The Buddhadharma is a system of training the mind, but in this case "Mind Training" is a bit of jargon in the Tibetan tradition that refers to practices brought from India to Tibet by Atisha, practices to move one's concern from oneself to others in a very direct way. Since selfishness is the root of suffering, these practices may really be considered "The Heart of Dharma".

The challenge, of course, with direct teachings - it's a bit like the direct path up to the summit of a mountain. Oftentimes the indirect path is easier! And some direct teachings in Buddhism are a bit like that - looking directly at the way one's mind works, for example, is something that usually takes quite a bit of preparation before yielding proper fruit. The mind training teachings here are not esoteric in the least. They address universal everyday experience. These sort of teachings are essential whatever sort of practice one is engaged it. It is more about the flavor of the practice. The methods here are ways to transform any activity of living, whether sacred in appearance or just mundane chores, into liberating practice.

There must be dozens of books by now on the seven point mind training of Geshe Chakawa - the root text on which Thrangu Rinpoche comments here. Is this book the ultimate reference or the most profound? The real point of reading these books is not to gather information or mark some scorecard. Reading a book like this is a form of meditation. I generally read just a page or two at a time and then let the ideas soak in for a few days. I like to rotate through the various books on Lojong. Coming back to a book like this after a few years, the reading experience can be quite different. One's life situation changes, and that changes the points that hit home on any given reading.

Reading books about shamatha, quieting the mind, seem very daunting to me. My life is so chaotic. In the midst of such constant upheaval, how can I make any progress in achieving the kinds of mental stability and focus that those texts describe? But the seven point mind training taught here is something that works directly with my daily challenges. This is a meditation that thrives in the midst of financial meltdowns, nuclear meltdowns, teenager meltdowns, the whole crazy melting pot. What a miracle! ( )