Lojong

Lojong is mind training, a practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on a set of aphorisms formulated in Tibet in the 12th century by Geshe Chekhawa. The practice involves refining and purifying one's motivations and attitudes.

The fifty-nine or so proverbs that form the root text of the mind training practice are designed as a set of antidotes to undesired mental habits that cause suffering. They contain both methods to expand one's viewpoint towards absolute bodhicitta, such as "Find the consciousness you had before you were born." and "Treat everything you perceive as a dream.", and methods for relating to the world in a more constructive way with relative bodhicitta, such as "Be grateful to everyone." and "When everything goes wrong, treat disaster as a way to wake up."

Prominent teachers who have popularized this practice in the West include Pema Chodron, Ken McLeod, Alan Wallace, Chogyam Trungpa, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and the 14th Dalai Lama,.

History of the practice

The mind training practice was developed over a 300-year period between 900 and 1200 CE, as part of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism. Atiśa (982–1054 CE), a Bengali meditation master, is generally regarded as the originator of the practice. It is described in his book Lamp on the Path to Enlightenment (Bodhipathapradīpaṃ). The practice is based upon his studies with the Sumatran teacher, Dharmarakṣita, author of a text called the Wheel of Sharp Weapons. Both these texts are well known in Tibetan translation.

Atiśa journeyed to Sumatra and studied with Dharmarakṣita for twelve years. He then returned to teach in India, but at an advanced age accepted an invitation to teach in Tibet, where he stayed for the rest of his life.

A story is told that Atiśa heard that the inhabitants of Tibet were very pleasant and easy to get along with. Instead of being delighted, he was concerned that he would not have enough negative emotion to work with in his mind training practice. So he brought along his ill-tempered Bengali servant-boy, who would criticize him incessantly and was challenging to spend time with. Tibetan teachers then like to joke that when Atiśa arrived in Tibet, he realized there was no need after all.

The aphorisms on mind training in their present form were composed by Geshe Chekhawa (1101–1175 CE). According to one account, Chekhawa saw a text on his cell-mate's bed, open to the phrase: "Gain and victory to others, loss and defeat to oneself". The phrase struck him and he sought out the author Langri Tangpa (1054–1123). Finding that Langri Tangpa had died, he studied instead with one of Langri Tangpa's students, Sharawa, for twelve years.

Geshe Chekhawa is claimed to have cured leprosy with mind training. In one account, he went to live with a colony of lepers and did the practice with them. Over time many of them were healed, more lepers came, and eventually people without leprosy also took an interest in the practice. Another popular story about Geshe Chekhawa and mind training concerns his brother and how it transformed him into a much kinder person.

Root text

There are 7 Points to Lojong, which consist of the 59 Slogans. These slogans or aphorisms are listed below, translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee under the direction of Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche.

ONE: The preliminaries, which are the basis for dharma practice :1. First, train in the preliminaries; The four reminders. ::1. Maintain an awareness of the preciousness of human life. ::2. Be aware of the reality that life ends; death comes for everyone; Impermanence. ::3. Recall that whatever you do, whether virtuous or not, has a result; Karma. ::4. Contemplate that as long as you are too focused on self-importance and too caught up in thinking about how you are good or bad, you will suffer. Obsessing about getting what you want and avoiding what you don't want does not result in happiness; Ego.

TWO: The main practice, which is training in bodhicitta. :Absolute Bodhicitta :2. Regard all dharmas as dreams. :3. Examine the nature of unborn awareness. :4. Self-liberate even the antidote. :5. Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence. :6. In postmeditation, be a child of illusion.

:Relative Bodhicitta :7. Sending and taking should be practiced alternately. These two should ride the breath. :8. Three objects, three poisons, three roots of virtue. :9. In all activities, train with slogans. :10. Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself.

THREE: Transformation of Bad Circumstances into the Way of Enlightenment :11. When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi. :12. Drive all blames into one. :13. Be grateful to everyone. :14. Seeing confusion as the four kayas is unsurpassable shunyata protection. :15. Four practices are the best of methods. :16. Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.

FOUR: Showing the Utilization of Practice in One's Whole Life :17. Practice the five strengths, the condensed heart instructions. :18. The mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death is the five strengths: how you conduct yourself is important.

