A Bodhicitta Practice -- Pema Chödrön
“Tonglen: The Key to Realizing Interconnectedness
PEOPLE GENERALLY eat up the teachings, but when it comes to doing tonglen, they say, “Oh, it sounded good, but I didn’t realize you actually meant it.” In its essence, this practice is: when anything is painful or undesirable, breathe it in. In other words, you don’t resist it. You surrender to
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1. Serve the tea. Practice common acts of generosity and humility, like serving tea to visitors in your home. Small acts require conscious intention to begin with but can become a habit in short order.
2. Show your teeth. To the Dalai Lama, to “show your teeth” means to smile authentically—no half smiles, no Mona Lisa–style ambiguity. The true
... See more“Tonglen: The Key to Realizing Interconnectedness
PEOPLE GENERALLY eat up the teachings, but when it comes to doing tonglen, they say, “Oh, it sounded good, but I didn’t realize you actually meant it.” In its essence, this practice is: when anything is painful or undesirable, breathe it in. In other words, you don’t resist it. You surrender to
... See more