REVIEW: Lojong for the Layperson

R E V I E W

_About My Reviews_

Lojong for the Layperson

by Beverly King

self-published / 2014

Cards: 3.5''×5.75"

Booklet: 8.5” by 5.5”

_Blog_

TOP LINE (formerly Bottom Line)

First, I really do need to place blame where blame is due. In this case, it falls squarely on the shoulders of Sharyn Mallow Woerz over at _Quirkeries_. Sharyn recently did some daily draws using the Lojong for the Layperson deck, and that’s where I saw it. I loved the cards she shared, along with the slogans and interpretations. Soon I was poorer in one sense, but much richer in another sense!

Anyway, I invite you to visit Beverly King’s _Lojong for the Layperson blog_, and if you find that you do have an interest in Lojong, I recommend this deck. The photographs are lovely and appropriate for the slogans, which are quite thought-provoking and meaningful. I am looking forward to using the deck a lot!

THE AUTHOR

On her blog, Beverly King describes herself as “A student of Earth and all her inhabitants. Walking a spiritual path that has no label.” For about a year, she took photos to go along with her lojong (Buddhist 'mind training') practice. This resulted in 59 pictures for each slogan along with her personal notes on each one. A friend suggested that she turn them into a deck with a Little White Book for those who are interested in this practice.

BASIC INFORMATION

(from the LWB) “Lojong is a mind training practice in the Buddhist tradition. Brought to Tibet from India by Atisha (982-1054), it was originally a secret teaching given only to a select group. Geshe Chekawa (1102-1176) wanted to open the lojong instructions to other people. As a result, he wrote The Root Text of the Seven Points of Training the Mind, based on the slogans of Atisha. Lojong is a way to learn how to see things from a larger, inclusive perspective rather than a self-absorbed one. The seven points of mind training are comprised of fifty-nine slogans. Their purpose is to change the way we think, what we think about, and how we manage our emotions.”

The slogans are grouped into seven categories:
I. The Preliminaries (Slogan 1)
II. The Actual Practice (Slogans 2-10)
III. Transforming Adversity (Slogans 11-16)
IV. Maintaining the Practice (Slogans 17-18)
V. Evaluating the Practice (Slogans 19-22)
VI. Commitments of the Practice (Slogans 23-38)
VII. Guidelines for the Practice (Slogans 39-59)

The LWB is in the form of half-sheets of white paper fastened together in the upper left corner. Beverly King used buttons tied together with elastic to fasten the pages. Printing is black type for the text with blue for headings and green for photo descriptions. At the end, King provides a list of Sources.

APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY

The cards were published using printerstudios.com in a 3.5''×5.75" size using their linen card stock. Card numbers are at the top of each card in bold white type and underlined. The cards and LWB are shipped in a sturdy clear 6.5” x 4.5” plastic box with a latch for safekeeping.

ART

Card backs feature are green with a leaf pattern. The photographs are colorful, crisp, and clear, incorporating a variety of textures. It is easy to imagine touching the items shown in the photos – the rough bark of a tree, the prickly blades of grass, smooth stones, silky flower petals, satiny leaves.