Lojong Slogan #5: Rest in the nature of alaya. What is alaya? It’s your Buddha-nature, your basic human goodness.

I imagine some of you are wondering how this differs (or if it does) from unborn awareness. Here’s one way to look at it. Unborn awareness helps us release our ego a little. Our ego mind takes in all our sense information- sight, sound, smell, taste, touch- and then makes a bunch of projections about it. When we rest in unborn awareness, we recognize the projections. Sometimes we can get back to the nature of the sense experiences themselves. This is such a good and necessary thing.

In contrast, alaya describes not an awareness of ego but an awareness of what lies underneath it. I described it in an earlier post as original blessing. Basic human goodness, Buddha-nature, it all describes that same thing. The Self behind our ego-self. The being underneath all our doing.

I’ll talk a bit more about alaya in the next post. But for now, can we just stick with the word “rest?”

It’s been a WEEK, hasn’t it? We are collectively exhausted. We still haven’t returned to regular rhythms, so our beats are off. So many people share with me that they can’t concentrate, can’t read a book, can’t get as much done on their daily to-do list. All of this points to a need for rest. Not more action or any self-shaming. Just drop the hustle and rest.

Meditation can feel like such a chore sometimes. Some days I sit down and it’s like being whipped around in the Grand Central Station of my head. But really, meditation means to bring rest to my day. Clarity. A sense of “here I am” to the bustling noise all around.

The wonderful teacher Judy Lief says, “Bodhisattva activities are not like regular activities– they come from a place of rest.” So, you’re doing the world a favor by resting, too.

When we rest in alaya, we say “here I am” instead of “here’s what I’m doing/going to do/already did.”

Today, can you just drop the hustle and rest?