Morning practice · 12 minutes
How to practise Tonglen in the morning.
Tonglen — a practice from Tibet is The Tibetan practice of breathing in suffering, and breathing out relief, and the wider mind-training that grew around it. Here is how to bring it into your life before the day takes a single thing from you.
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Step 1
Before the phone — the first three minutes
Eyes open, feet on the floor, no screen. The first information of the day decides the day. Tonglen wants the first slot, not the last leftover.
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Step 2
A small physical anchor
A glass of water. A bow at the window. A hand to the heart. The body needs a signal that the practice has started before the day floods in.
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Step 3
Hold the day's intention
Bring the teaching to mind: The Tibetan practice of breathing in suffering, and breathing out relief, and the wider mind-training that grew around it. Ask: where in today is this likely to be tested? Name the place. Now you have somewhere to look.
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Step 4
One thing on the calendar in service of it
A meeting you will enter differently. A reply you will write more slowly. A walk you will take instead of a scroll. Mark it now or the morning loses its claim by noon.
The hardest part of Tonglen is letting the practice be small. Small is the whole point.
Other contexts for Tonglen