nbmc

The Northfield Buddhist Meditation Center

Sunday Dharma talk: An Introduction to the Practice of Tonglen by Tom Adducci

October 4, 2009
9:40 am	to	10:30 am

Dharma talk: An Introduction to the Practice of Tonglen

Tonglen, the practice of sending and taking, sometimes referred to as exchanging oneself for others, is a key practice for developing compassion toward oneself and others. As Pema Chodron describes it,

“The tonglen practice is a method for connecting with suffering—ours and that which is all around us— everywhere we go. It is a method for overcoming fear of suffering and for dissolving the tightness of our heart. Primarily it is a method for awakening the compassion that is inherent in all of us, no matter how cruel or cold we might seem to be.”

The talk is preceded by an introduction to meditation for beginners at 8:30 a.m. and sitting meditation at 9:00 a.m., with the talk at 9:45.

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