Sharon Salzberg Quotes

To reteach a thing its loveliness is the nature of metta. Through lovingkindness, everyone & everything can flower again from within.
Sharon Salzberg
Concepts such as loving kindness should never be used as weapons against our real feelings.
Sharon Salzberg
Sometimes kindness is stepping aside, letting go of our need to be right & just being happy for someone.
Sharon Salzberg
We cannot instantaneously force ourselves to forgive—and forgiveness happens at a different pace for everyone and is dependent on the particulars of any given situation.
Sharon Salzberg
Laughing at your pettiness probably works better than scolding yourself for it.
Sharon Salzberg
Our can-do culture has made many of us believe that we should always be self-sufficient. Somewhere along the way, we also got the message that asking for help is a sign of weakness. We often forget that we’re interdependent creatures whose very existence depends on the kindness of others, including—with a bow to Tennessee Williams—strangers.
Sharon Salzberg
Often in close relationships, the subject being discussed is not the subject at all.
Sharon Salzberg
Only when we start to distinguish reality from fantasy that we can humbly, with eyes wide open, forge loving and sustainable connections with others.
Sharon Salzberg
To forgive, we may need to open our minds to a fuller exploration of the context in which the events occurred, and feel compassion for the circumstances and everyone involved, starting with ourselves.
Sharon Salzberg
When we can step back even briefly from our hurt, sorrow, and anger, when we put our faith in the possibility of change, we create the possibility for non-judgmental inquiry that aims for healing rather than victory.
Sharon Salzberg
It is awareness of both our shared pain and our longing for happiness that links us to other people and helps us to turn toward them with compassion.
Sharon Salzberg