Ch 5 Part 1 Becoming Bodhisattva Flashcards
(470 cards)
1
Q
What should you think when first waking up?
A
May all sentient beings achieve full enlightenment
2
Q
What is the first line of the bodhisattva attitude verses?
A
I shall give away fully with no sense of loss
3
Q
What do bodhisattvas give away?
A
Body, enjoyments and all merits of the three times
4
Q
What is the purpose of giving everything away?
A
To accomplish the work for all sentient beings
5
Q
What work is to be accomplished for sentient beings?
A
Happiness of this life, future lives, liberation and enlightenment
6
Q
What should you think about leaving everything at death?
A
Since I have to leave everything, it is best to give it away now
7
Q
How can you accomplish the work?
A
Through pure virtuous conduct
8
Q
What is virtuous conduct?
A
Staying aware of all three karmic doors
9
Q
What should be watched?
A
All actions of body, speech and mind
10
Q
When working for sentient beings through giving and taking, how should you practise?
A
Riding on the breath
11
Q
When doing giving and taking, what should you rely on?
A
These two should be mounted on the breath
12
Q
What is the purpose of developing the three poisons into the path?
A
As soon as they arise, they should be applied as an antidote
13
Q
What is done as soon as the three mental poisons arise?
A
Meditate on them as antidotes
14
Q
How should you have fun in this life?
A
Through meditation on the essential points
15
Q
What does the person who meditates on the essential points do?
A
Abides in meditative equipoise
16
Q
What is the commitment for tomorrow?
A
Sleep tonight like a dying person
17
Q
How should you sleep?
A
Like a dying person
18
Q
How should you wake up tomorrow?
A
Like one born anew
19
Q
How should you be reborn?
A
Born anew
20
Q
The first line of the lojong slogans?
A
First, train in the preliminaries
21
Q
What are the preliminaries?
A
The difficulty of obtaining a human life, the certainty of death, the sufferings of cyclic existence, and the infallible results of karma
22
Q
How many contemplations are included in the first slogan?
A
Four
23
Q
The second lojong slogan?
A
Regard all phenomena as dreamlike
24
Q
What should all phenomena be regarded as?
A
Dreamlike
25
The third lojong slogan?
Examine the nature of unborn awareness
26
What nature should be examined?
The nature of unborn awareness
27
The fourth lojong slogan?
Self-liberate even the antidote
28
What should be self-liberated?
Even the antidote
29
The fifth lojong slogan?
Rest in the nature of ālaya, the essence
30
Where should you rest?
In the nature of ālaya, the essence
31
The sixth lojong slogan?
In postmeditation, be a child of illusion
32
What should you be in postmeditation?
A child of illusion
33
The seventh lojong slogan?
Sending and taking should be practised alternately. These two should be mounted on the breath
34
What should be practised alternately?
Sending and taking
35
The eighth lojong slogan?
Three objects, three poisons, and three roots of virtue
36
What are the three objects?
Pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral
37
The ninth lojong slogan?
In all activities, train with slogans
38
Where should you train with slogans?
In all activities
39
The tenth lojong slogan?
Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself
40
Where should the sequence of sending and taking begin?
With yourself
41
The eleventh lojong slogan?
When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi
42
When the world is filled with evil, what should all mishaps be transformed into?
The path of bodhi
43
The twelfth lojong slogan?
Drive all blames into one
44
Where should all blames be driven?
Into one
45
The thirteenth lojong slogan?
Be grateful to everyone
46
Who should you be grateful to?
Everyone
47
The fourteenth lojong slogan?
Seeing confusion as the four kāyas is unsurpassable protection
48
What is seeing confusion as the four kāyas?
Unsurpassable protection
49
The fifteenth lojong slogan?
Four practices are the best of methods
50
What are the four practices?
The best of methods
51
The sixteenth lojong slogan?
Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation
52
What should you do with what you meet unexpectedly?
Join with meditation
53
The seventeenth lojong slogan?
Practice the five strengths, the condensed heart instructions
54
What should you practice?
The five strengths, the condensed heart instructions
55
The eighteenth lojong slogan?
The mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death is the five strengths: how you conduct yourself is important
56
What is the mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death?
The five strengths: how you conduct yourself is important
57
The nineteenth lojong slogan?
All dharma agrees at one point
58
Where do all dharma agree?
