Tonglen is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist meditation that was kept secret for a long time. It is a beautiful practice, with many benefits, and I’m happy to share it with you.

Tonglen is also called the meditation of taking and giving. Len is the action of taking on the suffering of others; and tong is sending out love and wisdom.

In this practice we do a traditional warm up of the mind, known as the preliminaries. Then begin tonglen by imagining using our breath to take on others’ suffering. Initially for our future self, and slowly working towards other loved ones, difficult people, and eventually all beings.

Through the power of compassion, we transform that energy into love and wisdom and give it back out to whoever we are working with.

Does it hurt? No, this meditation is a visualization and we don’t literally take on the suffering of others. And paradoxically, my experience of the meditation is actually extremely beautiful. Feeling like I am directly spreading love into many dear people in my life that I currently see as in some level of suffering.

Why would I want to take on others’ pain? The simple answer is because there are so many upsides!

One of my spiritual guides, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso outlines four main benefits in his wonderful book The New Eight Steps to Happiness (featured in the SoulSmith recommended reading list):

* They are powerful methods to purify the potential negative results of non-virtuous actions

* To accumulate a great collection of merit

* To ripen our potential to benefit all living beings

* To purify our mind

This meditation helped me during a difficult time in my life. I saw these benefits first hand after practicing tonglen every morning for 2+ months. One by one, I meditated on all my loved ones, and then slowly more difficult people in my life. Separateness slowly drifted towards love. By the end of these two months, I felt lighter, clearer, and more loving, with substantially fewer triggering people in my life.

Its much easier to cherish and love someone if you have been sitting with them in meditation and secretly giving them everything that you know would make them happy.

I strongly encourage you to practice this meditation every day for a month or more as an act of self-love, and for the sake of all those around you.

Community Announcements ✨

* SoulSmith guided meditations are now live on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Search “SoulSmith meditations” to follow.

* This newsletter, and many other spiritual publications are now listed in Maia Duerr ‘s very helpful DharmaStack

* Kadampa Meditation Center have a fantastic retreat coming up on labor day weekend. I will be going — let me know if you will be there!

* Upcoming Meditation Teacher Trainings I recommend:

* My teacher davidji combines wisdom and meditation into an awesome container. He has an upcoming teacher training starting July 28

* Three Jewels is a NYC-based studio led by Hector Marcel. They have a 200hr meditation teacher training starting in October

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