Slogan #17
Practice the five strengths, the condensed heart instructions.
The five strengths of Slogan #17 are determination, familiarization, virtue, reproach and aspiration. This slogan is a celebration of joyful effort and loving kindness to all aspects of life. We develop the five strengths by appreciating, aspiring, trusting, relaxing, and cultivating conscious and deliberate practices of mindfulness, compassion, peace, and loving kindness. Actively choose these self-transcendent attitudes as your default emotions and watch your life transform.
What are the seeds of virtue that are applicable for this slogan? The first is faith, which is defined as “the willing suspension of disbelief.” To what or for whom do we declare our faith to? To the practice, teachings, whatever inspires you to action. This is not blind faith but the commitment to trust your own experience, to be open to whatever arises and to the possibility of not knowing. Faith is accessible and actionable. Every practice is an act of faith in your potential, in finding your path, not ‘the’ path. It requires a leap of faith to step out of your comfort zones and an act of faith to dive into the depths of experience, beyond appearances and the superficial. Faith is believing in a power greater than self and that love, compassion, joy, kindness will fuel a connection to ourselves and to that power. Everyday faith is listening to that stammering voice inside of you that asks “What is alive in me?” and “What are my questions?”
The second seed of virtue is loving-kindness, or metta, which widens the “circle of we” by wishing the best for all living beings without self-benefit. It is the gateway to an open heart. The Buddha begins his discourse on Metta with: “In gladness and in safety, may all beings be at ease.” We can best embody the qualities of loving kindness with a gentle, interested, validating, and easeful relationship with our bodies. Express the following as wishes or aspirations and let the words resonate in your heart. May I be happy. May I embody kindness. May I be full of love. May I know peace. May I be free from suffering. May I live life to the fullest extent. Systematically extend loving kindness to others. First, imagine a person near and dear to you until you feel uncomplicated warmth and affection. May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live life with ease. Next cultivate genuine interest for someone that you routinely see but have little or no real knowledge or sense of. Now imagine someone who rubs you the wrong way, who is difficult, edgy. Apply proactive tolerance as if seeing this person for the first time. Breathe in common humanity. Here is an opportunity to meet your obstacles full on, especially attachment and aversion. May you be filled with loving kindness. May you have happiness and the causes of happiness, such as clarity and kindness. May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering such as ill will and envy. May you be free of anger and bitterness. Finally, we extend this compassionate, spiritual field of goodwill to the global community with the Metta Sutta which originates from the 2400-year-old Pali Canon. May all beings be happy and secure. May all beings be happy at heart! Omitting none, whether they are weak or strong, seen or unseen, near or distant, born or to-be-born: May all beings be happy. Let none deceive another, or despise anyone anywhere, or through anger or ill will wish for another to suffer.
The irrepressible enthusiasm powered by love and gratitude is what propels our extraordinary human potential.
With gratitude I remember the people, animals, plants, insects, creatures of the sky and sea, air and water, fire and earth, all whose joyful exertion blesses my life every day. With gratitude I remember the care and labour of a thousand generations of elders and ancestors who came before me. I offer my gratitude for the safety and well-being that I have been given. I offer my gratitude for the blessings of this earth I have been given. I offer my gratitude for the measure of health I have been given. I offer my gratitude for the family and friends that I have been given. I offer my gratitude for the teachings and lessons I have been given. I offer my gratitude for the life I have been given.
Jack Kornfield