At one point
59
The twentieth lojong slogan?
Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one
60
Which witness should be held?
The principal one
61
The twenty-first lojong slogan?
Always maintain only a joyful mind
62
What mind should always be maintained?
Only a joyful mind
63
The twenty-second lojong slogan?
If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained
64
What indicates that you are well trained?
If you can practice even when distracted
65
The twenty-third lojong slogan?
Always abide by the three general principles
66
What should you always abide by?
The three general principles
67
The twenty-fourth lojong slogan?
Change your attitude, but remain natural
68
What should be changed but remain natural?
Your attitude
69
The twenty-fifth lojong slogan?
Don't talk about injured limbs
70
What should you not talk about?
Injured limbs
71
The twenty-sixth lojong slogan?
Don't ponder others
72
What should you not ponder?
Others
73
The twenty-seventh lojong slogan?
Work with the greatest defilements first
74
What should you work with first?
The greatest defilements
75
The twenty-eighth lojong slogan?
Abandon any hope of fruition
76
What hope should be abandoned?
Any hope of fruition
77
The twenty-ninth lojong slogan?
Abandon poisonous food
78
What food should be abandoned?
Poisonous food
79
The thirtieth lojong slogan?
Don't be so predictable
80
What should you not be?
So predictable
81
The thirty-first lojong slogan?
Don't malign others
82
What should you not do to others?
Malign them
83
The thirty-second lojong slogan?
Don't wait in ambush
84
What should you not do?
Wait in ambush
85
The thirty-third lojong slogan?
Don't bring things to a painful point
86
What should you not bring things to?
A painful point
87
The thirty-fourth lojong slogan?
Don't transfer the ox's load to the cow
88
What should not be transferred to the cow?
The ox's load
89
The thirty-fifth lojong slogan?
Don't try to be the fastest
90
What should you not try to be?
The fastest
91
The thirty-sixth lojong slogan?
Don't act with a twist
92
How should you not act?
With a twist
93
The thirty-seventh lojong slogan?
Don't make gods into demons
94
What should gods not be made into?
Demons
95
The thirty-eighth lojong slogan?
Don't seek others' pain as the limbs of your own happiness
96
What should not be sought as the limbs of your own happiness?
Others' pain
97
The first of the four practices?
Accumulate merit
98
What is the first practice?
Accumulate merit
99
The second of the four practices?
Lay down evil deeds
100
What is the second practice?
Lay down evil deeds
101
The third of the four practices?
Offer to the döns
102
What is the third practice?
Offer to the döns
103
The fourth of the four practices?
Offer to the dharmapalas
104
What is the fourth practice?
Offer to the dharmapalas
105
What is another name for döns?
Negative spirits
106
What are döns?
Negative spirits
107
What is another name for dharmapalas?
Dharma protectors
108
What are dharmapalas?
Dharma protectors
109
The first of the five strengths?
Strong determination
110
What is the first strength?
Strong determination
111
The second of the five strengths?
Familiarization
112
What is the second strength?
Familiarization
113
The third of the five strengths?
Positive seed
114
What is the third strength?
Positive seed
115
The fourth of the five strengths?
Reproach
116
What is the fourth strength?
Reproach
117
The fifth of the five strengths?
Aspiration
118
What is the fifth strength?
Aspiration
119
What is the one point where all dharma agrees?
Reduce ego-clinging
120
What should be reduced?
Ego-clinging
121
What is the principal witness?
Your own mind
122
What is the principal witness we should hold?
Your own mind
123
What are the three general principles?
Keep your vows, don't be outrageous, don't be partial
124
What are the first of the three general principles?
Keep your vows
125
What are the second of the three general principles?
Don't be outrageous
126
What are the third of the three general principles?
Don't be partial
127
What does keeping your vows mean?
Maintaining your commitments to spiritual practice
128
What does not being outrageous mean?
Not shocking others with your behavior
129
What does not being partial mean?
Applying lojong to everyone equally
130
What are injured limbs?
Others' faults
131
Why shouldn't you talk about injured limbs?
It spreads negativity and gossip
132
What does pondering others mean?
Thinking about others' faults
133
Why shouldn't you ponder others?
It increases your own delusions
134
What does working with the greatest defilements first mean?
Focus on your strongest mental poisons
135
Why work with the greatest defilements first?
They cause the most suffering
136
What does abandoning hope of fruition mean?
