The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Spiritual Classic & International Bestseller: Revised and Updated Edition

Put very simply, the Tonglen practice of giving and receiving is to take on the suffering and pain of others, and give them your happiness, well-being, and peace of mind.

and finally in considering others even more important than yourself. The latter is to develop to perfection generosity, discipline, patience or endurance, diligence, concentration, and wisdom, all of them infused by a penetrating insight into the nature of reality itself.

loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity toward limitless living beings.6 Through a practice of deep contemplation, you cultivate these four qualities to such a degree that they become boundless and immeasurable.

It is the supreme elixir That overcomes the sovereignty of death. It is the inexhaustible treasure That eliminates poverty in the world. It is the supreme medicine

This compassionate wish is called Bodhichitta in Sanskrit; bodhi means our enlightened essence, and chitta means heart.

Pray that you benefit all who come in contact with you, and help them transform their suffering and their lives.

“Bless me into usefulness.”

You feel for that person respect and even gratitude, because you now know that whoever prompts you to develop compassion by their suffering is in fact giving you one of the greatest gifts of all, because they are helping you to develop that very quality you need most in your progress toward enlightenment.

“When your fear touches someone’s pain it becomes pity; when your love touches someone’s pain, it becomes compassion.”