deceptively simple

#1 First Train in the Preliminaries

Here is my  understanding of what is mean by the “preliminaries” in this first Lojong slogan: mindfulness meditation, but also these four reminders:

  1. Preciousness of human life
  2. Impermanence
  3. Karma
  4. Samsara  (and the futility of clinging to security/safety)

The fracture (the “break” I actually asked for) and its aftermath have been an experience I’m profoundly grateful for. It has opened my eyes to what is and brought me to a new level of gratitude for my life that is hard to express without sounding all trippy. I am not even going to try here. I will say:  I have never been lighter or more easy in my own skin or as a citizen of this world.

The four reminders resonate for me more than ever because of the experience of the fracture, but I want to be cautious about becoming self-satisfied. The preliminaries are deceptively simple. There is more work to do. More meditation practice, more training. There always will be. But I do feel as if I am in a new place with a new and very different relationship to my experience.