Quotes from Sharon Salzberg

When we approach the journey acknowledging what we do not know and what we can't control, we maintain our energy for the quest.

Love is a living capacity within us that is always present, even when we don't sense it.

There is so much we just can't see or know right now, including precisely how our actions will ripple out.

W]e're challenged daily to act lovingly on our own behalf. Simple gestures of respect—care of the body, rest for the mind, and beauty for the soul in the form of music and art or nature—are all ways of showing ourselves love.

Many strong emotions are actually intricate tapestries woven of various strands.

Sanskrit has different words to describe love for a brother or sister, love for a teacher, love for a partner, love for one's friends, love of nature, and so on. English has only one word, which leads to never-ending confusion.

The first time a meditation teacher encouraged me to practice mindfulness—which

There is always blame in this world," he told them. "If you say nothing, they will blame you. If you say too much, they will blame you. There is always blame in this world.

Real Love may run on a lower voltage, but it's also more grounded & sustainable.

Without making universal claims, we can assume that people in the contemporary West … live lives bedeviled by the porcupine dilemma. That is, we struggle on a daily basis to balance privacy and community, concern for self and others, sexual union and a room of our own.

Breathe in the connection to all things, to the beautiful world that is just beyond the window, to the birds I saw in the marshes by the river, to my neighbors and to myself. Breathe out to spread that awareness, to share it, with the little cities nearby and the big ones out in the distance, and all the places in between and beyond. Light pouring into me and light pouring out from me in a grateful relationship with the world.

From our first breath to our last, we're presented again and again with the opportunity to experience deep, lasting, and trans-formative connection with other beings: to love them and be loved by them; to show them our true natures and to recognize theirs.

Though it may sound paradoxical, identifying our thoughts, emotions, and habitual patterns of behavior is the key to freedom & transformation.

When we contemplate the miracle of embodied life, we begin to partner with our bodies in a kinder way.

Love is defined by difficult acts of human compassion & generosity.

A grandfather (occasionally it's a grandmother) imparting a life lesson to his grandson tells him, "I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is vengeful, fearful, envious, resentful, deceitful. The other wolf is loving, compassionate, generous, truthful, and serene." The grandson asks which wolf will win the fight. The grandfather answers, "The one I feed.

We cultivate mindfulness to help us distinguish the actual experience from the story we tell ourselves.

Asking questions is an opportunity for creativity and personal expression, both for the person asking and the person answering.

Much of our day we are pushed around by unhelpful habits such as being distracted or disconnected, holding on too long when circumstances have already changed, or not being wholehearted in pursuing an opportunity. Meditation can open us to alternative responses such as focus, awareness, and productive questioning and that leads to more fulfillment and better work.

Wir werden die vier Feinde in dieser Reihenfolge behandeln, weil auch der Weg der Befreiung durch die Überwindung von Ärger, Angst und Selbstbezogenheit im Allgemeinen diesen Verlauf von außen nach innen nimmt.

Every time you cry, you should cry your heart out. That way you'll get the best release.

There is no conflict between loving others deeply and living mindfully.

No matter what we think we should do, I don't think you can coerce yourself into loving your neighbor—or your boss—when you can't stand him. But if you try to understand your feelings of dislike with mindfulness and compassion, being sure not to forget self-compassion, you create the possibility for change.

Feelings of apathy as they relate to our relationships often stem from insufficiently paying attention to those around us.