Lojong Cards and Booklet

Lojong Cards and Booklet
This self-published deck and booklet are the intellectual property of Beverly King. Please do not copy or reproduce any photos or blog posts without permission.

Monday, May 23, 2016

All dharma agree at one point.

 
Spiny orb-weaver - photo by Steven Scott

          The purpose of the dharma is to liberate us from the enthrallment of our ego, thus allowing us to see the truth. Much like the stickiness of a spider's web, the ego is skilled at catching us unaware; it always prefers a comfortable dream world to reality. As Chogyam Trungpa warns, "The problem is that ego can convert anything to its own use, even spirituality. Ego is constantly attempting to acquire and apply the teachings of spirituality for its own benefit." Under the influence of ego, we may gain knowledge and perform techniques as proof of our worth and goodness. We might become constantly alert for any experience we can point to as a special sign of being right or being on the true path. Or we may use our spiritual practice as a way to avoid dealing with any kind of pain or discomfort. But as this slogan implies and Trungpa points out, for our practice to be meaningful "it must entail us giving up our hope of getting something in return."  

It is important to see that the main point of any spiritual practice is to step out of the bureaucracy of the ego. ~ Chogyam Trungpa

For more information on the nineteenth slogan, go here.

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