This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers.

Happy Hour: Breathing Compassion (Tonglen)

Introduction

Hello and welcome to Happy Hour, this rendition of it. As I close my eyes and actually feel myself in my body, [sighs] I invite you to feel you. Feel yourself. Feel your body in this moment and just arrive. Arrive here right now, as I introduce the theme for a couple of minutes before we even start the meditation. Arrive. It's important to arrive and hear with different ears.

Today's theme is somewhat related to what we practiced on Monday, but of course always a little different. On Monday we did a practice of compassion^[1], as a dedication of our suffering for the benefit and alleviation of suffering of others. So it was practicing compassion in a particular way. I mentioned on Monday during the introduction that this practice is related to two different practices: it is related to Tonglen^[2] practice, which is a practice in Tibetan Buddhism, and it's also related to the practice of dedication in general. Dedication is what we do at the end of every session. When we practice, we dedicate the goodness and the merit^[3] that has been generated.

I'd like to explore the practice of Tonglen today, this evening, this morning, wherever you are. Maybe on Friday we'll see what comes up—maybe we'll explore the practice of dedication in its own right. For today, we will explore Tonglen.

Tonglen is one way of practicing compassion for the world and for ourselves, and it is also sometimes referred to as an active breathing compassion practice. Essentially, there are three parts of Tonglen. I'll break it down, introduce it, and then we'll do it together.

The main thing to bring attention to in Tonglen is a sense of transformation. The basics of the practice are breathing in suffering, letting it be transformed into healing and goodness, and then breathing out goodness, healing, and well-wishes. That's the idea. Breathing in suffering as if it's a cloud or smoke. As you're breathing in, you imagine that you're breathing in the suffering of yourself or others, letting it be transformed. Then with the out-breath, you imagine that your out-breath is sharing goodwill, compassion, and your wish for the alleviation of suffering for yourself and all beings.

One power of this practice of compassion, Tonglen, is that it gets connected to our breath. With each in-breath and out-breath, we are practicing compassion, which can feel really embodied. You can imagine that we're breathing into our heart center, so it can feel really centered and connected with the breath.

One thing that often trips people up is the idea that it's overwhelming. "I don't want to be breathing in and holding in my heart... who am I, the little me, to breathe all this into my heart and transform it?" The invitation, actually, is imagining that your heart center is this powerful, shiny, bright transformer. It is yours, and it's not yours. As you breathe in and out, the suffering gets transformed, so it doesn't stay. It's not as if you are taking on the challenges of the world. You are holding witness. You are holding witness to this process happening and realizing the capacity of your heart is more than you ever imagined.

I'll repeat this part one more time because this is where people get hung up. Please listen carefully. You are holding witness to the process of transformation, of suffering as it's breathed into this amazing capacity of your heart for transformation, care, and love, and as it's shared with the world, opening up to this incredible beauty and grace that's beyond space and time. You, whoever you are, are not taking it all on, even though it may feel that way. Pay attention to that.

Without further ado, allow me to lead you into exploring the practice of compassion as Tonglen.

Guided Meditation

[Sighs] I'd like to invite you to get settled in your body in this moment in time, simply connecting with the breath. With each breath, allow your body to relax, soften, and land. Let your body be relaxed, yet keep your back straight, having a sense of integrity in your sitting and in your posture.

Allow the breath to be received in your abdomen for now, settling, soothing, and calming your whole body. With each in-breath and out-breath, let go of the balloons of thought; let them float away. Feel settled in the body with the breath.

Allow the breath to be received now both in the abdomen and further up in your trunk, in your heart center in the middle of the chest. Then, when the time is right, allow your awareness to rest only on the chest, the heart center. Let the breath be received as if it is entering through the middle of your chest, your heart center.