Lojong Practice Journal: Don’t be swayed by external circumstances
The 59 slogans through a social justice lens
Many Lojong slogans can come across as commandments to not do this and yes do that. They seem like codes of conduct or rules we should follow if we are good little Buddhists. “Don’t be swayed by external circumstances” is one of these commandment like statements.
On the surface, this slogan could sound like an instruction to be stoic or impervious to whatever might be going on around us. Because of how patriarchy and Buddhism are infused with one another, many dharma teachings are taken this way. One of the greatest misunderstandings I encounter in others is that Buddhism is all about ‘getting rid of’ emotional reactivity, as if emotions are a problem rather than a guide. And not just in others—I used to think this was the case myself.
This approach is unhealthy and neglects to include the practitioner in the very compassion in which so much dharma is rooted. If our path is about alleviating suffering, it doesn’t make sense to suppress or repress how we feel. That would be buying into the poison of ignorance — thinking that if we don’t examine or acknowledge how we are feeling, then it will go away.
This slogan is not guiding us on a path of ignoring our feelings. It’s instructing us to maintain stability of mind, even when external circumstances are anything but stable. This is a very different instruction than ‘numb out’ or ‘don’t react’. It’s reminding us to remain grounded in our practice no matter what circumstances around us look like. Our practice being the capacity to be present, to cultivate compassion, and to respond skillfully.
In the midst of the Corona Virus epidemic, it is nearly impossible to ignore the unpredictability and therefore impact of external circumstances. Even when something can be predicted—like how this is going to get much worse before it gets better—we cannot know what things will be like a month from now. How much worse, or what ‘worse’ even looks like. It’s pretty clear to most people that we can’t even know what things might look like by tomorrow. In a matter of a few days I went from being on holiday, albeit with caution, to being under Shelter-In-Place orders. First libraries closed, then restaurants, then all non-essential services. This has been the case for most of us.
We are always in transition, but there are times when it is more obvious than others. As we watch the unfolding consequences of this pandemic — of a gutted health care system in the United States, of the continuing perpetration of genocidal disregard for Indigenous peoples in Canada, of medical staff overwhelmed by patients, of parents and teachers attempting to navigate educating and caring for kids of all ages — it’s expected that we will be swayed. Of course we will.
Strong emotions are not a problem. Strong emotions are human. We get to feel how we feel. Emotions arise in a measure of time too short for us to comprehend, triggered by the chemical reactions of our body. Stabilizing the mind comes into play in how we respond when these emotions arise.
An unstable mind spins out into panic, fear, or ignorance. This informs our actions, and those actions can look like buying far more toilet paper than we need, refusing to physically distance ourselves as if denying the severity of what is going on will make it less severe, or raging on the Internet about who we think is or isn’t to blame.
There have been a few days when I’ve felt particularly unhinged. I’m aware of how resentful I feel. I’m aware that I have thought, more than once, that it would be good if certain people died from this. I’m aware of how gross that thought makes me feel, and equally how righteous I feel about it. I’m aware of the anxiety, stress, depression, fear, and grief that are cycling through my body on a daily basis.
I’m also aware that it benefits no one for me to hold onto resentment, anger, and fear. It benefits no one and it actively harms me. These things do not feel good in my body. They do not feel good in my mind, in my heart. They do not serve me when I ruminate and hold onto them.
They do serve me when I acknowledge what it is they are pointing at.
These intense emotions are not bad. They show us our humanity. I would not feel this way if I did not believe people were capable of being better. If I genuinely believe people are inherently awful, then it means they can’t change. If they can’t change, getting angry at them would be like being angry that the sky is blue or that the weather wasn’t what I wanted it to be today. These strong emotions point to my capacity to care even for those who don’t seem to care for anyone beyond their small social circle, or are entirely focused only on their self-interest, with little regard for the lives of others.
This is the practice. This is how we stabilize our minds. We acknowledge that external circumstances cannot be controlled. We acknowledge that our emotional response to external circumstances can’t be controlled either — unless we are truly enlightened and have the capacity to control the hormonal flux of our bodies. Given that this is not the case for most of us, our opportunity comes in the third stage. We see what arises and we cultivate the capacity to pause long enough to consider what will serve before responding.
It serves for me to support Mutual Aid efforts. It serves for me to order books from independent bookstores. It serves for me to send texts and emails to various people in my social circle, checking in on them. It serves for me to consider that not everyone is impacted equally by this and I might have something to offer, and others have things to teach me. It serves for me to be kind to the person working the cash register at the grocery store. It serves for me to work on an art project to help my own mental well-being. It serves for me to journal about the landscape of my emotions. It serves for me to remind myself by reminding others that how we feel in response to this can’t be ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, ‘good’ or ‘bad’ — those are judgements, not facts.
Our emotions are an expression of our humanity. Every time a strong emotions arises, we can consider this slogan and see that emotion as inviting us to pause, centre, and consider what will serve. Stand strong in your integrity, intentions and aspirations. External circumstances cannot be avoided, but we can refrain from habitual responses that do nothing to improve such circumstances.
Originally published on Medium.
This is part of a series of posts I did to support my practice. They will always be free for everyone to read and engage with, but if you want to support me financially, that is greatly appreciated. Tips, paid subscription, and regular e-transfers* help me cover the costs of being a creative human being in the world.
Toodle on over to www.KSCHatch.com to find out more about what I do.
Thank you!
*If you are in Canadia, you can send me a one off or ongoing e-transfer using the email faunawolf ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com
If we want to progress on our way to becoming more aware, we need to meet resistance. External (and internal) circumstances that seem to try and stop us are in fact the gym where we train our spiritual muscles. No muscles without resistance. We wouldn't have any muscles if there wasn't any gravity. That is what astronauts in space experience: everything is weightless and can be moved without any effort, so the astronauts lose their muscles and have to have special workouts.
So whenever I meet something annoying or really disturbing I try to accept that as a possibility to strengthen my spiritual muscles. It is not always easy, I admit, but: "That is the way", as the Mandalorian say.
To stay with the metaphor of muscles: occasionally after a strenuous activity one feels pain in muscles one didn't even know existed. I think it is the same with what we feel when certain external circumstances block our way. Suddenly we're aware of negative feelings (annoyance, anger, self-pity, disappointment etc.) we thought we had left behind us because we have trained diligently. But no, there is this little muscle twitching angrily. So it is back to work.
It is always back to work. It keeps us humble.