dead zone," where no animal can survive. Four hundred of these hypoxic zones have been identified around the world, with one of the largest being in the Gulf of Mexico. Should we blame the farmers for these lifeless waters? Or perhaps the agricultural corporations and the consumers should be held accountable? One could even argue that the environmentalists who pushed for the production of biofuels are partly at fault. The twelfth lojong slogan suggests boiling all the blame down to one thing - the self-centeredness of the ego. When we search for a scapegoat, we instantly armor ourselves from the pain of what has gone wrong. Yet if we allow ourselves to feel those tender spots and drop the drama, we have a chance to focus on the real issue instead of getting caught up in who's to blame.

True spirituality is not a removal or escape from life. It is an opening, a seeing of the world with a deeper vision that is less self-centered, a vision that sees through dualistic views to the underlying interconnectedness of all life. ~ Jack Kornfield

For more information on the twelfth slogan, go here.