FIVE: Evaluation of Mind Training :19. All dharma agrees at one point. :20. Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one. :21. Always maintain only a joyful mind. :22. If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained.

SIX: Disciplines of Mind Training :23. Always abide by the three basic principles. :24. Change your attitude, but remain natural. :25. Don't talk about injured limbs. :26. Don't ponder others. :27. Work with the greatest defilements first. :28. Abandon any hope of fruition. :29. Abandon poisonous food. :30. Don't be so predictable. :31. Don't malign others. :32. Don't wait in ambush. :33. Don't bring things to a painful point. :34. Don't transfer the ox's load to the cow. :35. Don't try to be the fastest. :36. Don't act with a twist. :37. Don't make gods into demons. :38. Don't seek others' pain as the limbs of your own happiness.

SEVEN: Guidelines of Mind Training :39. All activities should be done with one intention. :40. Correct all wrongs with one intention. :41. Two activities: one at the beginning, one at the end. :42. Whichever of the two occurs, be patient. :43. Observe these two, even at the risk of your life. :44. Train in the three difficulties. :45. Take on the three principal causes. :46. Pay heed that the three never wane. :47. Keep the three inseparable. :48. Train without bias in all areas. It is crucial always to do this pervasively and wholeheartedly. :49. Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment. :50. Don't be swayed by external circumstances. :51. This time, practice the main points. :52. Don't misinterpret. :53. Don't vacillate. :54. Train wholeheartedly. :55. Liberate yourself by examining and analyzing. :56. Don't wallow in self-pity. :57. Don't be jealous. :58. Don't be frivolous. :59. Don't expect applause.

Commentaries

One seminal commentary on the mind training practice was written by Jamgon Kongtrul (one of the main founders of the non-sectarian Rime movement of Tibetan Buddhism) in the 19th century. This commentary was translated by Ken McLeod, initially as A Direct Path to Enlightenment. This translation served as the root text for Osho's Book of Wisdom. Later, after some consultation with Chogyam Trungpa, Ken McLeod retranslated the work as The Great Path of Awakening.

Two significant commentaries to the root texts of mind training have been written by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (founder of the New Kadampa Tradition) and form the basis of study programs at NKT Buddhist Centers throughout the world. The first, Universal Compassion is a commentary to the root text Training the Mind in Seven Points by Geshe Chekhawa. The second, Eight Steps to Happiness is a commentary to the root text, Eight Verses of Training the Mind by Geshe Langri Tangpa.

In 2006, Wisdom Publications published the work Mind Training: The Great Collection (Theg-pa chen-po blo-sbyong rgya-rtsa), translated by Thupten Jinpa. This is a translation of a traditional Tibetan compilation, dating from the fifteenth century, which contains altogether forty-three texts related to the practice of mind training. Among these texts are several different versions of the root verses, along with important early commentaries by Se Chilbu, Sangye Gompa, Konchok Gyaltsen, and others.

References

Notes

Pema Chodron, Start Where You Are

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness

Geshe Rabten and Geshe Dhargyey, Advice from a Spiritual Friend

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Enlightened Courage

Mind Training: The Great Collection by Geshe Thupten Jinpa

Shamar Rinpoche, The Path to Awakening (A Commentary on Ja Chekawa Yeshe Dorje's Seven Points of Mind Training

Lojong, Developing the Good Heart: Level 3 of The Steps to Buddhahood (Lam Rim) by The Asian Classics Institute

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Universal Compassion: Inspiring Solutions for Difficult Times (commentary on "Training the Mind in Seven Points" by Geshe Chekawa)

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness, Tharpa Publications (2000) ISBN 978-0-9817277-8-3 (commentary on 'Eight Verses of Training the Mind' by Geshe Langri Tangpa)

External links

Lojong Texts from Lotsawa House

Lojong and Tonglen Community Site

H.H. Shamar Rinpoche: The Seven Points of Mind Training of Atisha

The Heart Practice of Tonglen

Kadampa Buddhism and Training the Mind

Mind Training in Seven Points: Root Text by Ken McLeod

Category:Buddhist terms Category:Tibetan Buddhist practices