Tonglen: A Practice of Compassionate Presence

So the Tung Lin practice is about breathing in what's difficult and breathing out a sense of peace and ease.

And so if you'll join me,

I'd like to guide us in a bit of that.

So take your posture again.

Again,

The posture is a posture of dignity that supports the practice.

It's not a small thing,

Your posture.

So make sure you get yourself positioned so that there is flow.

Feeling the body seated here and well anchored like a mountain or a tree,

Well rooted here in your seat.

And this is not effort.

This is just an alignment and an inclination towards grace.

You want everything on the inside to soften a little bit.

Sometimes I like the image of,

You know,

Our skeletal frame as a hanger and then our flesh just loosely hanging on that frame.

And that there's a gentle breeze so that everything,

There's a bit of space on the inside of the body.

So just play with an image that brings an awake ease to this moment.

And with the breath,

The breath being your most intimate and largest movement inside of the body.

So given the breath,

Your attention is really allowing your body,

Allowing you to be in touch with,

Literally in touch with the body,

The breath touching the body.

So just notice where that's happening and let the noticing be solved.

This body sitting and breathing.

Feeling the sense of gentling here.

And again,

Allowing the mind to rest in the body,

Let it drop down from the head and fill up the torso of the body.

Let the mind drop into the body and let the body rest on your seat.

And even though there may be thinking that's occurring,

Just give most of your attention to the body sitting and breathing for now.

It's like turning down the volume of the thoughts and let your attention be on the breath and your contact with the cushion.

Letting that half inch back be a place of alertness for you without tension.

Allowing your breath to be free.

So no manipulation of the breath,

No hard focus,

Just a gentle,

A soft curiosity of the movement of the breath in the body.

And again,

Allowing the mind to rest in the body and let the body rest on your seat.

May I be safe from inner and outer harm.

May I be safe.

May I be content.

Even in the midst of suffering,

May I be content.

May my body and mind be at ease.

Even in hard times.

May I be at ease.

Reflecting now for a moment on just the suffering that's in the world.

And with your next inhale,

Inhale this suffering.

And with your exhale,

Exhale peace.

May there be peace.

Inhaling the suffering in the world.

Exhaling peace.

And just repeat this very consciously in your mind.

You might even recall specific situations of suffering or it may be more of a global suffering.

Or it could be a combination.

So for the next few breaths,

Breathe in that suffering.

And then breathe out into the world.

Ease.

Peace.

May you be safe.

Let it be a natural and fluid expression.

Taking your time here to breathe in the suffering and breathe out peace.

The suffering you're breathing in is not going to be stuck on the inside.

And as we all breathe in and exhale,

Just making a larger offering to the world.

Make the image of the suffering as clear as it can be.

Breathing in the struggles.

Breathing out kindness.

Breathing out kindness.

Allowing your awareness to be relaxed.

Letting your breath be free.

Breathing out kindness.

Breathing out kindness.

Breathing in the suffering that might be in your communities and neighbors.

Breathing in the suffering that might be in your communities and neighboring communities.

And breathing out love.

Breathing in the suffering that's in our immediate families and friends and loved ones.

And breathing out peace.

Breathing in the invisible suffering of maybe those in this room.

Breathing out kindness.

May you be well.

I care about your suffering.

I care about your suffering.

And reflecting a moment on any suffering you may be experiencing through this exercise in this moment.

Any contractions or tightness in the body or struggle that you feel.

Breathing that in as well.

And exhaling ease.

May I be at ease even in the midst of this struggle.

Breathing in the struggle.

Breathing in the suffering.

And exhaling I care about this suffering.

May I be at ease.

May all beings be at ease.

Free from suffering.

It's like me,

All beings want to be free.

Exhaling peace.

Resting in the experience of the offer.

Resting in your good heartedness.

Resting in the experience of the offer.

Resting in your good heartedness.