If you have heard or been taught that tonglen meditation is dangerous, know that that teacher is misinformed and unfamiliar with the practice. That teacher obviously has not practiced tonglen himself/herself. Only good comes from tonglen practice, to yourself & all beings.
— Laura S.
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Tonglen is the Tibetan practice of “sending and receiving.” Tong means “sending out” or “letting go,” len means “receiving” or “accepting.” Tonglen is ordinarily practiced in sitting meditation, using the breath. Put simply, the practitioner breathes in the bad and breathes out the good, taking on the suffering of other sentient beings. At first the practice may appear self-defeating, but as the late Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche said, “The more negativity we take in with a sense of openness and compassion, the more goodness there is to breathe out. So there is nothing to lose.”
Shambhala.orgThe Practice of Tonglenby Pema Chodron, starts as follows:
“In order to have compassion for others, we have to have compassion for ourselves.In particular, to care about other people who are fearful, angry, jealous, overpowered by addictions of all kinds, arrogant, proud, miserly, selfish, mean — you name it — to have compassion and to care for these people, means not to run from the pain of finding these things in ourselves. In fact, one’s whole attitude toward pain can change. Instead of fending it off and hiding from it, one could open one’s heart and allow oneself to feel that pain, feel it as something that will soften and purify us and make us far more loving and kind. …”
Shambhala Sun magazineGood Medicine for This WorldPema Chodron in conversation with Alice Walker & Judy Lief
Pema Chodrontranscript & 5-minute audio clip on belief.net, excerpted from the tape, “Good Medicine,” and used with permission of Sounds True:Tonglen Meditation: Changing Pain into Compassion
Ane Pema Chodron
Andrew Harvey
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Search Shambhala Sun magazine for tonglen meditation.
Search Tricycle magazine for tonglen meditation.
Rigpa’s Spiritual Care ProgramTraining in the Compassion Practices of Tonglenby Christine LongakeremailSanctuary webpage Rigpa
Articles
dharma grandma sangha: tonglen
dharmamandala.orglojong & tonglen meditation
theflow.org“The Seven Points of Mind Training: Exchanging Self for Others”some teachers of tonglen meditation
non-duality.comTonglen: Taking & Giving Meditation
Books, audio courses, audiobooks & videos
Facing Death & Finding Hope: A Guide to the Emotional and Spiritual Care of the Dyingby Christine Longaker
video & audioGood Medicine: How to Turn Pain Into Compassion with Tonglen Meditationby Pema Chodron
video, I think also audioPema Chodron & Alice Walker in Conversation
book & audioThe Tibetan Book of Living and Dyingby Sogyal Rinpoche, Andrew Harvey, et al