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!

“#50: Don’t misinterpret.”

Important message for this time of ‘Rona, but really,
it drives home the point that any time can be a time when paying attention
to exactly what is said can save your life or someone else’s.

☾

I want to talk about practice
in the most stressful of times.  This is like a war zone.
Bombs are not dropping, but we are surrounded by an invisible, potentially deadly virus, making the a simple
tasks — going to market —
something to be considered.
The numbers and staggering.
The rules as they study the pandemic keep changing. I was putting out fires for four weeks, new protocols, protections on doing business, and the occasional crazy client.

☾

I was not doing formal practice daily.
I was falling into bed dead tired, or sleepless, wide eyed and going over lists.
I really lost my center a lot.

I realized the toll my frightened worry had on my husband and even the cats.
I started setting a timer on the phone to make me stop and center, breath,
send and take, and our environment shifted for the better.
Mitchell came forward with his feelings/worries about his brother
(he was not taking care of me so much so there was space for him to BE.)
The cats began to be less clingy, more their old selves,
zipping around the halls of the studio with their antics…
Their antics are a joy for us, and that in turn provided laughter and release.

Take time to practice.  Center.  Breathe.

If you don’t have a strong practice in place then do this:
When you are heading into negative and no-productive thoughts,
Stop and write down or say aloud ten things for which you are thankful.
Fear and worry causes your immune system to drop;  this is an easy antidote to worry and fear, and if you have to do it ten times a day!

This is a nice experimentation that I am doing…
Shellac on paper, ink, then a spritzing to move some of the ink..

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),
Blackwing pencil, shellac, ink.
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