The art of concentration is a continual letting go. We let go of what is inessential or distracting. We let go of a thought or a feeling, not because we are afraid of it or because we canโt bear to acknowledge it as a part of our experience; but, because it is UNNECESSARY.
Sharon SalzbergEveryone's mind wanders, without doubt, and we always have to start over. Everyone resists or dislikes the thought of or is too tired to meditate at times, and we have to be able to begin again.
Sharon SalzbergMy ideal registration system would be an opt-out one, where every single person is registered once they turn 18. In Australia, Iโm told, everyone is registered to vote and you pay a fine if you donโt vote.
Sharon SalzbergIt is taught, we too can be enlightened, every one of us. We can be completely freed from the bonds of limitation and conditioned confusion through our own endeavor, inspiration, effort and development. There is a path, and we can traverse it.
Sharon SalzbergWe like things to manifest right away, and they may not. Many times, we're just planting a seed and we don't know exactly how it is going to come to fruition. It's hard for us to realize that what we see in front of us might not be the end of the story.
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 Salzberg