Teaching and practice with Tromge Jigme Rinpoche
Everyone is invited to join Rinpoche and the PPI resident sangha for an evening’s teaching and practice on tong-len.
The livestream will begin Saturday, May 2nd at 5pm Pacific Time
The link to the livestream is: https://youtu.be/Ql9773_Qsgk
Tong-len is a practice whereby the breath becomes the support for removing suffering and negativity and sending out happiness and well-being. During times of crisis, our instinct is often to primarily protect ourselves and loved ones, and even if we are able to extend our care to others, we may fear becoming overwhelmed or sick ourselves. This is especially true at this time, with a particularly fast-moving epidemic. The practice of tong-len reminds us how to stay open to all beings, understanding our shared suffering and our shared wish for happiness, and gives us the strength to continue regardless of outer circumstances.
1) EXCHANGING OF GRASPING First we reflect on our usual overwhelming tendency to want to grasp and possess objects and beings. We want to ‘own’ everything, be the master of all beings. Then, we turn this grasping around, and reflect on how things would be if roles were reversed, eg imagine ourselves as the slave to all beings, or we are the pet, rather than the pet-owner.
2) EXCHANGING OF CHERISHING OF SELF AND OTHERS Reflect how in samsara we have two ways of being; we cherish ourselves or we cherish others. Cherishing ourselves only leads to suffering; cherishing others is the way to happiness. So we practice redirecting the energy and intention of self-cherishing towards the cherishing of others. In this way we break down the boundaries between self and others. We pray “Whoever like me in samsara suffers through self-cherishing, may they cherish others instead of themselves.”
3) EXCHANGING OF SUFFERING FOR HAPPINESS Starting with our mother as the being to whom we are closest, who nurtured us the most, we practise the idea of taking her suffering in exchange for happiness. We gradually extend this idea to other beings, from the closest ones to neutral and negative beings. We pray “Seeing how others suffer, may I take on their suffering and causes of suffering. Whatever happiness and causes of happiness I have, I offer that to all beings that they may be happy”.
4) BREATHING IN AND OUT TO TRAIN THE MIND — joining the practice of tonglen with the breath. As we breath out we send happiness and the causes of happiness to all beings. Breathing in, we take their suffering and the causes of suffering.
If there is time, participants will be able to ask questions about the practice via the live-chat feature.