Not practicing for personal gain
137
Why abandon hope of fruition?
It keeps practice pure
138
What is poisonous food?
Pride about your spiritual progress
139
Why is spiritual pride poisonous?
It destroys merit and progress
140
What does being predictable mean?
Always reacting the same way to problems
141
Why shouldn't you be predictable?
It shows you're not progressing
142
What does maligning others mean?
Speaking badly about them
143
Why shouldn't you malign others?
It creates negative karma
144
What does waiting in ambush mean?
Looking for chances to hurt those who hurt you
145
Why shouldn't you wait in ambush?
It increases anger and hatred
146
What does bringing things to a painful point mean?
Making others suffer unnecessarily
147
Why shouldn't you bring things to a painful point?
It contradicts compassion
148
What does transferring the ox's load to the cow mean?
Making others suffer for your problems
149
Why shouldn't you transfer the ox's load to the cow?
Others should not suffer for your actions
150
What does trying to be the fastest mean?
Competing spiritually or helping for recognition
151
Why shouldn't you try to be the fastest?
Spiritual practice should be humble
152
What does acting with a twist mean?
Helping others with mixed motives
153
Why shouldn't you act with a twist?
Pure motivation is essential
154
What does making gods into demons mean?
Turning positive practices into ego-building
155
Why shouldn't you make gods into demons?
It corrupts spiritual practice
156
What does seeking others' pain mean?
Finding happiness in others' suffering
157
Why shouldn't you seek others' pain as limbs of your happiness?
It contradicts compassion and creates negative karma
158
What does accumulating merit mean?
Creating positive karma through virtuous actions
159
How do you accumulate merit?
Through generosity, ethical conduct, and patience
160
What does laying down evil deeds mean?
Avoiding harmful actions
161
How do you lay down evil deeds?
Through mindfulness and ethical discipline
162
What does offering to the döns mean?
Giving your suffering to negative forces
163
How do you offer to the döns?
By accepting your problems as theirs
164
What does offering to the dharmapalas mean?
Dedicating your merit to protective forces
165
How do you offer to the dharmapalas?
By giving away your virtue
166
What does strong determination mean?
Firm commitment to spiritual practice
167
How do you develop strong determination?
Through contemplating the benefits of practice
168
What does familiarization mean?
Regular practice until it becomes natural
169
How do you develop familiarization?
Through consistent daily practice
170
What does positive seed mean?
Creating conditions for future spiritual growth
171
How do you plant positive seeds?
Through virtuous actions and aspirations
172
What does reproach mean?
Recognizing and correcting self-cherishing
173
How do you practice reproach?
By watching your selfish motivations
174
What does aspiration mean?
Dedicating merit for the benefit of all beings
175
How do you practice aspiration?
By making prayers for universal awakening
176
What is the essence of all lojong practice?
Transforming self-cherishing into cherishing others
177
How do you transform self-cherishing?
Through the practice of giving and taking
178
What is the ultimate goal of mind training?
Complete awakening for the benefit of all beings
179
How does mind training lead to awakening?
By developing bodhicitta and wisdom
180
What is the sign of successful mind training?
Reduced self-concern and increased concern for others
181
How can you measure your progress?
By how naturally you put others first
182
What is the ultimate instruction?
When everything goes wrong, blame only yourself
183
Why blame only yourself?
It prevents anger and increases humility
184
What is the heart of all spiritual practice?
Love and compassion
185
How do you cultivate love and compassion?
By seeing all beings as having been your mother
186
What is the purpose of human life?
To develop wisdom and compassion
187
How do you fulfill the purpose of human life?
Through mind training and bodhicitta
188
What is the most important daily practice?
Checking your motivation
189
How do you check your motivation?
By asking if your actions truly benefit others
190
What is true happiness?
Inner peace and contentment
191
How do you achieve true happiness?
By reducing selfish desires
192
What is the cause of suffering?
Self-cherishing and ignorance
193
How do you overcome suffering?
Through wisdom and compassion
194
What is the meaning of taking refuge?
Relying on Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha for guidance
195
Why take refuge?
For protection and direction on the spiritual path
196
What are the three jewels?
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
197
Why are they called jewels?
Because they are precious and rare
198
What does Buddha represent?
The enlightened teacher
199
What does Dharma represent?
