Lojong 18: The Ejection of Consciousness

This is part 18 of my series on Lojong, a Buddhist mind training technique.The five strengths explored in the previous slogan are important in determining how to conduct ourselves in this life. However, they are also about how we conduct ourselves in death. As the famous Zen teacher, Suzuki Roshi says, "Just be willing to die over and over again."Rather than separating the times that are important from those that are insignificant, we look at every moment as being equal. And we experience death to each of these moments. We practice the five strengths no matter the situation.When we practice mindfulness and compassion as taught through the Lojong Slogans, we also begin to uncover the obstacles we have to facing death, such as fear and attachments. When we recognize that the obstacles all have their roots in our belief that we are solid and real, and that in truth we are not, we begin to release these obstacles. We start to notice when we lose touch with our practice and begin to attach ourselves to this world and this body once again. If we allow that moment to die and continue to practice dying in every moment, no matter the pain or obstacle being faced, we will find the liberation we are seeking.