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Exchange Self And Others / Tonglen

• ‘Self’ and ‘other’ is habit of mind. This can be changed. Exchange self and other.
• This virtue ripens in enlightenment.
• When we are undergoing pain and suffering, visualize taking pain and suffering of all sentient beings. This lessens other beings’ burden and brings them happiness. It increases love and compassion. Dedicate this merit for all beings.
• Wish to share your happiness, and wish to take on suffering so others don’t have to go through what you are going through.
• What the self cherishes is happiness. This is what we exchange. What we accomplish is we crush self-cherishing.
•  “Since you have suffering and don’t want it, I will take your suffering. Since I have happiness and you want it, you can have my happiness.”
• Wish to give benefit. Wish to take suffering. This is bodhisattva’s mind.
• May all beings’ suffering ripen on me, and through my virtuous deeds, may they accomplish happiness. You should have longing to do this.
• I take their suffering and cause of suffering. I give my happiness and cause of happiness.
• Visualize that all this mass of pain lifts like a dark cloud and is absorbed into own heart, and she is free of pain. Develop joy that she is free. Now vizualize that all of one’s happiness and causes of happiness goes to kind mother. Vizualize virtue transfers to her in the form of a cloud of white light. She is filled with happiness and well being. Be joyful you have been able to do this.
• Suffering is absorbed into our heart and disappears into emptiness. Happiness radiates out from our heart like sunshine.
• Right now our exchange meditation is at the level of aspiration, because we are ordinary.
• “May all beings’ sickness ripen upon me.” Suffering of others cannot actually ripen on you by merely wishing, but this thought is meritorious.
• Does Tonglen actually benefit beings? When compassion is authentic, yes. The amount of benefit depends on how vast our compassion is and also on the thickness of obscurations of the recipient.
• Exchange one’s happiness for the suffering of others. Enlightenment is not possible otherwise.
• There is no object corresponding to belief in ‘self’. Realize this, then meditate on exchange.
• Animals that are slaughtered, beings that die in some natural disaster, their minds do not die. Think of Chenrezig. Offer a prayer. You know your mind is trained when you hear of some disaster and it affects you.

• The point is to cherish other beings as important.

Ultimate Tonglen:

• If we can meditate Mahamudra, we can directly impact all sentient beings. Buddha Nature is common property, covered by layers of obscurations. Our meditation melts away layers of afflictions. Proportionately the layer is made thinner.