The Buddhist Tonglen Prayer, with Christian Values

The Buddhist Tonglen Prayer, with Cristian Values

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My friend provided a letter in response to a recently divorced woman’s request at a seminar concerning “Alternative Spiritual Support for Seniors”, at a local Senior Center. Her skills at being a professional Counselor to Seniors was no help to her.

The attractive, 30-something woman shared the pain & bitterness of her recent divorce with my friend during a “seminar exercise”. The Buddhist Tonglen Prayer exercise required one attendee to “breathe-in the pain” of the other, and then respond by “breathing- out” joy to the other.

My friend was completely unprepared for this exercise. It wasn’t on the agenda. He came for the free coffee & bagels. Fortunately, he recalled several verses from a recent Bible Study, and began saying:

“I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out that you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out that the Son of God became man and died for your sins with unconditional love.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out your advocate, the Holy Spirit of peace and joy.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out the awareness of the presence of God within you.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out God’s Will to love Him and others, as Christ loves you.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out the awareness that life is not about you, that the world with one exception (you) is made up of others.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out the rich, fullness of the companionship of God.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out the assurance that companionship of family and friends will comfort  you, as an expression of God’s grace, shared by members of “His Mystical Body”, one to another.

I breathe in the sorrow of your heart, and breathe out the assurance that no one and nothing can hurt you, because God is sovereign over all things.

I breathe in the new peace & joy of your heart, and breathe out a “Blessing”: When painful memories trouble your heart, “May God hold you in the Palm of His hand.”

Post Script:

The divorced woman requested that my friend write a letter containing what he told her.  He assured her that he would. She thanked him, gave him her card, and left, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Several months later, the divorcee’ wrote to my friend that her family & friends noticed a change in her. She was happy. No more pain, nor tears. There was perceptible joy in her heart. There was fun in her life. She shared my friend’s letter with others who had experienced separation. Their responses were similar.

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Perhaps, you can share this letter with someone who experienced the pain of relationship separation?