The Wisdom of Compassion – Bodhichitta and Tonglen

The Buddhist practice of ‘equalizing self and others’ as expressed in giving with great love and taking with great compassion, known as Tonglen, is one of the most useful and powerful of all Buddhist practices. Tonglen is a simple and straightforward practice, which is extremely effective at getting to the heart of our predicament: our excessively self-centred attitude. Tonglen opens you to the truth of the suffering of others; it reveals the loving, expansive radiance of your own nature. And it offers extraordinary power in destroying the self-cherishing and self-absorption which is the root of all our hard-heartedness and all our suffering.

The Wisdom of Compassion presents key Buddhist teachings on the powerful logic of compassion and practical methods for developing a more kind relationship with ourselves, those around us and ultimately all beings.

Our innate capacity for empathy is the source of the very best of human qualities: love, kindness, generosity, warm-heartedness, courage … compassion. Although we are born with a vast capacity to love, we may not know how to do so unconditionally, or how to express that love in practice.

When our heart and mind are filled with love, we find the greatest inner healing, tranquillity and well-being. Modern research shows that with empathy and compassion we can be more fully ourselves, connect more easily with others, improve self worth and reduce self-criticism, and lead healthier lives.

Participants in this course will learn how to:

• develop loving kindness for themselves
• extend that loving kindness to all beings
• move along the path from compassion to fully enlightened courage