Beginning and End
A lojong (mind-training) slogan, with a comment by Pema Chödrön:
Slogan: Two activities: one at the beginning, one at the end.
Comment: In the morning when you wake up, you reflect on the day ahead and aspire to use it to keep a wide-open heart and mind. At the end of the day, before going to sleep, you think over what you have done. If you fulfilled your aspiration, even once, rejoice in that. If you went against your aspiration, rejoice that you are able to see what you did and are no longer living in ignorance. This way you will be inspired to go forward with increasing clarity, confidence, and compassion in the days that follow.
- Pema Chödrön, "Bite-Sized Buddhism," Tricycle Fall 2007