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Tonglen - the practice of sending and receiving - helps us to be with hardship without falling into despair. An explanation of the practice appears in the Lojong teachings and is associated with those who follow the path of the Bodhisattvas.

In addition to cultivating an open, spacious heart, Tonglen can help us to cultivate the paramitas - the perfections - especially generosity, loving-kindness, determination, and diligence.

The practice starts at 3:14 after a brief introduction. If your player supports chapter markers, you can skip ahead.

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SMP welcomes your comments and questions at feedback@skillfulmeanspodcast.com. You can also get in touch with Jen through her website: https://www.sati.yoga

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Continuing our series on Awakening the Heart, this month we're exploring the Buddhist path of the bodhisattva through the cultivation of bodhicitta - the awakened heart-mind that forms the foundation of compassionate living.

Drawing from Mahayana Buddhist teachings, we also take a look at Lojong (mind training), the Tibetan Buddhist contemplative practice that can be used as a powerful framework for developing genuine compassion.

Highlights include:

• Cultivating the open-hearted attitude of enlightened ones (Bodhisattvas)
• Two types of Bodhicitta
• Paramitas (Perfections)
• Short history and details of Lojong
• Unpacking of the First Lojong statement: Train the Preliminaries
• Tips for working with the Lojong phrases

Mentioned on the show:

• Judy Lief's online Lojong translation and commentary: https://judylief.com/offerings/slogans-of-atisha/
• Norman Fischer's "Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong" https://bookshop.org/p/books/training-in-compassion-zen-teachings-on-the-practice-of-lojong-norman-fischer/9663817?ean=9781611800401&next=t
• VIA Character Strengths & Virtues: https://www.viacharacter.org/
• Dalai Lama Poem "This Precious Human Life" https://mountainsangha.org/a-precious-human-life/

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SMP welcomes your comments and questions at feedback@skillfulmeanspodcast.com. You can also get in touch with Jen through her website: https://www.sati.yoga

Fill out this survey to help guide the direction of the show: https://airtable.com/appM7JWCQd7Q1Hwa4/pagRTiysNido3BXqF/form

To support the show, consider a donation via Ko-Fi.

Text me your feedback.

In this variation of loving-kindness, or metta, meditation, tap into the energetic resonance of the heart to awaken loving feelings within before sending them outward.

Inspired by Taoist visualizations, Mahayana buddhist practice, and Hearth Math's quick coherence technique, generate love and good will toward yourself and others. Many studies have shown that practices like this not only feel good, but also reduce stress, increase a sense of calm, and help us avoid despair by reminding us of our shared humanity.

The practice starts at 3:52 after a brief introduction. If your player supports chapter markers, you can skip ahead.

Mentioned in the introduction:

• Love 2.0 by Dr. Barbara Frederickson
• Heart Math Quick Coherence Technique

~ ~ ~

SMP welcomes your comments and questions at feedback@skillfulmeanspodcast.com. You can also get in touch with Jen through her website: https://www.sati.yoga

Fill out this survey to help guide the direction of the show: https://airtable.com/appM7JWCQd7Q1Hwa4/pagRTiysNido3BXqF/form

To support the show, consider a donation via Ko-Fi.