The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention. Sharon Salzberg More Quotes by Sharon Salzberg More Quotes From Sharon Salzberg There's a famous quotation from the time the Buddha learned of the deaths of two of his greatest disciples: "It's as if the sun and the moon have left the sky." From that quotation, I would guess that while the Buddha loved all beings everywhere, with no exclusion, he also had relationships that were special to him, and he felt their loss. Sharon Salzberg buddhistmoonloss Each decision we make, each action we take, is born out of an intention. Sharon Salzberg decisions-we-makehard-workchoices For all of us, love can be the natural state of our own being; naturally at peace, naturally connected, because this becomes the reflection of who we simply are. Sharon Salzberg statesreflectionnatural Because the development of inner calm and energy happens completely within and isn't dependent on another person or a particular situation, we begin to feel a resourcefulness and independence that is quite beautiful - and a huge relief. Sharon Salzberg independencemeditationbeautiful Love and concern for all are not things some of us are born with and others are not. Rather, they are results of what we do with our minds: We can choose to transform our minds so that they embody love, or we can allow them to develop habits and false concepts of separation. Sharon Salzberg communicationspiritualrelationship Training our mind through meditation does not mean forcibly subjugating it or beating it into shape. Sharon Salzberg trainingmeditationmean Loving-kindness 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. Sharon Salzberg powerfulwisekindness One of the things that I think makes it hard in this society for us to tell the truth is the kind of conventional relationship to adversity. Things aren't always easy and rather than being taught to have kindness to ourselves and others in the light of that we're taught something very different; that it's wrong and rejected - that's a lot of conditioning to step away from. Sharon Salzberg adversitykindnessthinking We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking - while cultivating power and clarity in response to difficult situations. Sharon Salzberg letting-goartthinking Patience doesn't mean making a pact with the devil of denial, ignoring our emotions and aspirations. It means being wholeheartedly engaged in the process that's unfolding, rather than ripping open a budding flower or demanding a caterpillar hurry up and get that chrysalis stage over with. Sharon Salzberg devilflowermean There is no 'thing' to let go of, but a concept, an idea of an ego that burdens us. As soon as we posit a 'thing' to let go of, we're in trouble. We need to change our view of reality, not attack a nonexistent entity. Sharon Salzberg viewsletting-goreality We need the compassion and the courage to change the conditions that support our suffering. Those conditions are things like ignorance, bitterness, negligence, clinging, and holding on. Sharon Salzberg supportignorancecompassion Sometimes people don't trust the force of kindness. They think love or compassion or kindness will make you weak and kind of stupid and people will take advantage of you; you won't stand up for other people. Sharon Salzberg stupidkindnessthinking Someone who has experienced trauma also has gifts to offer all of us - in their depth, their knowledge of our universal vulnerability, and their experience of the power of compassion. Sharon Salzberg traumadepthcompassion We are all too often told by someone that we are too old, too young, too different, too much the same, and those comments can be devastating. Sharon Salzberg too-muchdifferentmeditation Meditation is a microcosm, a model, a mirror. The skills we practice when we sit are transferable to the rest of our lives. Sharon Salzberg mirrorsinspirationpractice Meditation is essentially training our attention so that we can be more aware— not only of our own inner workings but also of what’s happening around us in the here & now. Sharon Salzberg trainingmeditationattention You don't have to believe anything, adopt a dogma in order to learn how to meditate. Sharon Salzberg dogmaorderbelieve In our usual mind state, we are continually activating the process that in Buddhist terminology is known as 'bhava,' which literally means 'becoming.' In this space of becoming, we are subtly leaning forward into the future, trying to have security based on feeling that we can hold on, we can try to keep things from changing. Sharon Salzberg buddhistspacemean Let the power of intention lead the way. Sharon Salzberg power-of-intentionintentionway
