Take on the Three Causes
Take on the three causes is about increasing the possibility of awakening by embracing ideas and practices that support you. The original lojong slogan is: Take on the three principal causes, and they are to find a teacher, to recognise the importance of the teachings, and to change your lifestyle so it supports your desire to awaken.
Taking on these causes will help you overcome the bad habits mentioned in slogan 44 because they support your desire to change and be free of negativity.
The first cause is to find a teacher because you won’t practice meditation and learn how to awaken if you don’t know that you can practice or how to do it. The teacher could be an individual or a community of like-minded friends, or a book, an article online, or just something you stumble across that inspires you to find out more.
The second cause is recognising the importance of the teachings and the need to train your mind. Once you’ve been inspired you have to put the teachings into practice and actually do it.
The third cause is to change your lifestyle so it supports your desire to practice and awaken. This means you need to ensure you have enough stability in your life so you can dedicate time and energy to meditation and any of the other practices that you want to do.