A piece of wisdom from
July 30, 2026 · Thursday
The quote
“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh · Tonglen
The concept
Tonglen
The Tibetan practice of breathing in suffering, and breathing out relief, and the wider mind-training that grew around it.
When somebody is suffering, most cultures answer: distance yourself. Tibetan Buddhism answers: breathe them in. Tonglen, the practice of giving and taking through breath, is the most counterintuitive meditation in any tradition, and the mos…
A practice for today
Walk one slow block today and observe the lesson of Tonglen. The Tibetan practice of breathing in suffering, and breathing out relief, and the wider mind-training that grew around it.
From the Bhagavad Gita
Verse 2.14
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥
“Contacts of the senses with their objects — bringing cold and heat, pleasure and pain — come and go. They are impermanent. Endure them, O Bharata.”
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