Tonglen is part of the ancient compassion practice tool box of Seven Points of Mind Training. In this meditation, you're guided in Tonglen for yourself, at every stage of being, from pre-birth, though life, death and afterlife. Follow the instructions as you hear them and learn in real time where you are self-compassionate and where it does not yet flow freely. The best results will come from following along without talking to yourself as we go. Just listen and do—it's very simple. And then notice the moment-by-moment experience. There are several guided Tonglen meditations on the Wisdom and Compassion podcast list. We'll post more this year.

We can do Tonglen for someone who is dying if we are with them, or not. We can do Tonglen for people who have died at another time. whether we were there or not. Tonglen may be done for people we know, and complete strangers. Of course it can be done for animals, as well.

These are indeed difficult times and not the first and not the last. As practitioners, we have to find balance in chaos, or at least enough steadiness and equanimity to move forward to awakening and to ease the suffering of the world. In the midst of everything--is everything. In the midst of the worst times of darkness are light and wholeness. We have the tools to do this together.