Love and Compassion - Metta & Tonglen
Metta (loving-kindness) and Tonglen (sending and receiving) are practices that open the heart. They help us relate differently to pain — both our own and the world’s. Instead of closing down, we learn to expand, to send kindness to ourselves and others, even to those we find difficult. These meditations can be profoundly moving, especially in times of conflict, grief, or injustice. They show us that love and compassion are always available, even in the hardest moments.
7 items- Metta for This Human BodyMetta – or loving-kindness – is a powerful practice of opening our heart to ourselves and to others. Especially in these difficult times it is a vital practice. In this session we work with our human body, that we all have, and open up towards others, including those we have difficulty with.
- Metta: Loving Kindness for All BeingsThe powerful Mahayana practice of Metta, reaching in, wrenching our heart open, for ourselves, and also for those that we have conflict with, that we hate perhaps.
- Metta for All BeingsPracting loving kindness for all that are suffering, especially those that we find difficult to understand. This practice urges us to go further, to open our heart more.
- For the Benefit of All BeingsWhatever comes up – aggression, unfriendliness, ruminating, body pain, strong emotions – if we practice with this, we can hold the aspiration and develop the knowledge and faith that this is of benefit to all beings. The less aggression we produce, the less that other humans and animals will feel.
- Tonglen for Racial InequalityTonglen is a powerful practice for working with the suffering in the world. In this practice I give full instructions in the practice, and we work with the suffering created by racial inequality that is so present for us all right now.
- Tonglen for Racial, Trans, and GenderTonglen is a powerful practice that opens our hearts to the suffering in the world.
- Tonglen for WildfiresThe whole West Coast of the US is burning, with many millions of suffering beings. The practice of tonglen, or “taking and sending”, is an ancient practice that opens our heart with compassion and may provide benefit to those suffering.