Lojong Mind Map by David Lipschitz

1. Lojong
By Atisha (1000 CE)
Summary by David Lipschitz
18 11 20 17 Part 2
From The Buddhaful Tao
And Judy Lief web sites
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Point One: The preliminaries, which are
the basis for Dharma practice
Point Two: The main practice, which
is training in bodhicitta
Point Three: Transformation of
Bad Circumstances into the Way
of Enlightenment
Point Four: Showing the Utilization of
Practice in One's Whole Life
Point Five: Evaluation
of Mind Training
Point Six: Disciplines
of Mind Training
Group 1 Slogan 23: Always abide by The
Three Basic Principles
Dedication to
your practice
Refraining from
outrageous conduct
Developing patience
Slogan 24: Change your
attitude, but remain neutral
Reduce ego clinging,
but be yourself
Slogan 25: Don't talk
about injured limbs
Don't take pleasure
contemplating others defects
Slogan 26: Don't
ponder others
Don't take pleasure in
contemplating others
weaknesses
Group 2
Slogan 27: Work with the
greatest defilements first
Work with your
greatest obstacles first
Slogan 28: Abandon all
hope of fruition
Don't get caught up in how you
will be in the future, stay in the
present moment
Slogan 29: Abandon
poisonous food
Suggests an experience that is
seemingly nourishing, but it in
fact can kill you
Be careful of the poison of ego-fixation and its power to
transform the nutritious food of loving kindness into poison.
Be careful of self-aggrandizement and propping up your
feeling of a separate identity
Slogan 30: Don't be
so predictable
Don't hold grudges
Group 3
Slogan 31: Don't malign others You can be critical, but be careful of
using speech to harm or destroy, or to
be spiteful or Ill-spirited
Slogan 32: Don't
wait in ambush
Don't wait for others weaknesses
to show to attack them
Slogan 33: Don't bring
things to a painful point
Don't humiliate others
Slogan 34: Don't transfer the
ox's load to the cow
Take responsibility
for yourself
Group 4
Slogan 35: Don't try
to be the fastest
Don't compete
with others
Slogan 36: Don't
act with a twist
Do good deeds without scheming
about benefiting yourself
Slogan 37: Don't turn
gods into demons
Don't use these slogans or
your spirituality to increase
your self-absorption
Slogan 38: Don't seek other's pain as the
limbs of your own happiness
Don't exploit
Be grateful
Your happiness cannot be based
on the suffering of others
The Groups are to make the
mind map easier to read; 4 slogans in each group
The colours are created by
the mind mapping software
SimpleMind Pro
Point Seven: Guidelines
of Mind Training
Group 1
Slogan 39: All activities should be
done with one intention
Do everything with an
intention of benevolence
Slogan 40: Correct all
wrongs with one intention
When you get stuck or are
struggling in any way, aspire to
practice Lojong or mind training
(And give yourself loving kindness
and practice it for others)
Slogan 41: Two activities: one at the
beginning, one at the end
Each day is an opportunity for
Lojong, not just "activities"
At the end of the day review
your mind training
No blame. Small shifts in
kindness and awareness
Take a little at a time; what makes you
remember your commitments to Bodhicitta
practice, and what makes you forget?
Slogan 42: Whichever of the
two occurs, be patient
Whether you feel happy (things
going well) or sad, be patient
Apply mind training even if the
conditions aren't "right"
Slogan 43: Observe these two,
even at the risk of your life
Refuge vow
Buddha,
Dharma,
Sangha
Help oneself
Bodhisattva vow
Help others
The "vows" internally in
your heart and formally
Group 2
Slogan 44: Train in The
Three Difficulties
Obstacles arise too
quickly for us to catch
What should we do once a
difficulty has moved in on us?
The "Kleshas" keep
coming back
Kleshas are difficulties, or mind
Poisons, or upsetting emotions
Slogan 45: Take on The Three Principle Causes
The Teacher
Including someone who
introduced you to something
Guidance
The Dharma
And the importance of Mind Training
Conviction
The Sangha
To have an adequate social and economic support for
your practice. In order to find time for your practice
you need to find a way to cover your basic needs for
food, clothing, shelter, etc
Slogan 46: Pay heed that
The Three Never Wane
Gratitude towards
one's teacher
Devotion
Appreciation of the
Dharma (teachings)
And appreciate for the
practice of mind training
Correct Conduct
Work with yourself to
benefit others
Discipline
Slogan 47: Keep The
Three Inseparable
Body
Speech
Mind
Lojong brings our whole
system into harmony
Group 3
Slogan 48: Train without
bias in all areas
It is crucial always to do this
pervasively and wholeheartedly
See every aspect of your life as an
opportunity to practice
Slogan 49: Always meditate on
whatever provokes resentment
Understand how resentment
arises. Remove the blocks
and the Poisons.
Slogan 50: Don't be swayed by
external circumstances
Group 4
Slogan 51: This time,
practice the main points
Others before self
Dharma
Practice is more
important than study
Awakening
Compassion
Bodhicitta
Connect
"This time" : every
time; all the time
Slogan 52: Don't
misinterpret
The Six Things you may
misinterpret are:
Patience
You are patient when you'll get your
way, but not when it's difficultYearning
You yearn for worldly things, instead
of an open heart and mind
Excitement
You get excited about wealth and
entertainment, instead of your
potential for enlightenment
Compassion
You have compassion for those you like,
but none for those you don't
Priorities
Worldly gain is your priority
rather than cultivating
loving-kindness and compassion
Joy
You feel joy when your enemies
suffer, and do not rejoice in
others' good fortune
The undercurrent passing
through this practice is the
strong pull of samsara
Point Eight: Summary
Group 1
Slogan 53: Don't vacillate (in
your practice of Lojong)
Find a routine and stick to it; change
down a gear if you need to
Slogan 54: Train
wholeheartedly
And overcome the excuses
you find for giving up
Slogan 55: Liberate yourself by
examining and analyzing
Know your own mind with
honesty and fearlessness
Push your own buttons, bring
"bad" stuff to the surface, and
see what happens
This slogan focuses on two major
obstacles to realization,
ego-clinging and disturbing emotions
Slogan 56: Don't
wallow in self-pity
Especially about (Lojong)
practice being so hard
"Ignorance is bliss"
actually isn't
Group 2
Slogan 57: Don't
be jealous
And overall, don't
be irritable
Develop softness and
toughness hand-in-hand
Brings heightened sensitivity
and greater mindfulness
Observation is ok
Slogan 58: Don't
be frivolous
It is easy to fritter your time
away in frivolous pursuits that
don't lead anywhere
How do you spend your time? What
do you think about? How do you
invest your energy?
Slogan 59: Don't
expect applause
Look at your relationship to approval
and recognition, even fame
The desperation for outer rewards
goes hand-in-hand with an increasing
sense of inner poverty
It is good to applaud people who do
good; the problem is when we
expect it for what we do
And then we blame
And my, David
Lipschitz's, addition
"Slogan 60": Wherever you are is where
you are meant to be; however you feel is
what you are meant to feel
In this moment