Miscellaneous
Welcome to an opportunity to listen to a spontaneous discussion about the Lojong slogan training with a wonderful teacher. In this discussion, Polly Banerjee Gallagher and I join Dungse Jampal Norbu to address a few of these slogans and how they may be of use in society today and in the Windhorse community in particular. We discuss some slogans—such as “Don’t be so predictable” and “Don’t wait in ambush.” Dungse-la, as he is referred to in this discussion, and the group bring up Tonglen as a thread that runs through these slogans and how that practice (of taking in suffering and giving compassion) informs and deepens each one. The word ‘lo-jong’ translates as “training the mind.” The slogans traditionally consist of a list of 59 pithy reminders about compassion and self-awareness. The slogans are at times deceptively simply, while offering a window into seeing one’s mind in relation to self and other. I haven’t always focused on these teachings, but whenever I take a fresh look, they are instantly useful in my life. I love how these short lines can really stick in my mind and can be reflected back by moments in my day. Wherever I get too comfortable with my routine and go to sleep, these slogans seem to know how to wake me up and remind I can slow down and show up. Raised in a Buddhist family and now a teacher in his own right, Dungse-la is an authority on these teachings; we were lucky to speak with him on this topic. This was a short time together, but I feel lucky and appreciative of the opportunity to share this conversation with the community and the larger audience of the Windhorse Journal.