Product Description
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 also 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 Buddha described the nature of such a spiritual path as "the liberation of the heart, which is love." 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—the four "heavenly abodes" of traditional Buddhism.
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Amazon.com Review
Sharon Salzberg, a meditation teacher and the founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts, focuses on a kind of Buddhist practice that emphasizes feelings of love, happiness, and compassion. Metta, or "lovingkindness," meditation involves four phrases: "May I be free from danger"; "May I have mental happiness"; "May I have physical happiness"; "May I have ease of well-being." (Some readers will find this surprising, since the most commonly known meditation techniques have little "content"--you simply repeat a single word or phrase, observe your breath, or observe your thoughts as they pass through your mind.) Other exercises in this book are intended to increase your connection to and intimacy with others, by directing these positive sentiments outward toward specific people or the world in general. This book will probably be best appreciated by those who have some experience with meditation already, but anyone can appreciate the way it takes a practice often considered mystical and turns it into a means of creating joy. --Ben Kallen
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 A good guide, but a little fluffy
This is a quick read, and the practice instructions are easy to find and understand, but after a while it starts to read like a collection of dharma talks (i.e., sermons). That said it's easier than slogging through the Vishuddimagga. The lack of discussion of absorbtion states is a significant weakness.
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 The greatest happiness comes from within
A great introduction into a way of thinking foreign to the western mind. Well worth the time invested in reading it. A true value at twice the price.
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The greatest happiness comes from within
A great introduction into a way of thinking foreign to the western mind. Well worth the time invested in reading it and a treu value at twice the price.
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Warm thoughts for self and others ( naswahn )
I hesitated to buy this book because I thought it might be "too Buddhist" or too sentimental. Do not be deterred by these reasons. I have treasured it, recommended it, and as a minister leant it out with great joy to people from all walks of life, rich and poor, highly literate and plain-spoken. It is one of those books that cuts through a lot of folderol and gets to the inmost heart, giving folks something nourishing and simple like a good breakfast for the soul.
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Loving-Kindness ( mysticbluerose )
Book in impeccable condition. Fast shipping. Haven't read it yet, but am looking forward to reading.
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Addiction
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