tleness, a lot of heart. No big deal. If the thoughts go,
and you still feel anxious and tense, you could allow
that to be there, with a lot of space around it. Just let
it be. When thoughts come up again, see them for
what they are. It’s no big deal. You can loosen up,
lighten up, whatever.
That’s the essential meaning of the absolute bod-
hichitta slogans—to connect with the open, spacious
quality of your mind, so that you can see that there’s
no need to shut down and make such a big deal about
everything. Then when you do make a big deal, you
can give that a lot of space and let it go.
In sitting practice, there’s no way you can go
wrong, wherever you find yourself. Just relax. Relax
your shoulders, relax your stomach, relax your heart,
relax your mind. Bring in as much gentleness as you
can. The technique is already quite precise. It has a
structure, it has a form. So within that form, move
with warmth and gentleness. That’s how we awaken
bodhichitta.
No Big Deal 19