Seven Points of Mind Training

From Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving Kindness
By Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche Random Slogan Return to Table of Contents << prev next >>

Point 6 : Disciplines of Mind Training

37: Don't make gods into demons.

Point Six : Don't make gods into demons.

Commentary :

This slogan refers to our general tendency to dwell on pain and go through life with constant complaints. We should not make painful that which is inherently joyful.

At this point, you may have achieved a certain level of taming yourself. You may have developed the tonglen practice of exchanging yourself for others and feel that your achievement is real. But at the same time, you are so arrogant about the whole thing that your achievement begins to become an evil intention, because you think you can show off. In that way, dharma becomes adharma, or nondharma.

Although your achievement may be the right kind of achievement and you may actually have a very good experience - if you regard that as a way of proving yourself and building up your ego, it is not so good.