Although not a Chant or Ceremony, so much as a Practice, Tonglen (གཏོང་ལེན in Tibetan) is a very powerful undertaking, originating in Tibetan Buddhism, that has been embraced by some Zen groups. "Tong" means "giving or sending", and "len" means "receiving or taking". Tonglen sometimes is said to be a visualized exchanging of self with other, and their pain for healing, transforming suffering, anger, sadness and the like within ourselves and in the world through visualization, transforming thus into peace, joy, acceptance and other positive emotions..
For several years at Treeleaf, our Rev. Kokuu has led a Tonglen meeting group, which he describes here:
The Practice of Giving and Receiving (Tonglen) is part of a set of practices originating in Tibetan Buddhist practices but being adopted by Zen and other Buddhist groups of many kinds. The aim of these practices is to transform, through visualization, the human way we encounter difficulties into the way a symbolic Bodhisattva would approach them with openness, forgiveness and compassion.
The teachings are said to have been initially given to the Indian master Atisha Dipamkara by Serlingpa, a teacher in Indonesia, and Atisha is said to have been responsible for bringing them to Tibet in the eleventh century where they have become an intrinsic part of Tibetan Buddhist dharma.
The following instructions contain the heart of the practice of Giving and Receiving (Tonglen):
Train in taking and sending alternately. Put them on the breath.
And Begin the sequence of taking with you.
In some respects Tonglen is similar to sending Metta (see our Recommended Daily Metta Practice HERE) but Tibetan Buddhism has a tendency to amalgamate a number of practices into one and Sending and Receiving is certainly one example of that. As well as developing Metta, Giving and Receiving is part of a series of practices which aim to increase our concern for others while being less concerned with oneself. Usually we try to hold onto all the good things for ourselves and avoid the bad elements of life. This practice completely turns that way of thinking on its head.
Giving and Receiving is also a method of experiencing the suffering of others and feeling connected to them. It is a way of opening the heart to what we fear and then using that open heart to send out metta. When the heart is open, there is no separation between our self and others. This is a pure Mahayana practice designed to increase the aspiration for awakening to help all beings (bodhicitta).
A Practice such as Tonglen and Metta can go hand-in-hand with our core Practice, Shikantaza. Although we do not engage in such Practices during Zazen, it is good each day to engage in such an additional Practice for developing compassion, and to work on helping others in our lives. It is hoped that Giving and Receiving may occupy a warm and helpful place in our practice and our hearts.
The teachings are said to have been initially given to the Indian master Atisha Dipamkara by Serlingpa, a teacher in Indonesia, and Atisha is said to have been responsible for bringing them to Tibet in the eleventh century where they have become an intrinsic part of Tibetan Buddhist dharma.
The following instructions contain the heart of the practice of Giving and Receiving (Tonglen):
Train in taking and sending alternately. Put them on the breath.
And Begin the sequence of taking with you.
In some respects Tonglen is similar to sending Metta (see our Recommended Daily Metta Practice HERE) but Tibetan Buddhism has a tendency to amalgamate a number of practices into one and Sending and Receiving is certainly one example of that. As well as developing Metta, Giving and Receiving is part of a series of practices which aim to increase our concern for others while being less concerned with oneself. Usually we try to hold onto all the good things for ourselves and avoid the bad elements of life. This practice completely turns that way of thinking on its head.
Giving and Receiving is also a method of experiencing the suffering of others and feeling connected to them. It is a way of opening the heart to what we fear and then using that open heart to send out metta. When the heart is open, there is no separation between our self and others. This is a pure Mahayana practice designed to increase the aspiration for awakening to help all beings (bodhicitta).
A Practice such as Tonglen and Metta can go hand-in-hand with our core Practice, Shikantaza. Although we do not engage in such Practices during Zazen, it is good each day to engage in such an additional Practice for developing compassion, and to work on helping others in our lives. It is hoped that Giving and Receiving may occupy a warm and helpful place in our practice and our hearts.
And our Tonglen group gathers quite frequently for practice here:
Gassho, J
STLah
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