34. Don’t shift a ’zo’s burden to an ox

• This is the Twelfth Slogan/Instruction of Point Six, which consists of sixteen instructions.
• Point Six is “The Disciplines of Mind Training”

Tibetans value their ’zo (female yak) far more than their oxen, so even though a ’zo is stronger than an ox, a Tibetan would typically think, “If the ox dies, I can easily replace it, but a new ’zo would cost me dearly, so I’ll make the ox carry this load, even though it isn’t really strong enough.” We often employ the same logic in our relationships with others.

Traleg Kyabgon, The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion through Training the Mind

Varahi, c. 1300s. Nepal. Bronze; overall: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art