Seven Points of Mind Training

Point 6 : Disciplines of Mind Training

34: Don't transfer the ox's load to the cow.

Point Six : Don't transfer the ox's load to the cow.

Commentary :

It is very easy to say, "It's not my fault, it's all your fault, it's always your fault." It is very easy to say that, but it is questionable. One has to think about one's problems personally, honestly, and genuinely. If there were no you to initiate situations, there would not be any problems at all. But since you exist, therefore there are also problems. We do not want to transfer that load.

The ox is capable of carrying burdens; the cow is less capable of carrying burdens. So the point of this slogan is that you do not transfer your heavy load to someone who is weaker than you. Transferring the ox's load to the cow means not wanting to deal with anything on your own. You don't want to take on any responsibilities; you just pass them on to your secretary or your friends or anybody you can order about. In English we call this "passing the buck." Doing that is a bad idea, since we are supposed to be cutting down chaos and creating less traffic in the samsaric world altogether. We are supposed to be cutting down on administrative problems and trying to sort things out. We could invite other people to be our helpers, but we cannot pass the buck to them. So don't transfer the ox's load to the cow.