Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

by Sharon Salzberg, Jon Kabat-Zinn (Foreword by)

Overview

The classic and inspiring book on finding love in our own hearts—from the New York Times–bestselling author of Real Happiness and Real Change

The revered spiritual teacher shows us how to live radiant, joyful lives by utilizing the Buddhist path in this “profound exploration of the deepest meanings of love, empathy, and caring”  (Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence)
 
Throughout our lives we long to love ourselves more deeply and find a greater sense of connection with others. Our fear of intimacy—both with others and with ourselves—creates feelings of pain and longing. But these feelings can awaken in us the desire for freedom and the willingness to take up the spiritual path.

In this inspiring book, Sharon Salzberg, one of America’s leading spiritual teachers, shows us how the Buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. This practice of lovingkindness is revolutionary because it has the power to radically change our lives, helping us cultivate true happiness in ourselves and genuine compassion for others. The author draws on simple Buddhist teachings, wisdom stories from various traditions, guided meditation practices, and her own experience from twenty-five years of practice and teaching to illustrate how each one of us can cultivate love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780834842731
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	02/04/2020
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	156,183
File size:	614 KB

About the Author

Sharon Salzberg is one of America's leading spiritual teachers and authors. A practitioner of Buddhist meditation for over thirty years, she is a co-founder of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and the Insight Meditation Society, and she directs meditation retreats throughout the United States and abroad.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jon Kabat-Zinn ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

1 The Revolutionary Art of Happiness 7

2 Relearning Loveliness 17

Exercise Remembering the Good within You 25

Exercise Phrases of Lovingkindness 26

3 Facets of Lovingkindness 29

Exercise The Benefits of Lovingkindness 39

Exercise The Benefactor 39

4 Hindrances to Lovingkindness 41

Exercise Reflection on Happiness 49

Exercise The Meaning of Friends 50

Exercise The Beloved Friend 50

Exercise The Neutral Person 51

5 Working with Anger and Aversion 53

Exercise Forgiveness 63

Exercise Seeing Goodness 65

Exercise The Difficult Person 66

Exercise Difficult Aspects of Oneself 69

6 Breaking Open the Loving Heart 71

Exercise Lovingkindness for All Beings 83

Exercise Lovingkindness toward Groups 84

Exercise Walking Meditation 85

Exercise The Ten Directions 85

7 Developing the Compassionate Heart 87

Exercise Meditation on Compassion 98

Exercise Compassion for Those Who Cause Pain 99

8 Liberating the Mind through Sympathetic Joy 101

Exercise Meditation on Sympathetic Joy 113

Exercise Skating Merit 114

9 The Gift of Equanimity 115

Exercise Equanimity 128

10 The Power of Generosity 131

Exercise Giving 142

11 Living Our Love 145

Exercise The Practice of Morality 160

Afterword to the 25th Anniversary Edition 165

For More Information 171

Credits 173

About the Author 175

Editorial Reviews

Sharon Salzberg’s book illuminates the heart of lovingkindness like a lamp in the darkness, like the clearing of fog, like a sunrise on a beautiful morning—it brings light so that all those with eyes may see.”—Jack Kornfield, author of After the Ecstasy, the Laundry
 
“Reading Salzberg’s book produces the sense of having been gifted abundantly.”—Sylvia Boorstein

From the Publisher