A piece of wisdom from
September 26, 2023 · Tuesday
The quote
“Even a small lake reflects the sky.”
— Finnish proverb · Sisu
The concept
Tonglen
The Tibetan practice of breathing in suffering, and breathing out relief, and the wider mind-training that grew around it.
When somebody is suffering, most cultures answer: distance yourself. Tibetan Buddhism answers: breathe them in. Tonglen, the practice of giving and taking through breath, is the most counterintuitive meditation in any tradition, and the mos…
A practice for today
Walk one slow block today and observe the lesson of Tonglen. The Tibetan practice of breathing in suffering, and breathing out relief, and the wider mind-training that grew around it.
From the Bhagavad Gita
Verse 5.22
ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते। आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः॥
“The pleasures born of contact with external objects are wombs of suffering. They have a beginning and an end. The wise do not delight in them.”
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