{"id":67424,"date":"2026-07-08T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T06:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dzogchentoday.org\/?p=67424"},"modified":"2026-07-06T21:15:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T19:15:06","slug":"the-slopes-of-the-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dzogchentoday.org\/the-slopes-of-the-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"The Slopes of the Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_color_gradient_direction=&#8221;75deg&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/dzogchentoday.org\/wp-dzogtodaychen-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/concreteBackground.png&#8221; height=&#8221;250px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||true|false&#8221; da_disable_devices=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; locked=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; da_is_popup=&#8221;off&#8221; da_exit_intent=&#8221;off&#8221; da_has_close=&#8221;on&#8221; da_alt_close=&#8221;off&#8221; 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border_width_bottom=&#8221;1px&#8221; border_color_bottom=&#8221;#d9c6a4&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; module_class=&#8221;column1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;||50px|&#8221; custom_padding_phone=&#8221;&#8221; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; padding_tablet=&#8221;||50px|&#8221; padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221; padding_phone=&#8221;||50px|&#8221;][et_pb_blurb title=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiJXcml0dGVuIEJ5ICIsImFmdGVyIjoiIiwibmFtZV9mb3JtYXQiOiJkaXNwbGF5X25hbWUiLCJsaW5rIjoib24iLCJsaW5rX2Rlc3RpbmF0aW9uIjoiYXV0aG9yX2FyY2hpdmUifX0=@&#8221; image=&#8221;https:\/\/dzogchentoday.org\/wp-dzogtodaychen-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dzogchentoday-mk.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;dzogchentoday-mk&#8221; icon_placement=&#8221;left&#8221; image_icon_width=&#8221;39px&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.7&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;title,content&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-2px|||&#8221; header_font_size_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; header_font_size_phone=&#8221;18px&#8221; header_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; icon_font_size=&#8221;33px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; icon_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; icon_color__hover=&#8221;#13204d&#8221;]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfYmlvIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJlbmFibGVfaHRtbCI6Im9mZiJ9fQ==@[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; module_class=&#8221;column2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_blurb title=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5IiwiZW5hYmxlX2h0bWwiOiJvZmYifX0=@&#8221; use_icon=&#8221;on&#8221; font_icon=&#8221;&#xe08c;||divi||400&#8243; icon_color=&#8221;#e2e2e2&#8243; icon_placement=&#8221;left&#8221; image_icon_width=&#8221;33px&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.7&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;title&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; body_text_color=&#8221;#967b5d&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px|&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||26px|||&#8221; header_font_size_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; header_font_size_phone=&#8221;18px&#8221; header_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; icon_font_size=&#8221;33px&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; icon_color__hover=&#8221;#13204d&#8221; icon_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;on&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>In &#8220;The Slopes of the Mind&#8221;, Mila Khyentse talks about mountains, cable car, effort, training and vision of Great Perfection.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; 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custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;||50px|&#8221; custom_padding_phone=&#8221;&#8221; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; padding_tablet=&#8221;||50px|&#8221; padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221; padding_phone=&#8221;||50px|&#8221;][et_pb_text quote_border_weight=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_border_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; module_id=&#8221;up1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.7&#8243; text_font=&#8221;Montserrat||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; link_font=&#8221;Montserrat|700||||||#BF9E77|&#8221; link_text_color=&#8221;#BF9E77&#8243; link_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; link_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; quote_font=&#8221;Cormorant Garamond|700|||||||&#8221; quote_text_color=&#8221;#13204d&#8221; quote_line_height=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Quattrocento Sans|700|||||||&#8221; header_2_text_color=&#8221;#13204d&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; header_4_letter_spacing=&#8221;12px&#8221; header_5_font=&#8221;|300|||||||&#8221; header_5_text_color=&#8221;#bfbfbf&#8221; header_5_letter_spacing=&#8221;12px&#8221; header_6_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_6_letter_spacing=&#8221;12px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;left&#8221; min_height=&#8221;845.7px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-4px|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px||true|&#8221; quote_font_size_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; quote_font_size_phone=&#8221;&#8221; quote_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h5>\u00a0<\/h5>\n<h5>Series: Summer in the Mountains<\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"notion-enable-hover\" data-token-index=\"0\">The Slopes of the Mind<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I really like the mountains in the summer. It\u2019s usually cooler there than at the beach, and the air is fresher. As I sit comfortably in the cable car taking me to the summit, I think to myself how convenient it is to climb 2,000 meters in just a few minutes, effortlessly and mechanically.