Anyone have any sutras,prayers, or ideas to help one deal with overwhelming suffering of others?

blueberriesplease

Today in particular I've been overwhelmed by witnessing the suffering of others. I can't help but feel stressed and depressed about it. I see all of the sufferings in the world like violence, arrogance, unhealthy desires, ignorance and I get really weak feeling. I am very sad to see the world in this condition, I want to see evolutionary growth, instead I'm seeing so much suffering and I begin to lose my strength. I wish I could help everyone in need...

I understand theres a lot of teachings on this issue, and any teaching could pertain. I just feel so drowned, I thought I would reach out here for some uplifting and wise words of Buddhism to help with this issue.I don't want to ignore it, I would really appreciate a nice array of prayers or sutras to recognize the suffering of others and to meditate with it and to regain my strength so I can keep moving forward.

Bless you, thank you thank you

Mystification

Well, the dalai lama sees the world in a very positive light, and can be very inspiring.

compassionate_warrior

I know what you mean, blueberries; I often wonder how Kwan Yin can keep smiling, witnessing so much suffering.

Maybe if you chose one or two causes to devote your energies to, and could see positive results from your efforts, you'd feel better.

SherabDorje

The Essence of Mindful Prayer: “May this Suffering Awaken Compassion”

by Tara Brach

http://www.tarabrach.com/articles/mindful-prayer.html

johnathan

Tonglen Meditation:

Tonglen is Tibetan for 'giving and taking' (or sending and receiving), and refers to a meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism.

In the practice, one visualizes taking onto oneself the suffering of others on the in-breath, and on the out-breath giving happiness and success to all sentient beings. As such it is a training in altruism.

The function of the practice is to:

- reduce selfish attachment
- increase a sense of renunciation
- create positive karma by giving and helping
- develop and expand loving-kindness and Bodhicitta

The practice of Tonglen involves all of the Six Perfections; giving, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration and wisdom. These are the practices of a Bodhisattva.

H.H. The Dalai Lama, who is said to practice Tonglen every day, has said of the technique:

"Whether this meditation really helps others or not, it gives me peace of mind. Then I can be more effective, and the benefit is immense."

SherabDorje

http://www.tarabrach.com/articles/index.html

powerful_one

Tonglen Meditation:

Tonglen is Tibetan for 'giving and taking' (or sending and receiving), and refers to a meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism.

In the practice, one visualizes taking onto oneself the suffering of others on the in-breath, and on the out-breath giving happiness and success to all sentient beings. As such it is a training in altruism.

The function of the practice is to:

- reduce selfish attachment
- increase a sense of renunciation
- create positive karma by giving and helping
- develop and expand loving-kindness and Bodhicitta

The practice of Tonglen involves all of the Six Perfections; giving, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration and wisdom. These are the practices of a Bodhisattva.

H.H. The Dalai Lama, who is said to practice Tonglen every day, has said of the technique:

"Whether this meditation really helps others or not, it gives me peace of mind. Then I can be more effective, and the benefit is immense."

Fantastic advice!

SherabDorje

Pema Chodron is another good speaker/author who works with tonglen and has other advice on the approach to Buddhism discussed in this thread.

Dazzle

We can't change the whole world, but we can work on our own misperceptions and practice the Dharma.
Tonglen really isn't suitable for everyone and should ideally be practised with the guidance of an offline teacher. I've known in the past of people in internet groups who've already had mental health problems becoming very distressed because they have felt that they've literally absorbed the suffering and illnesses of others. Therefore, Metta (loving kindness) practice is better to advise for people we don't know personally.

Instructions can be found here:

http://www.buddhanet.net/metta.htm

.

Jeffrey

Buddhism Connect: Email Teachings

Negativity in Tonglen
Summary: Lama Shenpen gives advice on ways of working with any negativity that may arise while practising tonglen. (A practice in which one breathes in the suffering of others and breathes out one's own happiness. Also known as sending and taking, exchanging oneself for others.)

A student writes:

When we do tonglen and we feel a particularly difficult feeling to sit with. That makes us close down. Or derails us somehow to anger or revulsion or whatever.

Is it ok to take a moment to just feel or sit with the anger and revulsion and forget about the alternation of breaths? What we are 'supposed' to do?

Or should we let go of the revulsion and then wish the person an idea of relief?

Lama Shenpen replies:

This is an interesting question. I think it is good to practice different things at different times. Sometimes it is good to just try to let the negativity go suddenly and allow yourself to notice the switch into sending out what is good and positive to the other person………..or even to yourself. Just noticing that there is a choice there even if only for a few seconds. To just keep doing it has a very powerful effect.

At other times instead of doing the tonglen like that you can turn towards the negativity and examine its texture, noticing what is simply an intense experience and what are the associated thoughts of ‘it shouldn’t be like this’ and so on. Notice how the thoughts come and go and yet have a kind of urgency about them………..wanting to get rid of the intensity of the actual experience……………..and in that way intensifying it further.

Staying with the openness and spaciousness around both the thoughts and the intensity of the experience (which is usually associated with what one thinks of as one’s body somehow) allows something to happen…….to loosen up and come to life in a way that feels more liberating and joyful……..at least not so heavy and stuck feeling.
When you have found this you can breath it out to others as a kind of dedication or as the outbreath part of tonglen. It is all of a piece really.

I hope this helps.

SherabDorje

Tonglen really isn't suitable for everyone and should ideally be practised with the guidance of an offline teacher.

I think this just deserves repeating. It seems like it could even be dangerous in a sense. I know I can't do it, and now that I think about it, the OP uses the word "overwhelmed". It seems like tonglen could be pretty overwhelming. Maybe just the sending of compassion part could be done, without the part about taking on the sufferings of others.

Ada_B

I've recently started Medicine Buddha practice, having gone to a retreat recently. I have picked out the bits I can cope with at the moment, as a newbie to the practice, so I meditate on the Medicine Buddha, imagining myself as the Medicine Buddha, and bring to mind individuals who are suffering so that they can benefit. I imagine a blue light emanating from my/Medicine Buddha's heart and bathing all of us in that healing light.

Then I chant the Medicine Buddha mantra 21 times.

It's a really lovely practice and I would recommend it to anyone going through a difficult time, or supporting others going through a difficult time. You can find the words and tunes to the mantra online. I chant in Tibetan, but I've seen it in Chinese and sanskrit.

P.S. My teacher says medicine Buddha practice is completely safe and recommended for newbies, as well as more experienced practitioners. It's not a secret practice or liable to cause confusion or distress.

Ada_B

P.P.S. In Tibetan, the Medicine Buddha mantra is:
TEYATHA OM BEKANDZE BEKANDZE MAHA BEKANDZE RADZA SAMUNG GATE SO HA