We can't control what thoughts and emotions arise within us, nor can we control the universal truth that everything changes. But we can learn to step back and rest in the awareness of what's happening. That awareness can be our refuge. Sharon Salzberg More Quotes by Sharon Salzberg More Quotes From Sharon Salzberg Every day seems to reveal a new piece of research about meditation, or new clinical applications of mindfulness or compassion practice, or new corporations or foundations or non-profits bringing mindfulness to work. Sharon Salzberg compassion meditation practice Meeting people in a genuine way and feeling like there is a vital and meaningful connection going on makes me come alive. Sharon Salzberg feelings meaningful people I am totally amazed at the spread of interest in meditation. When I first came back from studying in India in 1974, I would be asked in social situations what I did. When I replied, "I teach meditation" they would frequently look at me as though to say "That is weird," and sort of sidle away. Sharon Salzberg india meditation firsts I think what we (as a society) need from artists of all kinds is courage, a willingness to explore, and a really big sense of possibility. Sharon Salzberg artist needs thinking My experience working with lots of creative people is that they don't lose their artistic edge when they lose a fierce level of anguish. They just create from a different place. Sharon Salzberg different creative people Life is like and ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter. Sharon Salzberg Any ordinary favor we do for someone or any compassionate reaching out may seem to be going nowhere at first, but may be planting a seed we can't see right now. Sometimes we need to just do the best we can and then trust in an unfolding we can't design or ordain. Sharon Salzberg I think so many people tend to think of faith as blind adherence to a dogma or unquestioned surrender to an authority figure, and the result is losing self-respect and losing our own sense of what is true. And I don't think of faith in those terms at all. Sharon Salzberg self-respect losing faith people We need to redefine community and find a variety of ways of coming together and helping each other. Sharon Salzberg find need community together We can't give the truth to someone as an object, we can only point to it, inviting inspection. It is in that spirit that we can hear or read a teaching and then look at our own lives, at our own experiences to see whether anything might have been revealed about them. Sharon Salzberg someone see look truth I think the associations people have with kindness are often things like meekness and sweetness and maybe sickly sweetness; whereas I do think of kindness as a force, as a power. Sharon Salzberg think power kindness people We think of ourselves as our titles or our jobs or our position in a family. We depend on being praised by others. But something happens when that praise is undermined. Sharon Salzberg depend think family praise The middle way is a view of life that avoids the extreme of misguided grasping born of believing there is something we can find, or buy, or cling to that will not change. And it avoids the despair and nihilism born from the mistaken belief that nothing matters, that all is meaningless. Sharon Salzberg view change life way Love and compassion don't at all have to make us weak, or lead us to losing discernment and vision. We just have to learn how to find them. And see, in truth, what they bring us. Sharon Salzberg vision losing truth love I think we spend so much of our lives trying to pretend that we know what's going to happen next. In fact we don't. To recognize that we don't know even what will happen this afternoon and yet having the courage to move forward - that's one meaning of faith. Sharon Salzberg think know faith courage At times when I am myself sitting at a retreat, and at the end I get into my car to drive away, I watch my hand move forward to turn on the radio. When I can be mindful, I notice the fact that I actually don't want in that moment to listen to the news or hear some music. Sharon Salzberg myself moment car music
