By Compassion Works for All — 2020
Simply put: compassion is lovingkindness in action.
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CLEAR ALL
Pema Chödrön teaches us “sending and taking,” an ancient Buddhist practice to awaken compassion. With each in-breath, we take in others’ pain. With each out-breath, we send them relief.
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Tonglen—the Tibetan practice of “sending and receiving”—can be put to use in everyday situations.
Many of us who want to make a positive impact on the world try to have compassion for other people. But how many of us ever think about directing that compassion toward ourselves?
"Realizing that the other person is also just like me is the basis on which we can develop compassion, not only toward those around us but also toward our enemy. Normally, when we think about our enemy, we think about harming him.
This popular meditation, often called "Karuṇā" in Buddhist circles is all about opening up the heart and mind to be more compassionate to ourselves and others. It is a harder skill to develop than goodwill meditation as some emotions seem like compassion but will cause us more harm than good.
While we practice social distancing and spend less time with friends and family, it's easy to get lost in your own head and melt into a puddle of worry.
To cultivate compassion, let yourself sit in a centered and quiet way. In this traditional form of practice you will combine a repeated inner intention with visualization and the evocation of the feeling of compassion.
In Positive Psychology, Compassion is seen as a way to relate to the self and a pathway to happiness. The proven benefits of compassion range from increased well-being, to relief from illness, and improved relationships.
Everything you ever wanted to know about meditating, but didn't have a teacher to ask.
Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön and novelist Alice Walker on how tonglen meditation practice opens our heart, expands our vision, and plants the seeds of love in our lives.