In this episode, we learn the magical practice of taking and giving, known in Tibetan as tonglen. This meditation quickly awakens universal compassion, which is the wish to take away the suffering of all living beings, without exception. JoAnn Fox shares how to practice this meditation in formal meditation and in daily life, with eyes wide open.

The verses of the Dhammapada, by Buddha, we study in this episode are from Chapter Two“Vigilance”, verses 29 -  32:

“Vigilant among the negligent,

Wide awake among the sleeping,

The wise one advances

Like a swift horse leaving a weak

One behind.                         

 

With vigilance, Indra became the

greatest of the gods.

The gods praise vigilance,

Forever rejecting negligence.

 

The monastic who delights in

Vigilance

And fears negligence

Advances like fire,

Burning fetters subtle and gross.

 

The monastic who delights in

Vigilance

And fears negligence

Is incapable of backsliding

And quite close to Nirvana.”

 

Reference:

The Dhammapada, by Buddha. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. Page 7.