Muni's PlayThe Seven Points of Mind Training (Lojong)
Source: Lojong Slogans (Wikipedia)
Point One: The Preliminaries
The basis for dharma practice.
Slogan 1: Train in the preliminaries (The Four Reminders)
- Precious Life: Awareness of the preciousness of human life.
- Impermanence: Awareness that life ends; death comes for everyone.
- Karma: Recall that every action, virtuous or not, has a result.
- Ego & Suffering: Focus on self-importance and “getting what I want” leads only to suffering.
Point Two: The Main Practice
Training in Bodhicitta (Absolute and Relative).
Absolute Bodhicitta
- Slogan 2: Regard all dharmas as dreams; experiences are passing memories.
- Slogan 3: Examine the nature of unborn awareness.
- Slogan 4: Self-liberate even the antidote.
- Slogan 5: Rest in the nature of alaya (the essence, the present moment).
- Slogan 6: In post-meditation, be a child of illusion.
Relative Bodhicitta
- Slogan 7: Practice sending and taking (Tonglen) alternately on the breath.
- Slogan 8: Three objects, three poisons, three roots of virtue.
- Objects: friends, enemies, neutrals.
- Poisons: craving, aversion, indifference.
- Remedies: the three roots of virtue.
- Slogan 9: In all activities, train with slogans.
- Slogan 10: Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself.
Point Three: Transformation of Bad Circumstances
Turning mishaps into the way of enlightenment.
- Slogan 11: When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi.
- Slogan 12: Drive all blames into one.
- Slogan 13: Be grateful to everyone.
- Slogan 14: Seeing confusion as the four kayas is unsurpassable Śūnyatā protection.
- Slogan 15: Four practices are the best of methods:
- Accumulating merit.
- Laying down evil deeds.
- Offering to the dons.
- Offering to the dharmapalas.
- Slogan 16: Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.
Point Four: Practice in One’s Whole Life
Instructions for the duration of life and the moment of death.
- Slogan 17: Practice the five strengths (Strong determination, familiarization, the positive seed, reproach, and aspiration).
- Slogan 18: For the ejection of consciousness at death, practice the five strengths.
Point Five: Evaluation of Mind Training
How to measure your progress.
- Slogan 19: All dharma agrees at one point: lessening self-absorption.
- Slogan 20: Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one (You know yourself best).
- Slogan 21: Always maintain only a joyful mind.
- Slogan 22: If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained.
Point Six: Disciplines of Mind Training
Specific vows and commitments.
- Slogan 23: Always abide by the three basic principles (Dedication, restraint, patience).
- Slogan 24: Change your attitude, but remain natural.
- Slogan 25: Don’t talk about injured limbs (Contemplating others’ defects).
- Slogan 26: Don’t ponder others (Contemplating others’ weaknesses).
- Slogan 27: Work with the greatest defilements first.
- Slogan 28: Abandon any hope of fruition (Stay in the present moment).
- Slogan 29: Abandon poisonous food.
- Slogan 30: Don’t be so predictable (Don’t hold grudges).
- Slogan 31: Don’t malign others.
- Slogan 32: Don’t wait in ambush (Waiting for others’ weaknesses).
- Slogan 33: Don’t bring things to a painful point (Humiliating others).
- Slogan 34: Don’t transfer the ox’s load to the cow (Take responsibility).
- Slogan 35: Don’t try to be the fastest (Competing).
- Slogan 36: Don’t act with a twist (Scheming for self-benefit).
- Slogan 37: Don’t turn gods into demons (Using spirituality to increase ego).
- Slogan 38: Don’t seek others’ pain as the limbs of your own happiness.
Point Seven: Guidelines of Mind Training
Integrating practice into daily life.
- Slogan 39: All activities should be done with one intention.
- Slogan 40: Correct all wrongs with one intention.
- Slogan 41: Two activities: one at the beginning, one at the end.
- Slogan 42: Whichever of the two occurs, be patient.
- Slogan 43: Observe these two, even at the risk of your life.
- Slogan 44: Train in the three difficulties.
- Slogan 45: Take on the three principal causes (Teacher, dharma, sangha).
- Slogan 46: Pay heed that the three never wane (Gratitude, appreciation, conduct).
- Slogan 47: Keep the three inseparable: body, speech, and mind.
- Slogan 48: Train without bias in all areas; pervasively and wholeheartedly.
- Slogan 49: Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment.
- Slogan 50: Don’t be swayed by external circumstances.
- Slogan 51: Practice the main points: others before self, dharma, and compassion.
- Slogan 52: Don’t misinterpret (patience, yearning, excitement, compassion, priorities, joy).
- Slogan 53: Don’t vacillate.
- Slogan 54: Train wholeheartedly.
- Slogan 55: Liberate yourself by examining and analyzing: know your own mind.
- Slogan 56: Don’t wallow in self-pity.
- Slogan 57: Don’t be jealous.
- Slogan 58: Don’t be frivolous.
- Slogan 59: Don’t expect applause.
See also: Dharmapada, The Heart of Dependent Origination