Slogan #41

Two activities: one at the beginning, one at the end.

This slogan asks us to live in the world with the aspirations of mindfulness and compassion. Mornings are about the future and compassion for others. Norman Fischer suggests the following vow:

“Today I want to dedicate myself, to the best of my ability, to being generous and openhearted and benefiting others.”

Using words that are meaningful to you, vow to keep your heart open regardless of the difficulties that you may face. This time is sacred—sit in silence to allow your motivation to respond to others with concern for their well-being to permeate every facet of your being.

Evenings are about remembering your morning’s resolve, reviewing the events of the past day and practicing self-compassion. Ask yourself: “What did I learn today?” and journal one loving interaction or thought, one instance of tension, anxiety, or stress, and one example of gratitude that you remember from the day.

Starting and ending each day with these pledges creates a gap in everyday activities to remember what’s important. Each day is an opportunity to begin again and to practice Lojong. Mornings are focused on future actions and evenings on reviewing past actions with appreciation and compassion. Before sleep, instead of shame or guilt, phrases of self-compassion invite us to end each day by creating a bubble of loving-kindness. Take this time to get to know yourself better—laugh at your foibles and eccentricities—all the things that make you gloriously human.

“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve forgotten, only how soon you remember.”

Buddha