Double CD Set~Tonglen is the practice of learning to stay present with our own and others' pain and suffering and to meet it with the heart of compassion and love. Tonglen means 'giving and taking', or sending and receiving, and is a meditation practice that helps us to move into and I/thou relationship with others, meeting them in a more authentic and deeply caring way. It helps us to begin to recognize and feel how we are all interconnected and interdependent. It is a healing meditation done in conjunction with one's breathing, and in relation to one's parents, friends, perceived enemies, and to all beings gathered around oneself. 
In doing this meditation one changes the attitude of seeing oneself as more important than other beings; one will come to consider others as more important than oneself. Tonglen shifts the feeling of being powerless in situations where there is great suffering, rather it unlocks our unlimited capacity of Love, Kindness, Compassion,and Peace.  
 
The practice of Sending and Receiving helps us to get in touch with the obstacles that prevent us from understanding and caring, responding, and supporting. Through our own experience with suffering and the development of an atmosphere of openness toward it, we can begin to accept and be with ourselves and others in a more open, kind, and understanding way. Our own difficult personal experiences then become the bridge that leads us to compassion, generosity, and fearlessness. The practice of Tonglen uncovers the sacred heart of Love and Compassion present in everyone and exercises our capacity to live it fully.  
 
The function of the practice of Tonglen is to:
 
Create space for deeper self-acceptance, allowing us to be more available to others.
Reduce selfish attachment and increase awareness of others' feelings and needs. 
Open our hearts and develop peace.
Reduce self-centered behavior and attitudes.
Pacify over-consumption.
Reduce fear, anxiety, and depression.
Purify and uplift the mind through the practice of giving.
Awaken to our humanity and a deeper sense of the preciousness of life.
Develop and expand loving-kindness, compassion, mercy, all qualities of the Awakened Heart. 
Increase joy and well-being.
Access our unbounded spacious Buddha Nature, the authentic deep Self.