Slogan #29
Abandon poisonous food.
The poison referred to here is the poison of egocentricity and entitlement. Slogan #29 examines how, as Lojong students, we can poison ourselves by turning these compassion teachings into self-aggrandizing ego boosts. The traditional Buddhist teachings on “the three defects of the vessel” are wonderful reminders of what it means to be a sincere student and the obstacles that we’ll encounter on the path. I’ve added 2 more cups so here’s an updated version of Buddha’s analogy on our human imperfections as it applies to studentship:
Not paying attention or not listening because you are distracted or falling asleep is to be like a cup turned upside down. Although you are physically present, you are unable to take in new information or to be aware of something/someone outside of yourself.
Not remembering or unable to retain is to be like a cup with a hole in it. You may appear to be present but are disembodied from the process of learning (and life).
Pride and ambition pollute these teachings into opportunities to be superior and to feel special and better than everyone else. The five mental afflictions or poisons: anger, envy, fear, greed, and hatred, are another way to visualize a cup with poison in it. What you look like and how people see you is everything. This defect breeds separation, isolation and disconnection.
Drinking from someone else’s cup is not being able to acknowledge your own lived experience but instead to make another’s (most often a teacher’s) experience more important than your own. This is the cornerstone of the guru model and blind allegiance to a guru, style, tradition, or lineage.
You will be a cup that is overflowing if you can’t empty your cup in order to take in new information and new ways to see the world. This is the notion of beginner’s mind.
Of course, assuming the role of a student or of a teacher are two sides of the same coin. What obstacles did you identify with? In other words, what opportunities for growth are there for you? What is your willingness to change?