What Is Tonglen Meditation?

This is a brief description of the Tibetan Buddhist meditation called Tonglen, which is a practice whereby we breathe in pain and breathe out relief. I will explain what it is, how to do it and why it is important. It might sound counterintuitive to breathe in pain, but this ancient method is designed to break down the barriers of self-centeredness and open our hearts.

Transcript

Namaste. And welcome. Today we're exploring a powerful yet simple practice called Tonglen meditation. It's pronounced Tong Len. And this Tibetan Buddhist technique translates into giving and receiving. But unlike many meditations where we focus on clearing our minds or finding personal peace, Tongling flips that script. It's a practice of active compassion, Where we breathe in the suffering of others and breathe out relief. Happiness and healing. It might sound counterintuitive to breathe in pain. But this ancient method is designed to break down the barriers of self-centeredness and actually open up our hearts. How do we actually do the practice? Well, We can start right now. Just sit in a comfortable position. And first of all take a few moments to settle your mind by doing natural breaths I want you to visualize someone that you care about. Someone that is suffering at the moment, So it may be a friend or family member who is sick or stressed or sad. And as you breathe in, Imagine you're drawing in their pain. In their darkness and in that heaviness into your heart and visualize that as black smoke. Now don't be afraid. Imagine that your heart is so vast and compassionate that it transforms this pain instantly. Unless you breathe out. Imagine sending them cool bright healing light. Send them relief, Joy and peace. The rhythm is simple. Breathe in their suffering. Breathe out your happiness. If you feel comfortable, You can expand this, Breathe in the suffering of all the people who are feeling sad or sick at the moment, And breathe out your relief to all of them. You can find a full version of this Tonglen meditation on my Insight Timer page. So, You might ask, Why would I want to breathe in the suffering? This is the magic of Tonglen. In our daily lives, Our natural instinct is to run away from pain, Our own and others'. We close off to protect ourselves. But Tonglin trains us to do the opposite. By willingly connecting with suffering, We dissolve the fear of pain and cultivate deep empathy. Research and centres of practice suggest that this method reduces self-cherishing that constant worry about me and mine. And it replaces it with a sense of connection. It turns difficult situations into opportunities for compassion. So instead of feeling helpless when others suffer, You become an active participant in the healing process. To wrap up. Tonglen is the tool for transforming pain into compassion. It reminds us that we're not separate from each other. You don't need to be an expert meditator to try this. Next time you see someone struggling or even when you're facing your own difficulties. Try taking one conscious breath Breathing in the difficulty with courage. And then breathing out kindness so thank you for joining me on this brief journey into Tonglen Namaste.