Gtong len

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Key Term	gtong len
Hover Popup Choices	sending and taking; tonglen; giving and taking; taking and giving
In Tibetan Script	གཏོང་ལེན་
Wylie Tibetan Transliteration	gtong len
Tibetan Phonetic Rendering	tonglen
English Standard	giving and taking
Term Type	Noun
Source Language	Tibetan
Basic Meaning	An advanced meditative practice within the Lojong (Mind Training) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, where we give others our happiness and take their suffering
NEW: Context Descriptions (Glossary-DefinitionTsadra)	Mahāyāna (Indo-Tibetan): Gtong len (Tib. gtong len), or taking and giving, is an advanced meditative practice within the Lojong (Mind Training) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It is an exceptionally powerful method for cultivating and training in relative bodhicitta, the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. The practice involves visualizing taking on the suffering, sickness, negative karma, and causes of suffering of all sentient beings (the taking, len), motivated by compassion (karuṇā), and giving away one's own happiness, virtue, merit, and causes of happiness (the giving, gtong), motivated by loving-kindness (maitrī). It is performed in conjunction with the breath: inhalation is for taking, and exhalation is for giving. This practice is specifically designed to counteract the deeply ingrained self-cherishing attitude, which is viewed as the greatest obstacle on the Mahāyāna path. Dzogchen/Mahāmudrā (Indo-Tibetan): The practice of gtong len can be used as a preparatory or supporting practice in these traditions to purify obscurations and enhance one's capacity for altruism, thereby creating a fertile ground for the ultimate, non-conceptual realization of rigpa or dharmakāya mind. The vastness of the visualized taking and giving is intended to cut through the ordinary sense of self and other.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpBeginnerDefinition	A contemplative practice, particularly in the Tibetan tradition, where one visualizes taking on the suffering and negative actions of others and giving them one's own happiness, well-being, and merit. It is performed to enhance compassion (karuṇā) and develop the ultimate aspiration of bodhicitta.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpScholarDefinition	A specialized meditative practice (T. gtong len), typically associated with the Lojong (Mind Training) tradition, which involves breathing-based visualization. Inhaling, one draws in (len) the suffering, negative karma, and afflictions of all sentient beings with compassion (karuṇā). Exhaling, one sends out (gtong) all one's happiness, virtue, and merit to them with loving-kindness (maitrī). This practice is considered a powerful method for cultivating ultimate bodhicitta and transforming self-cherishing into altruism.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionBodhicittaWiki	Gtong len (taking and giving) is a specialized and essential practice for training the mind (Lojong) in **relative bodhicitta**. It is considered a practice for the most courageous practitioners. The visualization of taking on the suffering of all beings with compassion (karuṇā) and giving away one's happiness and merit with loving-kindness (maitrī) directly strengthens the altruistic motivation of bodhicitta. It serves to overcome self-cherishing, the primary obstacle to developing the genuine mind of enlightenment, thereby accelerating the bodhisattva's progress towards complete Buddhahood. It is traditionally combined with a contemplation of the ultimate nature of reality to prevent it from becoming merely a mundane, pity-based exercise.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionLotsawas	taking and giving; exchange; sending and taking; tonglen
Definitions
Tshig mdzod Chen mo	ཕར་སྤྲོད་ཚུར་ལེན།