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!

“#49: Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment.”

I love this slogan because it is a key to getting clear and more conscious and aware.  Whenever I feel irritation, fear — especially that type of fear that is in the future, not so much someone coming at you with a knife — or hopelessness, it is a cue for me to stop talking or reacting, and to listen to the other person.  If I can greet problems as opportunities to learn about myself and another person, I might be able to find a way to connect and certainly it will lower the anger level.  I might garner compassion for the situation, or them, or myself.  Those trigger feelings become ways to look inward.

Instead, when I am on my game, I stop, center, and reflect on
what is really going on in any situation.  I listen, really listen.
I breath in the resentment and send, on the outbreath,
an antidote to whatever I am breathing in.

This doesn’t mean I might not have a good reason to object to a situation, or to be afraid.  What it does mean is that perhaps I can handle it with wisdom.

Now on as separate subject, tonight as I was trying to create an great piece of art,
the Siamese that I belong to decided it was time for loving.
I have grown SO much.  At another time I might have been a
little annoyed at the timing, and found a way to push her away.
Now I let the love in and am thankful to have a cat that loves me this much
that she comes running and finds me every night when I am really in a creative mood.
I used to project that she didn’t want me to make marks,
that she just wanted all my attention.  When I dropped my annoyance
I realized that I am in the BEST mood when I am in a creative space or cooking,
and this is always the times when both females cats come to find me
and want to wheedle their way under my arm or wind through my legs.
They get that vibe, and they want some of that vibe!

I’m glad I am wise enough
now to appreciate the love!

In this weekly commentary on the lojong, I am 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.

 OE or OKINA NOTEBOOKS (my favorite journals, also known as Cadic)

Okina Journal, with pen and ink,
Opus 88 Koloro pen with Robert Oster inks: Muddy Bucket and Green Olive mixed.
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