I stepped onto the spiritual path moved by an inner sense that I might find greatness of heart, that I might find profound belonging, that I might find a hidden source of love and compassion. Like a homing instinct for freedom, my intuitive sense that this was possible was the faint, flickering, yet undeniable expression of faith.
Sharon SalzbergOur practice rather than being about killing the ego is about simply discovering our true nature.
Sharon SalzbergIt doesn't matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn't matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years - we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness, the light has been turned on.
Sharon SalzbergMindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between whatโs happening and the stories we tell ourselves about whatโs happening, stories that get in the way of direct experience. Often such stories treat a fleeting state of mind as if it were our entire and permanent self.
Sharon SalzbergMeditation is a microcosm, a model, a mirror. The skills we practice when we sit are transferable to the rest of our lives.
Sharon SalzbergPatience 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