The teachings and the path
200
What does Sangha represent?
The spiritual community
201
How do you honor the three jewels?
Through faith, study, and practice
202
What is the foundation of Buddhist practice?
Taking refuge and generating bodhicitta
203
What is the path to enlightenment?
The gradual training in ethics, concentration, and wisdom
204
What are the three trainings?
Ethics, concentration, and wisdom
205
Why are all three trainings necessary?
They support each other in leading to liberation
206
What is ethical conduct?
Avoiding harmful actions and cultivating beneficial ones
207
What is concentration?
Single-pointed focus of mind
208
What is wisdom?
Understanding the true nature of reality
209
How do these lead to enlightenment?
By removing the causes of suffering
210
What is the nature of mind?
Clear, knowing awareness
211
How do you recognize the nature of mind?
Through meditation and investigation
212
What obscures the nature of mind?
Mental afflictions and conceptual thinking
213
How do you remove these obscurations?
Through mindfulness and wisdom
214
What is meditation?
Training the mind in positive states
215
What are the types of meditation?
Analytical and stabilizing
216
What is analytical meditation?
Using reasoning to develop understanding
217
What is stabilizing meditation?
Maintaining focused concentration
218
What should you meditate on?
Love, compassion, wisdom, and emptiness
219
How often should you meditate?
Daily, if possible
220
What is the benefit of meditation?
Peace, clarity, and spiritual development
221
What obstacles arise in meditation?
Dullness, agitation, and distraction
222
How do you overcome meditation obstacles?
Through appropriate antidotes and patience
223
What is emptiness?
The lack of inherent existence
224
How do you understand emptiness?
Through analysis and meditation
225
What is the purpose of understanding emptiness?
To eliminate ignorance and suffering
226
What is interdependence?
All phenomena arise in dependence on causes and conditions
227
How does interdependence relate to emptiness?
It shows that nothing exists independently
228
What is impermanence?
The constant change of all phenomena
229
Why contemplate impermanence?
To reduce attachment and appreciate life
230
What is suffering?
The dissatisfaction inherent in cyclic existence
231
What causes suffering?
Attachment, aversion, and ignorance
232
How do you eliminate suffering?
By eliminating its causes
233
What is liberation?
Freedom from cyclic existence
234
What is enlightenment?
The complete elimination of all obscurations
235
How do bodhisattvas help beings?
Through skillful means and wisdom
236
What should you think when first waking up?
May all sentient beings achieve full enlightenment
237
What is the first line of the bodhisattva attitude verses?
I shall give away fully with no sense of loss
238
What do bodhisattvas give away?
Body, enjoyments and all merits of the three times
239
What is the purpose of giving everything away?
To accomplish the work for all sentient beings
240
What work is to be accomplished for sentient beings?
Happiness of this life, future lives, liberation and enlightenment
241
What should you think about leaving everything at death?
Since I have to leave everything, it is best to give it away now
242
How can you accomplish the work?
Through pure virtuous conduct
243
What is virtuous conduct?
Staying aware of all three karmic doors
244
What should be watched?
All actions of body, speech and mind
245
When working for sentient beings through giving and taking, how should you practise?
Riding on the breath
246
When doing giving and taking, what should you rely on?
These two should be mounted on the breath
247
What is the purpose of developing the three poisons into the path?
As soon as they arise, they should be applied as an antidote
248
What is done as soon as the three mental poisons arise?
Meditate on them as antidotes
249
How should you have fun in this life?
Through meditation on the essential points
250
What does the person who meditates on the essential points do?
Abides in meditative equipoise
251
What is the commitment for tomorrow?
Sleep tonight like a dying person
252
How should you sleep?
Like a dying person
253
How should you wake up tomorrow?
Like one born anew
254
How should you be reborn?
Born anew
255
The first line of the lojong slogans?
First, train in the preliminaries
256
What are the preliminaries?
The difficulty of obtaining a human life, the certainty of death, the sufferings of cyclic existence, and the infallible results of karma
257
How many contemplations are included in the first slogan?
Four
258
The second lojong slogan?
Regard all phenomena as dreamlike
259
What should all phenomena be regarded as?
Dreamlike
260
The third lojong slogan?
Examine the nature of unborn awareness
261
What nature should be examined?
The nature of unborn awareness
262
The fourth lojong slogan?
Self-liberate even the antidote
263
What should be self-liberated?
