Tonglen - Taking and Sending
Breathing in suffering and breathing out relief, transforming ourselves through radical compassion.
Tonglen is a Tibetan practice of breathing in the suffering of others (visualized as dark smoke) and breathing out relief and happiness (visualized as healing light). This counterintuitive practice transforms our relationship with difficulty - instead of avoiding pain, we lean into it with compassion. Studies show that tonglen practitioners develop greater emotional resilience and compassion fatigue resistance. The practice reveals that when we open to suffering rather than defending against it, we discover an indestructible core of compassion. We're far stronger than we think.
Tonglen reverses the usual logic of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure. In the process, we become liberated from very ancient patterns of selfishness.