(Prologue: I’ve got first-hand experience that a real understanding of the laws of karma can substantially change our lives for the better. I created this weblog to share information and personal experience with others. May it be of benefit!)

What we contemplate, we sit in for the rest of the day. If we wake up with fear, and do not shift our mind, this fear might manage our day, rather than us managing our day.

I find it very helpful to do a particular exercise before I even get out of bed. It has two purposes:

• It sets my intention for the day (Intention is the 9th factor in creating and maintaining our karma); and
  
• It  generates confidence. We don’t have to “drum it up” or manufacture it.

Before arising from bed

Contemplate the tiger.
Colour: orange
Area of body: legs and feet
Qualities: meek in the sense of discrimination (discerning, clear-seeing); we calmly reflect on our lives and the situations in which we are involved; we know what to accept and what to reject – this brings confidence; totally aware of law of cause and effect: whatever we do has repercussions for the future; the tiger is careful (not to be confused with paranoia).

Contemplate the snow lion.
Colour: white
Area of body: just below the navel
Qualities: perky in the sense that we can determine our own actions; joyful because not burdened by bewilderment: we know that helping others leads to happiness; we see confusion for what it is: the outcome of the mistaken view that putting ourselves first leads to success; decisions made on basis of whether our actions will benefit others

Contemplate the garuda.
Colour: red
Area of body: chest and arms
Qualities: outrageous because we appreciate what we have, which brings joy in our lives; move beyond conventional way of doing things, which is based on fixation and attachment to me; true freedom comes from understanding the deeper nature of reality <impermanence; insubstantiality>; by moving beyond ego, we know who we actually are!

Contemplate the dragon.
Colour: blue
Area of body: head and shoulders
Qualities: inscrutable because we have wisdom beyond concepts, because we have moved beyond the reference point of a solid self and are therefore not caught up in habitual thought patterns; we are fundamentally enlightened. We are here living a good life trying to help others.

Quick style
If you’re really pressed for time, you could just say “meek” (flash the colour orange; focus on legs and feet); “perky” (flash the colour white; focus on just below the navel); “outrageous” (flash the colour red; focus on chest and arms); and “inscrutable” (flash the colour blue; focus on head and shoulders).

During the day

We can have positive intention or negative — each type produces corresponding karmic effects; ……(here’s a) daily exercise for those of you who are visual….run through these colours during the day: orange (tiger), white (lion), red (garuda), blue (dragon). (Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche)

Sources (MP3s)
(1) A Guided Meditation for the Awakening Warrior (Ground Lungta or Windhorse)

(2) Ruling Your World

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