Introduction To Tonglen: How To Practice+ Guided Meditation

Welcome to this introduction to Tonglen Meditation followed by a guided meditation. Discover an ancient Buddhist practice to awaken compassion.
Tonglen is a meditation practice that combines meditating on loving-kindness with meditating on compassion. The practice of tonglen can be accomplished in a series of steps that grow in power and intensity, gradually expanding the scope of your compassion from one person to your close family and friends, to all sentient beings.

Transcript

Hello there and welcome.

Today I would like to get you through Tonglen meditation.

First,

I will do a short explanation of what is Tonglen meditation and how to do the practice following the teaching by masters in Tibet and I will then guide you through the meditation.

Tonglen meditation technique is a very ancient practice that is all about cultivating compassion.

It's a Buddhist practice which involves contemplation,

Meditation and compassion.

Compassion is this feeling that arises when you are confronted with another's suffering and you feel motivated to relieve that suffering.

It's not to be associated with pity which is a completely different feeling.

Tonglen is from Tibetan.

Tong means giving or sending and Len means receiving or taking.

When you practice Tonglen meditation,

You visualize taking in the suffering and breathing out positive outcome that will relieve this suffering.

This method trains the mind to become less self-centered and more caring.

Tonglen can be done for those who are ill,

Those who are dying or have died or those who are in pain of any kind.

It can be done as a formal meditation practice or right on the spot at any time.

Let's imagine that you are walking out and you see someone in pain.

You can breathe in that person's pain and then you send out relief to that person.

We all experience suffering in our life and most of the time we tend to focus on us as if it was only happening to us.

We fight with our ego and we forget that we are not the only ones and it might be difficult when we start this practice because we tend to face our fears,

Our anger and our personal pain and a lot of people don't want to name their pain because they are scared facing them.

But actually naming our pain can trigger emotions.

We might cry,

We might laugh,

We might feel stuck and not knowing what to do with them.

It's completely okay.

You should know that we are all experiencing emotions and living in life with different paths but at the end we are all the same.

We are humans,

Animals and energy.

Practicing Tung Lian meditation will help you to realize that others are suffering too and by expressing compassion towards others with this hope of healing others,

It will also heal you.

Practicing Tung Lian will make us face our fears,

Our selfishness and I know that there is no pleasure in that but you will grow from it,

You will learn from it and you will become a better self while helping others.

And because helping others,

Removing their suffering,

It's helping yourself and removing your suffering.

Can you imagine if we could spread compassion all over the world to anyone who needs it to heal and experience life with no suffering?

Can you imagine how great this world could be?

Tung Lian meditation has been practiced for thousands of years and I'm sure it can make you become a better person.

As Palma Children said,

We become liberated from very ancient patterns of selfishness.

We begin to feel love for both ourselves and others.

We begin to take care of ourselves and others.

Tung Lian awakens our compassion and introduces us to a far bigger view of reality.

So how do we practice Tung Lian meditation?

Tung Lian is done in two steps.

The first step is to breathe in the suffering of others.

This is where you visualize that someone needs compassion.

It can be a person,

It can be a community,

It can be an animal.

To help you visualize the idea,

It can be children that have been abandoned by their parents,

A homeless person in the street,

A broke country,

A stray dog,

Someone that loves their job,

Someone that has just broken up with their partner,

Someone that is suffering from a disease such as cancer.

And whenever and wherever you see suffering,

You can practice Tung Lian.

You breathe in the suffering as if you are taking away the suffering,

Melting this suffering into your compassionate heart and letting them be free from their suffering.

When you practice Tung Lian meditation,

It's good to start with someone that you know and then you extend to a group or a community and then to the world.

The second step is to breathe out positive healing energy,

Compassion and the solution to the end of the suffering.

Let me give you a few examples so you can have a better idea.

If you visualize someone having cancer,

You breathe out a cure to heal the person and break them person on the path to recovery.

If you aim to help a homeless person,

You visualize this person having a roof over their head and a warm and safe home with food on the table.

If you take away the suffering of abandoned children,

You breathe out a new family welcoming them and you bring a smile to their faces.

