Tonglen Practice

 > The Practice of Tonglen by Pema Chodron < 

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Tonglen is Tibetan for giving and taking. In this practice we visualise taking onto ourselves the suffering of others and in return we send out love and happiness. It referst o all of the 6 perfections of giving, etchics, patience, joyous effort, concentration and wisdom. There are seven points to training in the mind (lojong) compiled by Chehawa. His Holiness the Dalai Lama practises it daily and has said of the technique „whether this meditation really helps others or not, it gives me peace of mind. Then I can be more effective, and the benefit is immense“.

All-Embracing Compassion: The Heart-Practice of Tonglen

As human beings, we have a very interesting habit of resisting what is unpleasant and seeking what is pleasurable. We resist, avoid, and deny suffering and we continually grasp at pleasure. If we observe our behavior, it is easy to see that we habitually resist and avoid people, situations, and feelings we consider to be painful, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, and we are naturally attracted to people, situations, and feelings we consider pleasant, comfortable, and gratifying. According to Buddhist teachings, this behavior is a symptom of fundamental ignorance and is influenced by the defilements of greed (attachment), hatred (aversion), and delusion (misperception of reality). To break the spell of this dualistic perception, to dissolve the barriers in our hearts that keep us feeling separate from others, and to cultivate a deep compassion for all living beings, including ourselves, we need to meet and embrace reality in a radically new way. To accomplish this, we can use the precious heart-practice of Tonglen.

Tonglen is a Tibetan word which means sending and taking. This practice originated in India and came to Tibet in the eleventh century. With the practice of Tonglen, we work directly with our habitual tendency to avoid suffering and attach ourselves to pleasure. Using this powerful and highly effective practice, we learn to embrace our life experiences with more openness, compassion, inclusiveness, and understanding, rather than denial, aversion, and resistance. When we encounter fear, pain, hurt, anger, jealousy, loneliness, or suffering, be it our own or others, we breathe in with the desire to completely embrace this experience; to feel it, accept it, and own it, free of any resistance.

In this way of practice, in this way of being, we transform our tendency to close down and shut out life’s unpleasant experiences. In accordance with Buddha’s First Noble Truth, we acknowledge, touch, and embrace our personal and collective suffering. We do not run away. We do not turn the other way. Touching and understanding suffering is the first step toward true transformation. Rather than avoiding suffering, we develop a more tolerant and compassionate relationship with it. We learn to meet and embrace reality—naked, open, and fearless.

Although the idea of developing a relationship with suffering may sound somewhat morbid, we must remember the teachings of the Second and Third Noble Truths as well: when we touch and embrace suffering, we can finally understand what causes it. When we understand the cause of suffering, we can eliminate it and be liberated. There is an end to suffering, however, we must learn how to meet it in a new way. Tonglen practice can help us accomplish this shift of awareness, this training of the mind. Read Full Article: > HERE <

How to practice Tonglen meditation for healing in this free alternative medicine video.

Tonglen is Tibetan for ‚giving and taking‘ (or, sending and taking), and it refers to a meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism.

This practice is summarized in seven points, which are attributed to the great Indian Buddhist teacher > Atisha Dipankara Shrijnana < , born in 982 CE. They were first written down by Kadampa master Langri Tangpa (1054–1123). The practice became more widely known when Geshe Chekawa Yeshe Dorje (1101–1175) summarized the points in his Seven Points of Training the Mind. This list of mind training (lojong) proverbs or ’slogans‘ compiled by Chekawa is often referred to as the Atisha Slogans. Read More: > Here <

H.H. The Dalai Lama, who is said to practise Tonglen every day, has said of the technique: „Whether this meditation really helps others or not, it gives me peace of mind. Then I can be more effective, and the benefit is immense“.  His Holiness offers a translation of the Eight Verses in his book The Path To Tranquility: Daily Meditations.

In the practice, one visualizes taking onto oneself the suffering of others, and giving one’s own happiness and success to others. As such it is a training in altruism in its most extreme form.

The function of the practice is to:

  1. reduce selfish attachment
  2. increase a sense of renunciation
  3. create positive karma by giving and helping
  4. develop loving-kindness and bodhicitta
  5. it refers to all of the Six Perfections of giving, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration and wisdom, which are the practices of a Bodhisattva.