The 47th lojong slogan teaches us to keep the three inseparable. These three are body, speech, and mind. In other words, live integrated. The teachings often refer to them as the three gates, because they’re the three ways we interact with the world.

Traleg Kyabgon writes, “The lojong teachings emphasize that our three gates should work together with a common purpose rather than operating separately. We need to feel that we’re occupying our body as a single unit, rather than experiencing some kind of forced residency.”

There’s a big sign in my taekwondo dojang that says, “Training to unite body, mind, and heart.” And it’s for the same reason. We don’t want to live in our bodies in a way that feels like “forced residency.” We want to live into a kind of wholeness, a completeness, where everything we do and all that we are come together for the highest good. Some moments, I can feel the wholeness in a form I’m practicing.

Brene Brown often uses the term “wholehearted,” which is a way of saying the same thing. When we live wholehearted, we bring all of us to bear on our actions. And people respond to that, because when someone is living true, you can feel it. You can sense it. Sometimes, you can even catch it.

You can probably remember a moment when your words didn’t match your heart. Or a time when your actions didn’t reflect your real values. When we have those moments (and we all do), we feel a sense of recoil. It feels…gross. It’s like we get a little signal from our soul that we’ve crossed a line into forced residency territory. We let something else guide us- something other than the truest part of us.

At its best, this work we do with lojong slogans helps us become more true to our souls. It helps us keep the three inseparable. It integrates us. And it also helps us get back on track when we find we’ve stumbled out of alignment.

Where do you most need wholeheartedness today?