Even the antidote
264
The fifth lojong slogan?
Rest in the nature of ālaya, the essence
265
Where should you rest?
In the nature of ālaya, the essence
266
The sixth lojong slogan?
In postmeditation, be a child of illusion
267
What should you be in postmeditation?
A child of illusion
268
The seventh lojong slogan?
Sending and taking should be practised alternately. These two should be mounted on the breath
269
What should be practised alternately?
Sending and taking
270
The eighth lojong slogan?
Three objects, three poisons, and three roots of virtue
271
What are the three objects?
Pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral
272
The ninth lojong slogan?
In all activities, train with slogans
273
Where should you train with slogans?
In all activities
274
The tenth lojong slogan?
Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself
275
Where should the sequence of sending and taking begin?
With yourself
276
The eleventh lojong slogan?
When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi
277
When the world is filled with evil, what should all mishaps be transformed into?
The path of bodhi
278
The twelfth lojong slogan?
Drive all blames into one
279
Where should all blames be driven?
Into one
280
The thirteenth lojong slogan?
Be grateful to everyone
281
Who should you be grateful to?
Everyone
282
The fourteenth lojong slogan?
Seeing confusion as the four kāyas is unsurpassable protection
283
What is seeing confusion as the four kāyas?
Unsurpassable protection
284
The fifteenth lojong slogan?
Four practices are the best of methods
285
What are the four practices?
The best of methods
286
The sixteenth lojong slogan?
Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation
287
What should you do with what you meet unexpectedly?
Join with meditation
288
The seventeenth lojong slogan?
Practice the five strengths, the condensed heart instructions
289
What should you practice?
The five strengths, the condensed heart instructions
290
The eighteenth lojong slogan?
The mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death is the five strengths: how you conduct yourself is important
291
What is the mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death?
The five strengths: how you conduct yourself is important
292
The nineteenth lojong slogan?
All dharma agrees at one point
293
Where do all dharma agree?
At one point
294
The twentieth lojong slogan?
Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one
295
Which witness should be held?
The principal one
296
The twenty-first lojong slogan?
Always maintain only a joyful mind
297
What mind should always be maintained?
Only a joyful mind
298
The twenty-second lojong slogan?
If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained
299
What indicates that you are well trained?
If you can practice even when distracted
300
The twenty-third lojong slogan?
Always abide by the three general principles
301
What should you always abide by?
The three general principles
302
The twenty-fourth lojong slogan?
Change your attitude, but remain natural
303
What should be changed but remain natural?
Your attitude
304
The twenty-fifth lojong slogan?
Don't talk about injured limbs
305
What should you not talk about?
Injured limbs
306
The twenty-sixth lojong slogan?
Don't ponder others
307
What should you not ponder?
Others
308
The twenty-seventh lojong slogan?
Work with the greatest defilements first
309
What should you work with first?
The greatest defilements
310
The twenty-eighth lojong slogan?
Abandon any hope of fruition
311
What hope should be abandoned?
Any hope of fruition
312
The twenty-ninth lojong slogan?
Abandon poisonous food
313
What food should be abandoned?
Poisonous food
314
The thirtieth lojong slogan?
Don't be so predictable
315
What should you not be?
So predictable
316
The thirty-first lojong slogan?
Don't malign others
317
What should you not do to others?
Malign them
318
The thirty-second lojong slogan?
Don't wait in ambush
319
What should you not do?
Wait in ambush
320
The thirty-third lojong slogan?
Don't bring things to a painful point
321
What should you not bring things to?
A painful point
322
The thirty-fourth lojong slogan?
Don't transfer the ox's load to the cow
323
What should not be transferred to the cow?
The ox's load
324
The thirty-fifth lojong slogan?
Don't try to be the fastest
325
What should you not try to be?
The fastest
326
The thirty-sixth lojong slogan?
Don't act with a twist
327
How should you not act?
With a twist
328
The thirty-seventh lojong slogan?
Don't make gods into demons
329
What should gods not be made into?
Demons
330
The thirty-eighth lojong slogan?
Don't seek others' pain as the limbs of your own happiness
331
What should not be sought as the limbs of your own happiness?
Others' pain
332
The first of the four practices?
Accumulate merit
333
What is the first practice?
Accumulate merit
334
The second of the four practices?
