Mini Course In The Practice Of Tonglen

In this audio, I will be explaining to you in detail all that you need to know in order to carry out the formal practice of Tonglen, the meditation as well as the informal practice. In other words, how to apply Toglen in your daily life. After listening to this audio, you will have the option of carrying out this practice directly, without the explanations with these two audio tracks “Complete Tonglen and “Simple Tonglen Meditation" you will find in my profile.

Transcript

In this audio I will be explaining to you in detail all that you need to know in order to carry out the formal practice of tonglen,

The meditation as well as the informal practice,

In other words how to apply tonglen in your daily life.

After listening to this audio you will have the option of carrying out this practice directly without explanations.

You will have two audios,

Complete tonglen meditation with a running time of 30 minutes and single tonglen meditation for 15 minutes in case you have less time.

Both of them can be found in my profile.

Some origins of the tonglen practice are found in tantric India,

100 years before Christ,

And it is known that Atisha took it to Tibet in the 8th century.

In other words we are talking about an ancestral practice and I am profoundly grateful that it has made its way into our time period.

The literal meaning of tonglen is to give and receive.

It's just a mother does for her newborn child,

She gives without expecting anything in return and without judgment.

In tonglen we are unlooking for the quieting of the mind,

And we can utilize this practice when we are experiencing difficulties or when there is a lot of stress.

Through this practice we will be able to handle the complex situations in which there is nothing we can do,

But without giving up and being able to do it through compassion.

With tonglen we develop two fundamental resources,

Inner stability in order to be able to deal with that which is difficult and confident in our own inner resources.

This practice can be distinguished from others because the person practicing actively connects with the suffering in an altruistic manner,

In an effort to overcome it.

By opening yourself to suffering it allows us to feel closer to it and see it whenever possible.

In western cultures we have the tendency to say that we avoid suffering,

Which is the exact opposite of what is cultivated in tonglen meditation.

This meditation can help you handle difficult situations in life.

First it asks you to face them and to develop an attitude of openness towards the discomfort,

Letting go of the negativity that goes along with feeling any kind of dissatisfaction.

It's like saying,

I can see it,

I am witnessing it,

And I am open and available.

I observe it just as it is,

Which is doing the exact opposite when comparing it to our usual habit of fleeing from unpleasantness.

Secondly it invites you to share the good with others by cultivating compassion and kindness towards the pain itself,

The pain of those closest to you and also towards that of all beings.

It is a practice of being open to reality,

To not force it,

To fit into our hopes and allow for it to be just as it is.

In other words,

Compassion is a way of encouraging healing and preventing suffering.

Also that I may relate to situations that are most difficult for me and others in a positive manner.

The ultimate intention of the tonglen practice is the practice of deep compassion,

Being able to help heal our own suffering and the suffering of others,

Taking into account that phenomena depends on other things.

The non-self and understanding that everything is connected.

It's a meditation that allows you to connect with everything,

With nature,

The universe and with others.

I hope you it brings you great relief and peace.

Let's begin.

To begin you can establish a rhythm of breathing,

Paying attention to how the air goes in and out,

Noticing how the body breathes,

Allowing yourself to feel how it begins to open and then,

In your own time,

Turning inward and experiencing a stillness of your body.

And if you are not able to connect with your breath at that moment,

You can take a couple of deep breaths or instead you can connect with different points of contact on your body,

Paying attention to where you are seated.

Turning to your breath in the place you feel it most and from that place of openness and stillness attempt to not have any specific thought in your mind.

You can begin by breathing in the main reason for your dissatisfaction,

For your uncomfortableness,

For your pain,

Suffering and the reason why you are feeling badly.

Then you can begin your next breath and begin your next inhalation.

It could be that at the beginning it's just more of a concept,

But perhaps some situation will pop into your mind that reflect these types of issues.

Consciously inhale that suffering,

Perhaps it will be perceived in your body as more of a sensation of heaviness,

Of tension,

Narrowness or heat.

You need to observe those sensations which in your body correlate to your thoughts.

And little by little as you exhale it will be as if you are able to relieve that suffering,

As if you are able to dissolve them with a sense of calm,

Lightness and well-being.

Feeling like you are dissipating as if you were steam.

Sending that well-being to the source of that suffering.

It can be pleasant just to simply visualize that you are ascending.

If possible,

Have your inhalation last the same amount of time as your exhalation.

Once again you can breathe in the sensation of unease.

And as you exhale visualize that you are sending qualities of well-being,

Energy,

Peace,

Calm,

Tranquility,

Health and happiness.

Breathing simply sending.

You can visualize how you begin to submerge yourself in the cause of your unease.

