Tonglen meditation.
This is a meditation by American Buddhist Pema Shodron.
Tonglen for a world that is falling apart,
Chaotic,
Suffering.
On the in-breath,
You breathe in whatever particular area,
Group of people,
Country,
Or even one particular person.
Perhaps it's not this more global situation.
Perhaps it's more breathing in the physical discomfort and mental anguish of chemotherapy.
All the people who are undergoing chemotherapy and if you've undergone chemotherapy and are out on the other side,
It's a very real experience and pain to you.
Or maybe it's the pain of those who've lost loved ones suddenly or recently,
Unexpectedly,
Or over a long period of time.
On the in-breath,
You find some place on the planet or in your personal life,
Something that you know about.
And you breathe in with the wish that those human beings or those mistreated animal or groups of people,
Whoever it is,
You breathe in with the wish that they could be free from that suffering,
With the longing to remove their suffering.
And then you send out or just relax out and send enough space so that people's hearts feel big and free enough to be able to live with their discomfort or their fear or their anger or despair or their physical or mental anguish.
But you can also breathe out for those who have no food and drink.
You could breathe out food and drink.
For those who are homeless,
You could breathe out and send them shelter.
For those who are suffering in any way,
You could send out safety and comfort and healing.
So with the in-breath,
You breathe in the wish to take away their suffering,
Literally taking in and taking on their suffering,
Allowing it to move out throughout your body with the breath.
And with the out-breath,
You breathe out with the wish to send out comfort and happiness and healing to the people or the animals or the nation.
Do this for an individual or a large group.
And if you have more than one person in mind,
That's fine.
Breathing in with a wish to relieve their suffering.
And with the out-breath to send relief.
And just keep breathing in and breathing out,
Taking in as fully as you can,
Radiating as widely as you can.
Perhaps placing your left hand on your heart and your right hand on your belly as you breathe in and out.
Thank you.
