Lojong is the Tibetan Buddhist practice that involves working with short phrases (called "slogans") as a way of generating bodhichitta, the heart and mind of enlightened compassion. Though the practice is more than a millennium old, it has become popular in the West only in the last twenty years or so--and it has become very popular indeed, because it's a practice that one can fit very well into an ordinary life, and because it works. Through the influence of Pema Chodron, who was one of the first American Buddhist teachers to teach it extensively, the practice has moved out of its Buddhist context to affect the lives of non-Buddhists too. It's in this spirit that Norman Fischer offers his commentary on the lojong slogans. He applies Zen wisdom to them, showing how well they fit in that related tradition, but he also sets the slogans in the context of resonant practices throughout the spiritual traditions. He shows lojong to be a wonderful method for everyone, including those who aren't otherwise interested in Buddhism, who don't have the time or inclination to meditate, or who'd just like to morph into the kind of person who's focused rather than scattered, generous rather than stingy, and kind rather than thoughtless. Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong, Norman Fischer, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 176 Pages, $18.95
Zoketsu Norman Fischer is a poet and Zen Buddhist priest who has for many years taught at the San Francisco Zen Center. He is founder of the Everyday Zen Foundation, an organization dedicated to adapting Zen Buddhist teachings to Western culture, and he is the author of numerous books, including Opening to You: Zen-Inspired Translations of the Psalms and Taking Our Places: The Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up, as well as many volumes of poetry/
Contents: TRAINING IN COMPASSION: Zen Teachings on the Practice of LOJONG by Norman Fischer |
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Acknowledgments |
viii |
Introduction |
ix |
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1. Resolve to Begin |
1 |
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2. Train in Empathy and Compassion |
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PART 1: Absolute Compassion
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9 |
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3. Train in Empathy and Compassion |
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PART 2: Relative Compassion |
29 |
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4. Transform Bad Circumstances into the Path |
45 |
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5. Make Practice Your Whole Life |
63 |
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6. Assess and Extend |
81 |
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7. The Discipline of Relationship |
95 |
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8. Living with Ease in a Crazy World |
125 |
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Afterword |
147 |
Appendix 1: Seven points and Fifty-Nine Slogans |
149 |
Appendix 2: Basic Zen Meditation |
153 |
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