Taking and sending in everyday life

[Kokuu]

Dear all

I wish to devote this thread to posts about when you have felt or seen something as you go about your life and practiced taking and sending/tonglen as a result.

This may have been a terrorist attack in Barcelona (to take a recent example), a child crying, an animal in distress, worries for your own health or the health of a friend or family member or anything else that opens your heart to compassion.

When this happens you can start to breathe in their suffering and breathe out peace and joy to them. There is no need to sit cross-legged or don a rakusu but merely open your heart to what is in front of you.

Hopefully it is not necessary to remind you to use common sense depending on where you are, as taking and sending while crossing a busy road or in the middle of a riot is not always a good plan!

Deep bows
Kokuu

[Mp]

Thank you Kokuu ... this is so so sad, my heart is breaking with such acts of violence. I will practice this to help dissolve such acts and to help bring peace and equanimity to this world. I think practices such as this, metta, and Shikantaza are very important in times like this, as they too help us from become angry and bitter when we witness such acts of anger and hatred.

Deep bows
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[Kyonin]

Hi Kokuu,

I have been sitting with the terrorists in my heart as well as the victims. It's all a super complex problem that has been around for generations and there's no easy way out.

Only compassion, education and understanding may get things better for humanity.

Tonglen is a wonderful practice for cases like this. And then we keep on walking the bodhisattva path.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH