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My Compassion Box . .

This is one woman’s attempt to reach nirvana and bring everybody with me!

In my undergrad at Naropa University, along with meditating and drinking too much, I studied what are called the Lojong slogans. These are 57ish Buddhist sayings that are suppose to awake Bodhichitta, the heart or energy of compassion. This is something that I was I feeling estranged from lately. It is probable due to my lack of meditating and not being around practitioners of Buddhist day in and day out, like at Naropa University. Or it could be due to the stress of finishing up a medical degree, immigrating to a new country, trying to find a job after graduation, and planning a Wedding in under 6 months. Yada yada yada, I was stressed and needed more compassion for me and the lovely people in my life.

For the 2009 Christmas, I received a present called The Compassion Box by Pema Chodron. This box contains Pema’s book Start Where You Are, 57 cards each with a lojong saying on them, and a CD detailing meditation practices. I had asked for this for years, because I wanted to reconnect with my innate compassionate heart. Now, whether my family noticed a difference between the previously zened-out Katie and the now up-tight-anal-planner Katie or they for once read my Christmas list, I’ll never know. Regardless I’m grateful, because receiving this gift inspired a New Years Resolution. That resolution being to choose a card everyday and attempt to have more compassion everyday, which is good for me, good for the patients in my Naturopathic practice, and good for the world.

This chronicles my adventures about a month and a 1/2 into that New Years resolution. I hope that by the end both you and I will be a whole lot more compassionate. I god damn hope so, or else I’m gonna punch someone!