And how you surround it with well-being.

And with each inhalation and exhalation the greater the calm,

The energy and well-being that you are sending.

Continue to observe how deeply you are experiencing it.

Being conscious of the fact that the most difficult situation in which to apply compassion is in our own minds.

I invite you to visualize a specific moment or a situation of yours that is causing you to suffer.

Someone where you are unsatisfied,

Are feeling badly or are experiencing pain.

Begin to inhale at the same time you are breathing in that moment.

It is possible that what might appear is anxiety,

Fear,

Guilt,

Regret,

Attachment,

Disorientation,

Perhaps physical pain or maybe several of them all at once.

Pay attention to how you feel as you inhale and embrace them from an impartial point of view.

From your sensations,

Emotions and thoughts.

Accepting wherever arises with curiosity and without wanting to change any part of that experience.

Understand that there is suffering.

And when you exhale,

Do it with the intention of taking care of yourself.

As if sending love and compassion over and over again,

At each exhalation.

As if you were able to take care of yourself.

Pay attention to how you feel during each exhalation and how your state of being changes.

What sensations are you feeling if you take away the mental content?

Fear or guilt?

Perhaps you will be able to feel a sense of relief as if you continue to send out love and well-being.

Well-feeling that with every exhale,

You are generating more feelings of abundance and well-being.

Exhaling the bad feelings and exhaling and sending love,

Affection,

Clarity and tenderness.

Feeling how at each exhale you increase your energy and well-being,

While creating more space in order to receive the pain,

Just as if you were a filter,

Filtering out the dissatisfaction during each breath.

Placing your entire attention on inhaling and exhaling,

As if your life were within it.

To inhale is a gesture of courage,

A way in which you can connect your body with suffering.

You can also visualize a loved one by placing them in your mind's eye.

Inhaling their pain,

Unexhaling well-being towards that being.

Cultivating openness and strength,

Transforming,

Using all your love and compassion.

And now you can visualize someone to whom you have no connection,

Someone you don't worry about,

And then continue to inhale and exhale.

Feeling the sensation of sending love and compassion with exhalation.

And with you inhale,

Cultivating a gesture of empowerment and courage.

And now visualize someone who you don't feel close to,

Or perhaps it could be someone with whom you have had a conflict.

And once again,

Visualizing how you simultaneously send to that being with each exhalation,

Love,

Compassion,

Well-being,

Health and energy,

And how you inhale their difficulties.

Feeling confidently the best you,

Knowing that what emerges from you is infinite,

Lighting up the darkness.

Now apply to all of those beings that are feeling a need at the same time.

Inhaling for yourself and all of those that find themselves in a difficult situation,

And exhaling to alleviate the pain.

Perhaps you can feel that the more you receive as you inhale,

The more strength and energy you will feel as you exhale well-being,

Happiness,

Peace and energy.

Like a never-ending source,

Giving the best of you,

That which you must treasure while you receive the suffering of the world.

Pay attention to the sensation of giving and receiving,

Ploughing,

Simultaneously feeling the relief within yourself and others,

As if there were no difference between you,

Extending it infinitely,

Without limits.

Exhaling,

Giving without expecting anything in return.

The more you give,

The more you receive.

Just like a well,

The deeper you go,

The more water emerges.

FormID At first,

This practice may seem somewhat forced.

That is normal.

As you practice,

It becomes more natural and requires less effort.

And gradually,

The same thing will happen with your unhappiness.

You will realize that it is not something solid,

And it is just a matter of letting go,

By consciously letting it go and allowing for that transformation,

An alchemy,

To occur.

You can practice tunglung for those that suffer,

Are sick,

Are dying,

Have just died,

Are feeling badly,

Are suffering from some type of pain.

You can do it as a formal meditation practice or at any time.

For example,

If you are walking down the street and you see someone who is not well,

You can begin to inhale their pain and send relief.

Exhale your well-being for all beings when you go to have a coffee with someone,

When you are in nature and when you have a headache,

So that you may be able to inhale the pain of all others that are suffering just as yourself.

If you see someone who is suffering,

It can cause you to look away,

Because you remind you of your own fear.

But doing that will surely create more resistance and confusion in you,

So you can perform tunglung for all those people that are like you,

For all of those who wish to have compassion but are afraid,

For those who wish to be brave,

For all of those who are courageous and bold,

Just as you are.

Exhale for all beings.

Exhale for all beings.

Exhale for all beings.

Exhale for all beings.

Reviews

A beautiful and gentle introduction to Tonglen - thank you Oscar

5🌟's of course. Thank you so much for this profound healing meditation. 🙏🧡🌺