In this episode, Axel speaks with Sharon Salzberg about love and how to live a more present life. Sharon is one of the world’s most renowned meditation teachers and a pioneer in bringing mindfulness and loving-kindness practices to the West. She is also a New York Times bestselling author. In 1976, she co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield.
We talk about:
- Why suffering is universal rather than personal
- The Buddha’s teachings as a way of life
- Changing our relationship with the mind rather than trying to stop our thoughts
- The magical moment when we recognize that the mind has wandered
- Beginning again
- Sharon’s conversation with the Dalai Lama about self-hatred
- The power of awareness and the freedom of not believing every thought
- Love as an ability, not only a feeling
- Recognizing the love that is already here
- Loving-kindness as an antidote to fear
- Listening with presence as an expression of love
- Offering loving-kindness to people who cause harm
Sharon ends our conversation by guiding a meditation on love and space.
For more information about Sharon, visit sharonsalzberg.com.
Photo: Tawni Bannister