Lay down evil deeds
335
What is the second practice?
Lay down evil deeds
336
The third of the four practices?
Offer to the döns
337
What is the third practice?
Offer to the döns
338
The fourth of the four practices?
Offer to the dharmapalas
339
What is the fourth practice?
Offer to the dharmapalas
340
What is another name for döns?
Negative spirits
341
What are döns?
Negative spirits
342
What is another name for dharmapalas?
Dharma protectors
343
What are dharmapalas?
Dharma protectors
344
The first of the five strengths?
Strong determination
345
What is the first strength?
Strong determination
346
The second of the five strengths?
Familiarization
347
What is the second strength?
Familiarization
348
The third of the five strengths?
Positive seed
349
What is the third strength?
Positive seed
350
The fourth of the five strengths?
Reproach
351
What is the fourth strength?
Reproach
352
The fifth of the five strengths?
Aspiration
353
What is the fifth strength?
Aspiration
354
What is the one point where all dharma agrees?
Reduce ego-clinging
355
What should be reduced?
Ego-clinging
356
What is the principal witness?
Your own mind
357
What is the principal witness we should hold?
Your own mind
358
What are the three general principles?
Keep your vows, don't be outrageous, don't be partial
359
What are the first of the three general principles?
Keep your vows
360
What are the second of the three general principles?
Don't be outrageous
361
What are the third of the three general principles?
Don't be partial
362
What does keeping your vows mean?
Maintaining your commitments to spiritual practice
363
What does not being outrageous mean?
Not shocking others with your behavior
364
What does not being partial mean?
Applying lojong to everyone equally
365
What are injured limbs?
Others' faults
366
Why shouldn't you talk about injured limbs?
It spreads negativity and gossip
367
What does pondering others mean?
Thinking about others' faults
368
Why shouldn't you ponder others?
It increases your own delusions
369
What does working with the greatest defilements first mean?
Focus on your strongest mental poisons
370
Why work with the greatest defilements first?
They cause the most suffering
371
What does abandoning hope of fruition mean?
Not practicing for personal gain
372
Why abandon hope of fruition?
It keeps practice pure
373
What is poisonous food?
Pride about your spiritual progress
374
Why is spiritual pride poisonous?
It destroys merit and progress
375
What does being predictable mean?
Always reacting the same way to problems
376
Why shouldn't you be predictable?
It shows you're not progressing
377
What does maligning others mean?
Speaking badly about them
378
Why shouldn't you malign others?
It creates negative karma
379
What does waiting in ambush mean?
Looking for chances to hurt those who hurt you
380
Why shouldn't you wait in ambush?
It increases anger and hatred
381
What does bringing things to a painful point mean?
Making others suffer unnecessarily
382
Why shouldn't you bring things to a painful point?
It contradicts compassion
383
What does transferring the ox's load to the cow mean?
Making others suffer for your problems
384
Why shouldn't you transfer the ox's load to the cow?
Others should not suffer for your actions
385
What does trying to be the fastest mean?
Competing spiritually or helping for recognition
386
Why shouldn't you try to be the fastest?
Spiritual practice should be humble
387
What does acting with a twist mean?
Helping others with mixed motives
388
Why shouldn't you act with a twist?
Pure motivation is essential
389
What does making gods into demons mean?
Turning positive practices into ego-building
390
Why shouldn't you make gods into demons?
It corrupts spiritual practice
391
What does seeking others' pain mean?
Finding happiness in others' suffering
392
Why shouldn't you seek others' pain as limbs of your happiness?
It contradicts compassion and creates negative karma
393
What does accumulating merit mean?
Creating positive karma through virtuous actions
394
How do you accumulate merit?
Through generosity, ethical conduct, and patience
395
What does laying down evil deeds mean?
Avoiding harmful actions
396
How do you lay down evil deeds?
Through mindfulness and ethical discipline
397
What does offering to the döns mean?
Giving your suffering to negative forces
398
How do you offer to the döns?
By accepting your problems as theirs
399
What does offering to the dharmapalas mean?
Dedicating your merit to protective forces
400
How do you offer to the dharmapalas?
By giving away your virtue
401
What does strong determination mean?
Firm commitment to spiritual practice
402
How do you develop strong determination?
Through contemplating the benefits of practice
403
What does familiarization mean?
Regular practice until it becomes natural
404
How do you develop familiarization?