You aim to breathe out compassion towards the being that is suffering,

Where the suffering is ceasing,

Where you wish them your best wishes,

Your loving kindness,

Your positive vibes.

Just before we start this meditation and if it's the first time that you practice this type of meditation,

You might have emotions coming out of your body.

Simply notice that they are there,

Acknowledge their presence and let them go and keep doing your practice.

Keep in mind that removing the suffering from others is healing others but it's also healing your heart,

Making you a better person.

We will start by settling our body and practice a short mindfulness meditation and after the gong we will start the Tonglen meditation.

And after this practice I invite you to drop us a comment,

Leave a feedback or get in touch to share your experience.

You can use the contact form on our website if you'd like to.

I really hope that you will benefit from this meditation and that compassion and love will help you go through the journey of a peaceful life.

So let's start by finding a place where you feel comfortable,

Where your body is completely relaxed,

With less tensions as possible,

Where you feel safe and where you won't be disturbed.

You can choose to be seated on the chair with crossed legs on a cushion or on your sofa,

Laying down on the floor or on your bed,

Just try not to fall asleep,

Anywhere that's comfortable for you.

And rest your hands on your lap,

Your legs or whatever it feels comfortable.

And if you'd like to do so you can close your eyes.

Now bring your attention to your breath and notice how you are breathing at this very moment.

The aim of this part of the meditation is to bring you to a calm and peaceful state where you are fully aware of your breath.

Don't try to change your breath,

Just observe how it is in this very moment.

Observe the air coming in,

Going down your throat,

Down your lungs and down to your abdomen.

And observe your breath in the way out of your body and your belly flattening.

Now I'd like you to take a deep breath in,

Filling your lungs as much as you can,

And a deep breath out.

And let your breath go back to a natural state,

Just observe your breath.

If your mind starts to wander,

Just notice that you are having thoughts,

Acknowledge your thoughts,

Don't fight with them.

And let them go and focus on your breathing again.

Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

And observe your breath once again.

You now should feel more relaxed and calm.

If not,

Keep focusing on your breathing.

We are going to start the Tonglen Meditation and you will hear the gong.

Just focus your attention on the gong and its vibrations to empty your mind and be open to a larger field of awareness.

The further the vibrations of the gong,

The further your awareness will be.

So listen to the gong until it's almost gone.

So start by visualizing a dark and heavy cloud.

This cloud represents the darkness,

The fears,

The concerns,

Discomfort,

Lack of love,

Selfishness and all other emotions,

Pains and feelings that beings can experience.

When the cloud is heavy and dark enough,

That you cannot see through,

You breathe it in through all the pores of your body and you breathe out an orb of pure radiant white light.

And this white light dissolves the heaviness and darkness through the pores of your body.

You might have guessed it,

This white light represents love,

Compassion,

Peace and healing.

You breathe in the cloud and you breathe out compassion.

Breathe in the cloud and breathe out compassion.

Now visualize a person that you would like to help,

Someone that you care about and wish to help.

And breathe in the suffering you observe in this person.

And without compassion,

Happiness and healing towards this person,

You are easing their suffering.

So you breathe in the suffering and you breathe out compassion.

And you repeat until this person receives all the compassion needed.

The more compassion you send,

The more you can see a little smile of recovery on the person's face.

And finally,

Extend your awareness to the whole world now,

Extend it out to those who are in the same situation than the person you previously helped.

You breathe in suffering and you breathe out compassion.

Breathe in the suffering and breathe out compassion for all those people having the same experience in the world.

The more you practice tonglen,

The easier it will be to expand your compassion.

You breathe in their pain and you send them relief.

You can do it for human beings,

You can do it for animals,

You can do it for known or unknown people.

You breathe in their pain and send them relief.

We are now approaching the end of this meditation.

If you'd like to continue,

Feel free to do so.

If not,

You can go back to your surroundings,

Reconnect with your body and go on with your day.

And remember,

Be kind with one another and that includes yourself.

Have a beautiful day.

Thank you.

Reviews

This really educational and helpful! Thank you so much. 🙏🏼