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Russian Doll Tonglen - old practices, new containers
lobster
Crusty Veteran
in Meditation
Tonglen is an advanced practice now taught to beginners by some . . . Yep, strange but true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonglen
I like to do my own version on occasion, using the Russian doll image. These are the Russian wooden dolls nesting inside each other.
I am not interested in becoming a Russian 'mama', so I visualise myself as a Buddha Bodhi. There are many tantric practices that invoke this initial phase
. . . something you can do at home without medical supervision, despite the franchise warnings about the 'dangers'.
When I have a 'perfect' centering Boddhisattva, I visualise the Buddha in my being expanding, with a new more perfect visualisation at the centre. The old dharma doll shell falls away to bow before Buddhas, feed the Purelands and hungry demons etc
Then I continue for a while with new Buddha Dolls.
I was reminded of this practice when @how mentioned his zen triage of letting go of tension in another thread. Also a good practice.
The reason I mention this is because focus on breathing in negativity and transforming it can be detrimental to those not partially cleansed of impediments. They get caught in their own smoke and mirrors . . . tsk, tsk . . . who would have thought . . .
Have you adapted or modified a traditional practice?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonglen
I like to do my own version on occasion, using the Russian doll image. These are the Russian wooden dolls nesting inside each other.
I am not interested in becoming a Russian 'mama', so I visualise myself as a Buddha Bodhi. There are many tantric practices that invoke this initial phase
. . . something you can do at home without medical supervision, despite the franchise warnings about the 'dangers'.
When I have a 'perfect' centering Boddhisattva, I visualise the Buddha in my being expanding, with a new more perfect visualisation at the centre. The old dharma doll shell falls away to bow before Buddhas, feed the Purelands and hungry demons etc
Then I continue for a while with new Buddha Dolls.
I was reminded of this practice when @how mentioned his zen triage of letting go of tension in another thread. Also a good practice.
The reason I mention this is because focus on breathing in negativity and transforming it can be detrimental to those not partially cleansed of impediments. They get caught in their own smoke and mirrors . . . tsk, tsk . . . who would have thought . . .
Have you adapted or modified a traditional practice?
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