The first cause is having a good teacher. The second cause is applying your mind and basic demeanor to the dharma. The third cause is having food and housing so that it is possible for you to practice the dharma. You should try to maintain those three situations and take delight that you have such opportunities.

To take on the first principal cause is to realize the necessity of the teacher, who actually allows you to get into situations. To take on the second principal cause is to realize that one's mind must be tamed. For instance, your mind might be into a business deal, or a teaching deal, or a book-writing deal, or into making a funny kind of monumental experience for yourself... This attitude has not all that prominent when Jamgon Kongtrul wrote his commentary on the slogans, but today we have a lot more choices.

To take on the third principal cause is to realize that it is possible for you to practice the dharma because of right circumstances, because you have taken an open attitude toward your life and have already worked out some kind of livelihood. Your food and clothes and shelter are taken care of, so economically you can afford to practice.

From TRAINING THE MIND by Chgyam Trungpa, 1993 by Diana Mukpo.
Published by arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston.