Sharon salzberg is one of todays bestknown buddhist teachers. Research suggests that when people practice lovingkindness meditation regularly, they start automatically reacting more positively to othersand their social interactions and close. The buddhist teachings have the power to transform our lives for the better, says sharon salzberg, and all we need to bring about this transformation can be found in the ordinary events of our everyday experiences. When we train our attention to be inclusive toward all of lifes happenings, we quickly see the interconnected nature of our lives, and our limited perspective shifts to encompass the greater whole.
Metta loving kindness by sharon salzberg mindfulness. Influenced by her more than twentyfive years of study with burmese, indian, and tibetan teachers, she teaches intensive awareness practice vipassana or insight meditation and the profound cultivation of lovingkindness and compassion the brahma viharas. Sharon salzberg, a student of buddhism since 1971, has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. With each pass, i learn something new and deepen the effect of metta in my life.
Our fear of intimacyboth with others and with ourselvescreates feelings of pain and longing. In this excerpt from sharon salzbergs the kindness handbook, she teaches us that by repeatedly practicing kindness and generosity with others and ourselves, that is who we become and what begins to feel most natural. Ive always said that lovingkindness and compassion are inevitably woven throughout meditation practice even if the words are never used or implied, no matter what technique or method we are using. It is so easy for us to dwell on all of the regrettable things we have done or said the times when we now feel we were too timid or too forceful or. The insight meditation society is one of north americas oldest institutions dedicated to bringing the lifechanging gifts of mindfulness training to the we. Sharon salzberg, cofounder of the insight meditation society, offers a guided lovingkindness meditation sending lovingkindess to. The kind of loving kindness that does not select but wishes goodwill to all you know. This loving kindness practice involves silently repeating phrases that offer good qualities to oneself and to others. One of the founding teachers of the insight meditation movement, sharon salzberg 2011, has become. Ill be offering as guidance the phrases that ive chosen to use in my own practice. Youre invited to alter these phrases and choose whatever words express your wishes of loving kindness toward yourself and others. Reflecting on the history of the insight meditation society and spirit rock meditation center, jack kornfield describes the challenges and tensions that have accompanied the movement to bring buddhism to the west and the creative solutions.
As you continue the meditation, you can bring to mind other friends, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, animals, and finally people with whom you have difficulty. Sharon salzberg born august 5, 1952 is a new york times best selling author and teacher of buddhist meditation practices in the west. Sharon salzbergs book illuminates the heart of lovingkindness like a lamp in the darkness, like the clearing of fog, like a sunrise on a beautiful morningit brings light so that all those with eyes may see. Loving kindness meditation audio download excel at life. Download citation mindfulness and lovingkindness mindfulness, as the. This practice of lovingkindness is revolutionary because it has the power to radically change our lives, helping us cultivate true happiness in. Download citation mindfulness and lovingkindness mindfulness, as the word is commonly used in.
Renowned meditation teacher and bestselling author sharon salzberg recently presented a workshop at 4th street yoga in berkeley. Loving kindness meditation is mentioned several times in my book balanced positive psychology, along with brief descriptions of what it involves and how it is used. The foundation of metta practice is to know how to be our own friend. In her book on loving kindness, sharon salzberg writes. I have worked through this useful book on loving kindness meditation four times. The power of meditation, and the book just opened to this section at bob dylans induction into the rock and roll hall of fame in 1988, bruce springsteen described hearing dylans music for the very first time. Would your first response to these situations be kindness. Download lovingkindness the revolutionary art of happiness by. Metta bhavana lovingkindness meditation venerable dhammarakkhita venerable dhammarakkhita is an australian buddhist monk of the myanmar th eravada tradition. After extensive and intensive practice in vipassanamindfulnessinsight meditation in australia and myanmar, his teacher venerable chanmyay sayadaw. So, beginning now to wish yourself well by extending words of loving kindness to yourself. Sharon salzberga teacher of buddhist meditation, author of lovingkindness, faith and other popular books, and cofounder of the insight meditation societyshares an ancient technique known as lovingkindness meditation. It is so easy for us to dwell on all of the regrettable things we have done or said the times when we now feel we were too timid or too.
Lovingkindness meditation increases happiness in part by making people feel more connected to othersto loved ones, acquaintances, and even strangers. Shambhala classics by sharon salzberg september 3, 2002 paperback by sharon salzberg for online ebook. Jack kornfield, author of after the ecstasy, the laundry reading salzbergs book produces the sense of having been gifted abundantly. Compassion for others begins by building a foundation of lovingkindness toward ourselves. Stream lovingkindness meditation from sharon salzberg the mindful practice podcast by from desktop or your mobile device. Loving kindness throughout our lives we long to love ourselves more deeply and find a greater sense of connection with others. Metta bhavana loving kindness meditation venerable dhammarakkhita venerable dhammarakkhita is an australian buddhist monk of the myanmar th eravada tradition. According to the buddha, you can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere.
Sharon salzberg and susan piver teach a columnist how to do lovingkindness meditation for donald trump. Sharon salzberg approaches the buddhist practice with a clear eye and direct explanations that are easy to understand and use. With each recitation of the phrases, we are expressing an intention, planting the seeds of loving wishes over and over in our heart. Her emphasis is on vipassana insight and metta lovingkindness methods, and has.
The revolutionary art of happiness shambhala classics sharon salzberg isbn. It is particularly helpful if you tend to have negative thoughts or reactions to others. Maria shriver sat down with sharon salzberg to talk about loving kindness and how we can help others by opening our hearts. Apr 17, 2019 sharon salzberg sharon salzberg is a meditation teacher and new york times bestselling author. Users who like loving kindness meditation from sharon salzberg the mindful practice podcast.
Sep 22, 2014 the practice of loving kindness is a powerful method for cultivating this environment of discovery. Sharon has been a student of meditation since 1971, guiding retreats worldwide since 1974. Sylvia boorstein, turning wheel sharon salzbergs book illuminates the heart of lovingkindness like a lamp in the darkness, like the clearing of the fog, like a sunrise on a beautiful morningit brings light so that all those. But these feelings can awaken in us the desire for freedom and the willingness to take up the spiritual path. Lovingkindness with sharon salzberg humankind public radio. Being with dying professional training program for clinicians to learn essential tools for taking care of the dying with skill and compassion chaplaincy visionary twoyear program to serve individuals, communities, the environment, and the world g. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection, you can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. A friend tells me that many years ago sharon salzberg was very dismissive of the metta bhavana or development of lovingkindness meditation practice. In the kindness handbook, sharon salzberg explores with insight and clarity how kindness for ourselves and others can be the quality we choose to steer our lives by. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. They are available as a desktop wallpaper, a subscription to your default calendar service, and a printable pdf. Jun 07, 2017 in this excerpt from sharon salzberg s the kindness handbook, she teaches us that by repeatedly practicing kindness and generosity with others and ourselves, that is who we become and what begins to feel most natural.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading lovingkindness. Apr 29, 2019 lovingkindness and compassion are the basis for wise, powerful, sometimes gentle, and sometimes fierce actions that can really make a difference in our own lives and those of others. Jun 21, 2016 metta bhavana, or loving kindness meditation, is a method of developing compassion. Sharon salzberg leads a meditation to help us recognize our own inner suffering with tenderness and awareness, opening us naturally to the ability to love ot. Lovingkindness meditation is unique to our buddhist traditions, and in this book sharon salzburg presents us with an informative body of work on its practice. The practice of loving kindness is a powerful method for cultivating this environment of discovery. In this excerpt from sharon salzberg s the kindness handbook, she teaches us that by repeatedly practicing kindness and generosity with others and ourselves, that is who we become and what begins to feel most natural. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. Mindfulness and lovingkindness sharon salzberg mindfulness, as the word is commonly used in contemporary meditation teaching, refers to both being aware of our present moments experience, and relating to that experience without grasping, aversion or delusion. Sharon salzberg and susan piver teach a columnist how to do. Exploring lovingkindness meditation to heal the body with. In her book on lovingkindness, sharon salzberg writes.
Sharon salzberg shows how to open our hearts and radiate the force of kindness in her powerful book the force of kindness. Guided lovingkindness meditation from sharon salzberg by. Sharon salzberg sharon salzberg, a student of buddhism since 1971, has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Read our new profile of salzberg here, and in the first issue of lions roar, and look though many great teachings by salzberg and piver on their author pages. But these feelings can also awaken in us the desire for freedom and the willingness to take up the spiritual path. Lovingkindness meditation from sharon salzberg the. We spend our lives searching for something we dont think we have, something that makes us happy. The new york times has created an in depth guide to meditation by david gelles including a variety of free guided meditations by sharon and tara brach. Im going to start keeping track of when the word open my wordoftheyear shows up in my life. However, i recently spent some time reading two of sharon salzbergs books lovingkindness and the kindness handbook, and it.
A few weeks ago i listened to a podcast with sharon salzberg, bestselling author of real happiness, talking about equanimity. Sep 12, 2015 in this inspiring book, sharon salzberg, one of americas leading spiritual teachers, shows us how the buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. The revolutionary art of happiness shambhala classics kindle edition by salzberg, sharon, jon kabatzinn. Mindfulness and lovingkindness a handful of leaves. In 1974, she cofounded the insight meditation society at barre, massachusetts with jack kornfield and joseph goldstein. Sharon salzberg sharon salzberg is a meditation teacher and new york times bestselling author. Lovingkindness meditation is a practice tied in with selflove. In this inspiring book, sharon shows us how the buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. She uses her understanding and knowhow drawn from many years of practice to point each and every one of us to the realization that the light of love is already within us all. Lovingkindness practices booklet collection with cartoons.
Sharon salzberg leads a meditation to help us recognize our own inner suffering with tenderness and awareness, opening us naturally to the ability to love others. Lovingkindness is meant to be done in the easiest way possible so that the experience springs forth most gently, most. She uses stories, insights, guided exercises and meditations to help us cultivate the foundation of inward peace and empathy. This practice of lovingkindness is revolutionary because it has the power to radically change our lives, helping us cultivate true happiness in ourselves and genuine compassion for others. Nov 30, 2017 maria shriver sat down with sharon salzberg to talk about loving kindness and how we can help others by opening our hearts.
A meditation on lovingkindness this meditation uses words, images, and feelings to evoke a lovingkindness and friendliness toward oneself and others. Sharon salzbergs new book, real happiness, shows us that meditation. Sharon salzberg looks at lovingkindness meditation as a different approach to. Sharon salzberg, cofounder of the insight meditation society, offers a guided lovingkindness meditation sending lovingkindess to people we feel neutral towards as well as those we have difficult feelings towards the path to lovingkindness. However, i recently spent some time reading two of sharon salzberg s books loving kindness and the kindness handbook, and it was time very well spent. Lovingkindness meditation from sharon salzberg the mindful. It is sometimes difficult to view compassion and loving kindness as the strengths they are. Now theres a deepsounding word that ive heard, but never really understood.
This article was originally posted on the huffington post, march 3, 2011. Loving kindness meditation uses simple phrases to evoke feelings of. Download this months calendar here and sign up below to receive next months calendar via email. How sharon salzberg found lovingkindness in the darkest of times. Rather than an ornate, arcane set of instructions, meditation consists of. Today i was flipping through sharon salzbergs real happiness.
In this program, we consider the considerable power sometimes underestimatedof having benign intentions toward others. Description of the book heart as wide as the world. Internet archive contributor internet archive language english. Sharon responds to some of the questions and concerns that often arise when one delves into the practice of loving kindness meditation, or metta. Meditation is a simple practice available to all, which can reduce stress, read more. The first time that i ever did loving kindness practice was without a teacher. Throughout our lives we long to love ourselves more deeply and find a greater sense of connection with others. The revolutionary art of happiness shambhala classics. She is the cofounder of the insight meditation society in barre, massachusetts, and has played a crucial role in bringing asian meditation practices to the west. The revolutionary art of happiness shambhala classics by sharon salzberg september 3, 2002 paperback by sharon salzberg free pdf d0wnl0ad, audio books, books to read, good books to read. This meditation comes from the buddhist practice of loving kindness which is to focus positive thoughts towards others. What is a more effective way to deal with an enemy, inner or outer, than locking into separation, hatred and fear on the one hand, or becoming completely tangled up and overwhelmed by it on the other.
Salzberg exposes the warm beating heart at the center of buddhism. Mindfulness, as the word is commonly used in contemporary meditation teaching, refers to both being aware of our. We hope you can share what you learned about metta and loving kindness to your fellow mindfulness practitioners. Sharon salzberg and susan piver teach a columnist how to. Jack kornfield, author of after the ecstasy, the laundry. Users who like guided lovingkindness meditation from sharon salzberg. But sometimes the very love and happiness we want can be found just by sitting down.
You can either use the same phrases, repeating them again and again, or make up phrases that better represent the lovingkindness you feel toward these beings. Sharon salzberg is a famous author and teacher of buddhist meditation. Click to share on facebook opens in new window click to share on twitter opens in new window. Leave it to sharon to explain a big concept in a practical way, with a touch of humor and wit thrown in for good measure. Training to allow compassion and resilience to emerge in the process of interacting with others. I first experienced the practice of loving kindness at a retreat at insight meditation society, the meditationteaching center in barre, ma that sharon salzberg, joseph goldstein and jack kornfield cofounded many years ago. Lovingkindness meditation is mentioned several times in my book balanced positive psychology, along with brief descriptions of what it involves and how it is used. It comes from the buddhist tradition, but it can be adapted and practiced by anyone, regardless of religious affiliation. You can be brilliant and courageous, and kind and generousin fact, youre more likely to succeed if you practice compassion. New age journal reading salzbergs book produces the sense of having been gifted abundantly. A gift of loving kindness meditation emma seppala, ph. Learn how to practice lovingkindness meditation by sharon.
Jul 14, 2014 in this inspiring book, sharon shows us how the buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. One of the founding teachers of the insight meditation movement, sharon salzberg. Heck, if you want a nonscientific addendum, heres a story from my research days at stanford. Lovingkindness meditation practice greater good in action. An introduction to lovingkindness meditation from sharon.
72 61 781 234 172 749 1018 1050 1079 266 834 466 237 836 645 865 78 1487 897 465 1014 300 1169 1481 249 1432 955 1316 1320 365 380 291 319 278 1378 211 785