I’ve studied through the slogans a dozen times in my life;
these are my musings on the slogan currently, what comes up on the day that
I am posting the slogan, not a formal interpretation.
For that reason they are less about straight Buddhist teachings,
and I think able to be shared with most practitioners of other faiths or no faith
(unless yours doesn’t allow you to read any other tradition.)
If you have time and the inclination, I published the WHOLE  thang here!

“#42: Whichever of the two occurs, be patient.”

Trungpa Rinpoche speaks of karma, understanding that extreme suffering or happiness
is the result of karma and one should be patient with both.  This is not what I struggle with, though I have mixed feelings about the whole karma thing — for another day.

Pema Chodren says: “Patience means allowing things to unfold at their own speed
rather than jumping in with habitual response to pain or pleasure.”

Patience is not my strong suite.
My journal notes tell the tale well.

Patience is not attention to detail… I am attentive to detail. Looking at the marks above — if I am doodling, lost int eh marks, I can do them for a long time.  That is attention to detail.  But if I have a vision of using this pattern in the situation above, as a background pattern, I see the end vision, I know what it should look like, I can SEE it, and all I can feel is the impatience building… I want to get THROUGH it for the effect.  I have trouble enjoying creating the marks.

Transfer this to personal relationships.

I am either cursed or blessed in these situations, depending upon timing.  When it is time to resolve, when I come to knowing what I need to do — whether moving forward in a relationship, let’s say, or ending one — I want to rip the bandaid off, break up, be done with it (and have a HUGE problem faking it in any way to make nice until I do that) or jump in, tell someone I love them, move in, get married!  Having to be patient makes my head explode, turns me on end.  I become cranky and/or weepy or/and moody until I can resolve it.  It is one of the few reasons I get moody.  I can handle what the response from the other person may be, but I have to get to what I know is in my heart NOW NOW NOW.

And I am impatiently in such a place now, so, depression, cranky, waddeva.
And I HAVE TO BE PATIENT…  gads.

In this weekly commentary on the lojong, I am not open comments becoming
a debate for people to nitpick Buddhism or my interpretations of Buddhist concepts.
(There are lots of places for debates.)  I am more interested in hearing about
YOUR life or how the lojong affected you or your practice awakening in some manner.
For more info about why, go here.

Okina Journal, Opus 88 Koloro pen with Robert Oster inks
mixed — Muddy Sand and Green Olive.
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