Tonglen for Racial, Trans, and Gender

Transcript

[0:07] I thought we could practice some Tonglen this morning.

[0:31] Taking our seat, arranging our body, opening, uplifted, held by the earth. As we reach towards the heavens.

[1:22] Bringing ourselves from wherever we may be. Right into the current, present moment.

[2:02] Opening our sense perceptions. As a gate to the present moment.

[2:42] To what is right now, right here.

[3:25] And then flashing our awareness out. Connecting with the vastness of open space in all directions around us. Below, above, behind, in front, the sides. Flashing our awareness.

[4:25] Open it into the vastness. Openness. Extending infinitely in all directions.

[5:07] And while being in space, beginning to feel our heart, the open energy of love and kindness. Feeling that flood our body in space.

[6:07] Feeling the texture, cooling, radiant, Energy of soothing, of love, kindness and compassion. It might feel like moonlight.

[7:03] Relaxing. In this cooling, soothing, loving moonlight. Breathing it out of our body, our heart. Into the vast space all around us.

[8:02] And then we could become aware of suffering. There is suffering. Feeling and experiencing its texture. Sooty. Hot. Thick. Heavy. We experience it. Know its texture.

[9:29] Taking it in through every pore of the body. To know it. Face it. Become intimate with it.

[10:16] And we could bring to mind a specific situation. Or there is suffering. It could be somebody close to you. Something you've read about. Something that's very present in the world. Homophobia. Transphobia. And the situations of individuals that suffer at the hands of others. By our hands. Knowingly and unknowingly. Bringing them directly to mind. And breathing in the suffering that they experience. That they're experiencing right now. What they have experienced. For hundreds and thousands of years. Breathing in. This sooty, smoky, heavy texture of suffering. A cooling, loving, kindness. This moonlight of compassion. Synchronizing with your breath to breathe in the deep suffering. Taking it in. And breathing out. A cooling. Healing. Loving, kindness.

[13:44] As you breathe in. Really knowing. Taking in. Suffering. The texture of it. How it feels in your body. And then opening your heart. Breathing out. Sending. Kindness.

[14:34] With each breath taking in. And each breath sending out.

[16:00] In these ways.

[16:19] Other black people, people of color, gay men and women, lesbian, trans, throughout this country, throughout the world. Breathing the suffering they experience, the hands of others by our hands, and breathing out our heart, our love, our kindness. Sending it. Giving it away.

[17:48] Opening to all those suffering. And we could see sending whatever is needed in this situation. We don't necessarily know what's helpful. But we could send whatever is helpful. Breathing in suffering. Texture. Breathing out. Sending whatever is helpful.

[19:09] And then we could let go. Letting go of the synchronization of breath. And feel ourselves in space. The moonlight of kindness and compassion. Flooding through our body.

[20:09] With a genuine heart of sadness. The open heart.