Secular Lojong adapts traditional Tibetan Buddhist "mind training" (or "refining the mind") practices into universal psychological and ethical tools. By using 59 short, pithy slogans, it focuses entirely on embracing interconnectedness, developing deep self-compassion, and transforming difficult emotions into opportunities for growth, without requiring any religious or metaphysical beliefs. Some practitioners take one slogan per day to repeat and focus their practice on. It can be seen as a major component of Buddhist-informed psychotherapy practice.
How the Practice Works
Instead of meditating to "clear" the mind, Lojong trains the mind to respond to daily life with awareness and kindness.
The Slogans: The teachings consist of 59 core proverbs. You can shuffle them like a deck of cards and choose one a day to keep in mind, applying it directly to whatever situations arise.
Reversing Habits: The slogans are purposefully counterintuitive. They challenge your natural urge to react defensively by flipping your perspective to focus on empathy
. Below is a secular interpretation of the 59 slogans, focusing on their psychological and practical meaning rather than religious doctrine.
Point One: The Preliminaries
1. First, train in the preliminaries.
Develop an appreciation for the conditions that allow growth: awareness, reflection, impermanence, and the reality that actions have consequences. Before changing your mind, recognize why training matters.
Point Two: Training in Wisdom and Perspective
2. Regard all experiences as dreamlike.
Experiences feel solid and permanent, but our interpretations are often constructions. Hold your perceptions lightly.
3. Examine the nature of awareness.
Look directly at thoughts, emotions, and consciousness. What exactly is a thought? Where does it come from and go?
4. Even the observer is not fixed.
The self that seems permanent is actually a constantly changing process of memories, sensations, and narratives.
5. Rest in openness.
When caught in mental stories, return to simple awareness rather than compulsive analysis.
6. In daily life, view things as fluid and changing.
Remember that circumstances, identities, and emotions are constantly evolving.
7. Practice giving and receiving.
Develop empathy by recognizing both your own struggles and those of others.
Point Three: Transforming Difficulties
8. Begin with yourself.
Before trying to "fix" others (which you can't do) , understand your own mind.
9. See everything as material for practice.
Every situation—pleasant or unpleasant—can teach something.
10. Turn adversity into growth.
Use setbacks as opportunities to develop resilience and wisdom.
11. When things go wrong, look inward.
Rather than immediately blaming circumstances, examine your reactions and assumptions.
12. Be grateful even for difficulties.
Challenges reveal blind spots and help develop skills.
13. Treat obstacles as teachers.
Difficult situations often provide the most powerful opportunities for learning.
14. Use suffering to deepen compassion.
Your own struggles can increase understanding of others.
15. Apply the practice immediately.
Don't wait for ideal circumstances to develop wisdom.
16. Whatever arises, use it.
Anxiety, anger, boredom, success, failure—all can become opportunities for awareness.
Point Four: Applying the Practice Throughout Life
17. Practice with all experiences.
Don't reserve mindfulness for meditation sessions.
18. Correct the greatest difficulty first.
Work with the strongest recurring emotional patterns.
19. Rely on consistency, not intensity.
Small daily efforts are often more effective than dramatic bursts of motivation.
20. Free yourself from seeking recognition.
Practice because it matters, not because others notice.
21. Do not depend on favorable conditions.
Learn to function skillfully even when life is difficult.
22. Stay committed.
Continue the work whether you feel inspired or not.
23. Learn deeply.
Understand the causes of your patterns, not just their symptoms.
24. Do not be trapped by fixed viewpoints.
Remain open to revising your assumptions.
25. Don't make your growth another ego project.
Self-improvement can become another form of self-centeredness.
26. Avoid resentment.
Resentment often prolongs suffering long after the original event.
Point Five: Measuring Progress
27. All teachings point toward reducing self-centeredness.
Progress is measured by decreased ego fixation, not increased spiritual status.
28. Let one principle guide everything.
Ask consistently: Does this reduce suffering and increase wisdom? Is it "skillful or unskillful"?
29. Stay cheerful.
Cultivate resilience and perspective even amid difficulties.
30. Remain steady under all conditions.
Develop emotional balance that is not dependent on circumstances.
31. Practice wholeheartedly.
Bring full sincerity to the work.
Point Six: Commitments of Mind Training
32. Don't seek validation through suffering.
Avoid turning hardships into badges of honor.
33. Don't blame others for your reactions.
Take responsibility for your side of experience.
34. Focus on your biggest challenge.
Work where growth is most needed.
35. Let go of expectations for reward.
Act according to values rather than anticipated outcomes.
36. Avoid emotional toxicity.
Do not feed anger, bitterness, or contempt.
37. Don't weaponize truth.
Being correct is less important than being constructive. "Do you want to be right or happy"?
38. Don't dwell on others' flaws.
Excessive focus on others' shortcomings distracts from self-understanding.
39. Work with your strongest emotional triggers.
They provide the richest opportunities for growth.
40. Release hidden agendas.
Practice sincerity.
41. Don't seek satisfaction through others' failures.
Another person's mistake does not increase your worth.
42. Don't use wisdom to gain status.
Insight is for transformation, not superiority.
43. Don't turn growth into competition.
There is no ranking system for becoming a better human being.
44. Don't wait for ideal conditions.
Practice now!!
45. Don't misunderstand the teaching.
Avoid turning self-awareness into self-criticism.
46. Don't become self-righteous.
Growth should produce humility, not arrogance.
47. Don't be emotionally fragile.
Learn to tolerate discomfort without collapsing into reactivity.
Point Seven: Guidelines for Daily Living
48. Do everything with one intention.
Let reducing suffering and increasing wisdom guide your actions.
49. Begin and end each day with reflection.
Start with intention and end with review.
50. Accept either success or failure.
Maintain balance regardless of outcomes.
51. Protect your values under pressure.
Difficult situations reveal character.
52. Train in the three essentials.
Commitment, perspective, and emotional regulation.
53. Keep the three inseparable.
Awareness, compassion, and wise action support one another.
54. Practice without favoritism.
Extend kindness and understanding broadly, not only to preferred people.
55. Train thoroughly.
Apply the principles in all areas of life.
56. Focus on what matters most.
Don't become distracted by trivial concerns.
57. Avoid inconsistency.
Apply your principles when it is inconvenient, not only when it is easy.
58. Practice wholeheartedly.
Engage fully rather than half-heartedly.
59. Don't expect applause.
The deepest growth often occurs quietly and without recognition.
The Central Themes of Secular Lojong
If all 59 slogans were distilled into a few core principles, they would be:
Take responsibility for your relationship to experience.
Use difficulties as opportunities for growth.
Become less self-centered and more compassionate.
Question your assumptions and narratives.
Practice consistently rather than perfectly.
Act from values rather than ego.
Treat every moment of life as part of the training.
From a secular psychological perspective, Lojong is remarkably similar to modern approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, self-compassion practices, and resilience training. Its unique contribution is the radical idea that every experience—especially the difficult ones—can become material for developing wisdom, emotional freedom, and compassion.