Dear Friends,
Welcome to an opportunity to listen to a spontaneous discussion about the Lojong slogan training with a wonderful teacher. In this discussion, Polly Banerjee Gallagher and I join Dungse Jampal Norbu to address a few of these slogans and how they may be of use in society today and in the Windhorse community in particular. We discuss some slogans—such as “Don’t be so predictable” and “Don’t wait in ambush.” Dungse-la, as he is referred to in this discussion, and the group bring up Tonglen as a thread that runs through these slogans and how that practice (of taking in suffering and giving compassion) informs and deepens each one.
The word ‘lo-jong’ translates as “training the mind.” The slogans traditionally consist of a list of 59 pithy reminders about compassion and self-awareness. The slogans are at times deceptively simply, while offering a window into seeing one’s mind in relation to self and other.
I haven’t always focused on these teachings, but whenever I take a fresh look, they are instantly useful in my life. I love how these short lines can really stick in my mind and can be reflected back by moments in my day. Wherever I get too comfortable with my routine and go to sleep, these slogans seem to know how to wake me up and remind I can slow down and show up.
Raised in a Buddhist family and now a teacher in his own right, Dungse-la is an authority on these teachings; we were lucky to speak with him on this topic. This was a short time together, but I feel lucky and appreciative of the opportunity to share this conversation with the community and the larger audience of the Windhorse Journal.
Enjoy and wake up!
Michael Levy
EveryBodhi Podcast – available at apple podcast and all major platforms
The Intelligent Heart – Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche’s Lojong commentary:
Dungse Jampal Norbu is the son and dharma heir of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. Rinpoche is the founder of Mangala Shri Bhuti and a lineage holder of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingtik tradition. When Dungse Jampal was still an infant, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche’s root teacher, instructed Kongtrul Rinpoche to train Dungse la to uphold and continue Kongtrul Rinpoche’s lineage. With life-long guidance from Kongtrul Rinpoche, particularly in traditional Buddhist shedra studies in India and the US, Dungse-la now teaches widely as well as engages in an annual 100-day long retreat at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling.
Dungse Jampal has lived and traveled extensively in Asia, but spent much of his youth in Colorado. If you were to ask Dungse la how long he has been studying the Buddhist path, he would say, “Since I was born.” Under his father’s wing he has received many teachings and transmissions, sometimes while the two were walking in the mountains of Crestone. Dungse la’s anecdotal style and first-hand curiosity about how Buddhism relates to actual experience imbue his teaching with a fresh perspective and reveal a natural wisdom and humor.
Polly Banerjee- Gallagher, MA, LPC is currently the Director of Windhorse Community Services. She has been a part of the WCS community since 1998 as a Housemate and Basic Attender, Team Leader, and Psychotherapist. Besides her clinical roles, Polly was also the Assistant Director of Admissions until 2019. She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a MA in Counseling from the University of Colorado. Polly comes from a multicultural background as she was born in Burma and has lived in India.
Michael Levy, MA, LPC is a Team Leader and an Intensive Psychotherapist at Windhorse Community Services. He has been at Windhorse for over 9 years. He has also been a Practice and Education Assistant at the Boulder Shambala Center, a Clinical Mentor with Windhorse associates and a Resident Shambala Training Director.