<\/p>\n<p>We often forget just how comfortable our lives have become compared to those of our grandparents. We also forget how accustomed our minds have become to this comfort, and how we often neglect the importance of effort out of habit. Of course, this isn\u2019t universal across the globe, but it\u2019s nonetheless a growing tendency. In the Dzogchen tradition, it is often said that there is &#8220;no effort.&#8221; Since the nature of our mind is always present in its perfect form, if our vision is clear and unobstructed, it is already at the summit and, with a single glance, embraces the entire valley of the mind. It doesn\u2019t need a mechanical lift.<\/p>\n<p><!-- notionvc: f3c59cc9-653c-451f-b7c6-9c2760338176 --><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #bf9e77;\">\u00a0\u201cThe advantage of the slopes of the mind is understanding that the steepness of the slope is an illusion (&#8230;)\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 18px; font-family: Montserrat, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; text-align: left; color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: 500;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/dzogchentoday.org\/wp-dzogtodaychen-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/mountainLake.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;@dzogchentoday_Using geomancy to choose your vacation destination&#8221; title_text=&#8221;mountain lake&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.7&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; width=&#8221;67%&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; min_height=&#8221;411px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|139px||||&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset2&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text quote_border_weight=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_border_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; module_id=&#8221;up2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.7&#8243; text_font=&#8221;Montserrat||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; link_font=&#8221;Montserrat|700||||||#000000|&#8221; link_text_color=&#8221;#BF9E77&#8243; link_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; link_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; quote_font=&#8221;Cormorant Garamond|700|||||||&#8221; quote_text_color=&#8221;#13204d&#8221; quote_line_height=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Quattrocento Sans|700|||||||&#8221; header_2_text_color=&#8221;#13204d&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; header_4_letter_spacing=&#8221;12px&#8221; header_5_font=&#8221;|300|||||||&#8221; header_5_text_color=&#8221;#bfbfbf&#8221; header_5_letter_spacing=&#8221;12px&#8221; header_6_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_6_letter_spacing=&#8221;12px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;left&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;29px|||||&#8221; quote_font_size_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; quote_font_size_phone=&#8221;&#8221; quote_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>However, if it isn\u2019t clear\u2014if it\u2019s clouded by our little worries and our depressed moods on one hand, and our tendency toward comfort and forgetfulness on the other\u2014then we need to go for a little hike, to climb back up the slope on foot, with our summer skis (for grass) on our backs. This is called \u201cacquiring discipline\u201d and, just like in sports, it requires training. So I\u2019m taking lessons on how to climb the slope and descend it. I\u2019ll pace this effort and adapt it to my physical condition. If, for example, I spend my life sitting with my head bent over a screen, I know I won\u2019t be able to immediately engage in intense physical activity, and that it could even be dangerous. So I\u2019ll build my discipline through small, consistent efforts that will eventually become natural.<\/p>\n<p>The slopes of the mind will gradually become accessible to me: effort will become discipline, discipline will become integration, integration will become a natural reflex, and finally, effortlessness will be attained. From then on, I\u2019ll be able to ascend and descend the slopes of the mind as I please and admire the view whenever I feel like it, whether by walking back up mechanically\u2026 or by not going back up at all.<\/p>\n<p>The advantage of the slopes of the mind is understanding that the steepness of the slope is an illusion and that the ascent and descent can take place in the same place, within the vision itself. One day, you come to fully understand this. But that will be someday, I tell myself as I climb down from the cable car and strap on my skis on the grass.<\/p>\n<p><!-- notionvc: 65e1d766-5979-4651-b0e0-5a550dadcb89 --><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=&#8221;#FFD62F&#8221; divider_position=&#8221;center&#8221; divider_weight=&#8221;3px&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;left&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;30px|30px|30px|30px|true|true&#8221; border_width_left=&#8221;1px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#f7f2e8&#8243; border_width_left_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; border_width_left_phone=&#8221;&#8221; border_width_left_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_signup mailchimp_list=&#8221;Dzogchen Today!|d54422a3b4&#8243; name_field=&#8221;on&#8221; title=&#8221;Sign up for Our 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