Through consistent daily practice
405
What does positive seed mean?
Creating conditions for future spiritual growth
406
How do you plant positive seeds?
Through virtuous actions and aspirations
407
What does reproach mean?
Recognizing and correcting self-cherishing
408
How do you practice reproach?
By watching your selfish motivations
409
What does aspiration mean?
Dedicating merit for the benefit of all beings
410
How do you practice aspiration?
By making prayers for universal awakening
411
What is the essence of all lojong practice?
Transforming self-cherishing into cherishing others
412
How do you transform self-cherishing?
Through the practice of giving and taking
413
What is the ultimate goal of mind training?
Complete awakening for the benefit of all beings
414
How does mind training lead to awakening?
By developing bodhicitta and wisdom
415
What is the sign of successful mind training?
Reduced self-concern and increased concern for others
416
How can you measure your progress?
By how naturally you put others first
417
What is the ultimate instruction?
When everything goes wrong, blame only yourself
418
Why blame only yourself?
It prevents anger and increases humility
419
What is the heart of all spiritual practice?
Love and compassion
420
How do you cultivate love and compassion?
By seeing all beings as having been your mother
421
What is the purpose of human life?
To develop wisdom and compassion
422
How do you fulfill the purpose of human life?
Through mind training and bodhicitta
423
What is the most important daily practice?
Checking your motivation
424
How do you check your motivation?
By asking if your actions truly benefit others
425
What is true happiness?
Inner peace and contentment
426
How do you achieve true happiness?
By reducing selfish desires
427
What is the cause of suffering?
Self-cherishing and ignorance
428
How do you overcome suffering?
Through wisdom and compassion
429
What is the meaning of taking refuge?
Relying on Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha for guidance
430
Why take refuge?
For protection and direction on the spiritual path
431
What are the three jewels?
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
432
Why are they called jewels?
Because they are precious and rare
433
What does Buddha represent?
The enlightened teacher
434
What does Dharma represent?
The teachings and the path
435
What does Sangha represent?
The spiritual community
436
How do you honor the three jewels?
Through faith, study, and practice
437
What is the foundation of Buddhist practice?
Taking refuge and generating bodhicitta
438
What is the path to enlightenment?
The gradual training in ethics, concentration, and wisdom
439
What are the three trainings?
Ethics, concentration, and wisdom
440
Why are all three trainings necessary?
They support each other in leading to liberation
441
What is ethical conduct?
Avoiding harmful actions and cultivating beneficial ones
442
What is concentration?
Single-pointed focus of mind
443
What is wisdom?
Understanding the true nature of reality
444
How do these lead to enlightenment?
By removing the causes of suffering
445
What is the nature of mind?
Clear, knowing awareness
446
How do you recognize the nature of mind?
Through meditation and investigation
447
What obscures the nature of mind?
Mental afflictions and conceptual thinking
448
How do you remove these obscurations?
Through mindfulness and wisdom
449
What is meditation?
Training the mind in positive states
450
What are the types of meditation?
Analytical and stabilizing
451
What is analytical meditation?
Using reasoning to develop understanding
452
What is stabilizing meditation?
Maintaining focused concentration
453
What should you meditate on?
Love, compassion, wisdom, and emptiness
454
How often should you meditate?
Daily, if possible
455
What is the benefit of meditation?
Peace, clarity, and spiritual development
456
What obstacles arise in meditation?
Dullness, agitation, and distraction
457
How do you overcome meditation obstacles?
Through appropriate antidotes and patience
458
What is emptiness?
The lack of inherent existence
459
How do you understand emptiness?
Through analysis and meditation
460
What is the purpose of understanding emptiness?
To eliminate ignorance and suffering
461
What is interdependence?
All phenomena arise in dependence on causes and conditions
462
How does interdependence relate to emptiness?
It shows that nothing exists independently
463
What is impermanence?
The constant change of all phenomena
464
Why contemplate impermanence?
To reduce attachment and appreciate life
465
What is suffering?
The dissatisfaction inherent in cyclic existence
466
What causes suffering?
Attachment, aversion, and ignorance
467
How do you eliminate suffering?
By eliminating its causes
468
What is liberation?
Freedom from cyclic existence
469
What is enlightenment?
The complete elimination of all obscurations
470
How do bodhisattvas help beings?
Through skillful means and wisdom
