Lojong Meditation

Developing the Good Heart is the topic of Geshe Michael's first released meditation.

In this introductory meditation, Geshe Michael guides us through the powerful practice of Lojong—or developing the good heart— aimed at cultivating equanimity and bodhichitta through the shared human desire for happiness.

Taking the Time to Set Up:

In this first session, we spend a little extra time setting up the meditation properly. These preparation steps are crucial because they establish the correct physical and mental posture for deep and impactful meditations. Getting into these habits of meditation now will plant seeds for success later on down the road. 

Detailed instructions on setting up a traditional meditation space can be found in ACI 3, our course on Applied Meditation. But here are few brief suggestions to help you get a head start.

Prepare Your Space: 

Find an area of your house that can be used as a dedicated meditation space. Put a little bit of attention into making an attractive and comfortable place for you to sit and meditate. 

Briefly clean and tidy the space before each meditation.

Some people will like to set out a meaningful picture, fresh flowers, etc, in their meditation. Others will enjoy setting up an altar with representations of the three jewels and special offerings. 

Use a firm pillow or meditation cushion to elevate your seat if sitting on the floor. A folded blanket or thick pad under the ankles helps prevent discomfort when sitting for long periods. If a chair is more comfortable, try to have both feet on the floor and a straight back when meditating.

Lojong Meditation Highlights:

Geshe Michael will guide you during the meditation to take the following steps.

• Prepare the body with the traditional Vairochana meditation alignment.
• Prepare the mind with the seven preliminaries.
• Move through bodhichitta and the path of the bodhisattva.
• Step into the universal desire for happiness among all beings.
• Dedicate the positive seeds created during this meditation with a potent visualization.