buy that stuff. And who is it that’s not going to buy
that stuff? In truth, it’s your own wisdom.
Under this slogan comes the teaching on learning
to appreciate the giant No.Again, this is based on
respect for yourself, loving-kindness for yourself,
which is to say, confidence in your basic goodness.
When you start to close down and shut off, an
abruptness occurs, which is basically the giant No. It
is not authoritarian in the sense that somebody’s out
to punish you. It is inherent encouragement not to
spin off into neurotic stuff.
When anger or any other klesha arises, its basic
energy is powerful, clean, and sharp and can cut
through any neurosis. But usually we don’t stop at
that. We usually spin off into what’s been called neg-
ative negativity, which is pettiness, resentment, ag-
gression, righteous indignation. Then this protector
aspect of the mind that protects your basic wisdom
rears its flame-covered head and says No.Learning to
appreciate the giant No comes out of compassion for
yourself and is very similar to regretting, refraining,
taking refuge in the three jewels, and resolving not to
do it again.
Let’s say you’re all upset, you’re yelling at someone
and they’re yelling back, there’s a big fight going on,
you stomp out the door and slam it on your finger.
That’s the essence of the protector principle. It
wakes you up.
The outer practice is to offer to the protectors,
Overcoming Resistance 107