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If my friends or family asked me how to actively apply Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings to their problems and difficulties, then I would tell them about the Eight Verses on Mind Training by Geshe Langri Tangpa. I would tell them the goal of Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings is for everybody to be happy, not one person excluded. Then I would tell them about:- The genre of Tibetan Buddhism known as "mind training" (Tibetan: lojong) or "thought transformation".
- The warm heart of the mind training practice, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Mahayana tradition.
- One Buddhist holiday, four visualisations, five conversations with an Artificial Intelligence, and nine meditations, including a visualisation on taking and giving on the breath (Tibetan: tonglen).
- Three words of Te Reo Maori to change the way that we relate to other people.
- Four root texts would be referenced by Buddha Shakyamuni, Master Shantideva, Master Dharmarakshita, and Geshe Langri Tangpa. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama would be presented as an example of the Buddha's teachings in the modern world.
- Four examples featuring Alexander from Accounts who is an entirely fictional character used to discuss realistic situations and ethical dilemmas.
- Eight verses, eleven aspirations, and eleven ways of relating to other people that are the basis for the mind training practice.
- Nine obstacles and challenges that I overcame in order to actively apply the mind training practice to my life.
- Ten backside jokes, twelve movie references, and fourteen music references.
I would use slightly more lighthearted profanity than they might expect (it's a bit sweary). I would use modern metaphors and examples from the Covid-19 years, because we both lived under the looming health threat of the Coronavirus. I would tell them that practising mind training is not a replacement for prescribed medication or counselling services. I would tell them to consult with their doctor or psychiatrist before making any changes to their medical treatment. I would mention using common sense and exercising caution in the modern world. I would tell them about the attitude absorbed in the happiness of other people, because the goal is for everybody to be happy. Finally, I would explain that the spoon is empty. Take this my friend, may it serve you well.
How to Practise Mind Training (Lojong): Notes on the Eight Verses on Mind Training during the Covid-19 years; By M. Tompkins; Mere Label Publications, 2025, 309 pages, $28.00
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