Training in Compassion

Lojong is the Tibetan Buddhist practice that involves working with short phrases (known as slogans) to cultivate Bodhichitta, the heart and mind of enlightened compassion. Although this practice is over a thousand years old, it has only gained popularity in the West in the last twenty years – and quite significantly, as it is a practice that integrates well into ordinary life and because it works. Influenced by Pema Chödrön, one of the first American Buddhist teachers to teach it extensively, the practice has evolved beyond its Buddhist context and also impacts the lives of non-Buddhists.

In this spirit, Norman Fischer offers his commentary on the Lojong slogans. He applies Zen wisdom to them and demonstrates how well they fit into this related tradition, while also placing the slogans in the context of resonant practices across various spiritual traditions. He shows that Lojong is a wonderful method for everyone, including those who may otherwise have no interest in Buddhism, those who lack the time or inclination to meditate, or those who simply want to become the kind of people who are focused rather than distracted, generous rather than stingy, and kind rather than thoughtless.