Yesterday was the 39th day of reflecting on the Lojong slogans, and I missed posting for the blog. I was back home in the Beaches, Toronto, for our yearly concert with my beloved cousin Leroy.

The essence of this slogan is intention and its power; that is, we are making the decision to commit to a life of deliberate compassion. What does this mean? To think, feel, speak, and act with compassion for all sentient beings.

Today, while waiting for someone to open a locked door, I sat in my friend’s backyard. A quick summer rain passed by during my meditation practice.

This slogan is a study of human behaviour—when we feel wronged or hurt by someone, we can feel gleeful when calamity strikes. We may even imagine doing a “ain’t karma a bitch” happy dance on their grave!

On this Summer Solstice 2024, a day of light and transformation, I reflect on Judy Lief's words about Slogan 37: “Don’t make gods into demons.”

As Pema Chodron writes: “Anything could be used to build yourself up and smooth things over and calm things down or to keep everything under control. Good food becomes poisonous and gods become demons when you use them to keep yourself in that room with the doors and windows closed.”

In today's meditation class with Pat at Studio Be online, she emphasized surrendering and using meditation as a filter to clean out the debris from life.

Don’t act with a twist can be translated as “walk your talk” and furthermore, make sure that what is propelling these right actions is not self-interest.

Today’s image cMy teacher, Pat Harada’s reflection on the Lojong Slogan "Don’t try to be the fastest" has become a starting point for my own reflection today. omes from “Frame by Frame” the National Ballet’s 2018 multidisciplinary tribute to filmmaker Norman McLaren.

Today’s image comes from “Frame by Frame” the National Ballet’s 2018 multidisciplinary tribute to filmmaker Norman McLaren.

I chose to sit outside in the midst of a heatwave as I reflect on Slogan #34: "Don't transfer the ox's load to the cow." The scorching sun beats down, the air is thick and heavy, and every instinct urges me to retreat into the cool comfort of my air-conditioned home.

I love this quote by Ruth King: “Life is not personal, permanent, or perfect.” Given these 3 essential truths, Slogan #34 advises us to take responsibility for our own burdens—“don’t pick up what isn't yours; don't avoid what is.”

In today’s meditation, I reflected on Slogan #33: "Don't bring things to a painful point." This teaching reminds us to avoid escalating situations into unnecessary suffering, and it resonated deeply with me.

Don’t bring things to a painful point is an exhortation to practice living (thinking, speaking, acting) in the gap between stimulus and response; and between action and reaction.

This slogan reminded me of a Zen story about two monks and a woman. As they traveled, the monks encountered a woman needing help to cross a river. One monk carried her across while the other monk waded beside them.

This slogan is all about how easy it is to hold a grudge and to plot revenge on those people who have harmed us. Resentment is addictive in the same way that drugs, shopping, exercise, food, alcohol, and tv can be.

As I sit in meditation, the sun slowly descends, casting its warm rays upon my face. I envision the sky transforming into a canvas of oranges and pinks, and my breath exhales to this image of the serene glow of the setting sun.

The Lojong slogans can be considered as either prohibitions or aspirations; they are simply both sides of the same coin. “Don’t malign others” can be reframed to “be kind and generous” as a compassionate call to action.

As I sit here in the familiar park in Toronto, a place that has provided me solace and comfort amidst the city's chaos, I can't help but reflect on how I react when I feel threatened.

In the 1999 movie, The Matrix, Neo was given the choice to remain in blissful ignorance by ingesting the blue pill. The red pill represented the unpredictable, uncertain, and life-changing truth of reality.