"Our Relationship With Pain and Suffering" | Sharon Salzberg

From the session:
"Dark Nights of the Soul" | 2018 Festival of Faiths
Sharon Salzberg is a central figure in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher, and a New York Times bestselling author. She has played a crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices into the West, and into mainstream culture since 1974. She is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass., and the author of ten books, including “Real Love.” Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them readily accessible.
"World religions teach us that suffering is part of the human condition. Our attempts to avoid suffering prevent us from experiencing essential insights and awareness that lead to spiritual healing and growth. Individually and collectively, we must step into the shadows, sit with our fears, and embrace vulnerability.
Spiritual teachings and practices help us transform the darkness into light, the fallow to the fertile, and awaken a deep level of awareness and accountability. Through these teachings, can we come to confront our shortcomings and broken behaviors? How can we face America’s most egregious acts, including genocide and slavery? How can feminine insight hold space for the darkness so that we can be transformed?"
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THE 23RD ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF FAITHS, 'Sacred Insight - Feminine Wisdom' is a five-day nationally acclaimed multi-faith celebration of music, poetry, art, film, and dialogue with spiritual leaders, practitioners, and teachers. 24 - 28 April, 2018 | Louisville, KY More Information: festivaloffaiths.org
The 2018 Festival explores practices, teachings, and insight rooted in Feminine wisdom. Speakers and artists from diverse backgrounds and faith traditions examine the Feminine aspects of God, non-dual thinking, the wisdom of the natural world, suffering, healing, emotional intelligence, and creativity. The Festival seeks to offer deeper insight into the Sacred Feminine in all of us.
Join the Conversation.
Join the Movement.
#FOF2018
"One of America's Top 8 Spiritual Travel Destinations." - Huffington Post

[@mikeleuk]

Thank you Sharon

[@DJK-cq2uy]

You are good teaching!!

[@k.f1278]

She and I are connected in such a way that amazes me. I only was introduced to her today. 🙏🏾

[@mellowyellow4449]

Today i listened to her Podcast, Metta Hour, Ep.146, with Trudi Goodman, i have been listening to Sharons' podcast quite a lot in recent months. I am drwawn back to her again and again. She says at the beginning of this talk about her choice of Philosophy Course, and how it changed her life. Well, she has changed my life, and i will be forever grateful to her and her loving compassion and enduring patience and kindness . I know from other stuff i have read not to invest too much in one person, and I don't, but i am still very grateful to Sharon for all she does , and for the incredible legacy that i am certain will endure for a long time to come. But right now, i am smiling, and i am grateful :-)

[@deed3211]

Thank you.

[@LisaMiller]

I could listen to her all day.

[@thatguydownthestreet8036]

3 min in and I'm crying...

[@anthonyleem89]

Thank you so much!

[@antonia6648]

She's great. And funny. First time I heard I speak and I totally understand why so many people follow her and choose to be students of hers.

[@voidmoon.]

Thank you so much... 🙏🏾💐🌹

[@lindairisrosen8509]

Very informative

[@henrywhh]

This was very helpful

[@melissasimpkins3827]

I love her....thanku. My thearpist told me about her..first time meeting her..nov 10th 2020

[@mikedonovan4768]

Sharon doesn't seem to age.

[@JillGuttman]

🙏

[@naturelover1284]

are soul and breathe one? can we picture it?

[@Jackattackkkkk]

Lol Sharon's so funny

[@krishnapartha]

The Buddha said… This is what should be done By one who is skilled in goodness, And who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright, Straightforward and gentle in speech, Humble and not conceited, Contented and easily satisfied, Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways. Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, Not proud or demanding in nature. Let them not do the slightest thing That the wise would later reprove. Wishing: In gladness and in safety, May all beings be at ease. Whatever living beings there may be; Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none, The great or the mighty, medium, short or small, The seen and the unseen, Those living near and far away, Those born and to-be-born - May all beings be at ease! Let none deceive another, Or despise any being in any state. Let none through anger or ill-will Wish harm upon another. Even as a mother protects with her life Her child, her only child, So with a boundless heart Should one cherish all living beings; Radiating kindness over the entire world: Spreading upwards to the skies, And downwards to the depths; Outwards and unbounded, Freed from hatred and ill-will. Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down Free from drowsiness, One should sustain this recollection. This is said to be the sublime abiding. By not holding to fixed views, The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, Being freed from all sense desires, Is not born again into this world.

[@jabibgalt5551]

I'm a big admirer of Sharon. I read her book on mindfulness meditation a few years ago, and I started meditating just because of a KZbin video of hers I found by accident. With all that said, I've never understood why she would let herself get into such a bad physical shape. This is not an arbitrary judgement nor a harmful critique, but only an honest assessment of what I perceive. I'm sure she enjoys is deep serenity and peace of mind, but God, she looks super unhealthy.

[@Sausage4580]

I have also noticed this, and I think that, in her years of meditating, schooling, authoring, and working in a corporate setting, she put herself through a chronic sedentary lifestyle. And while a completely sedentary lifestyle is harmful to us all, it affects our physical structures in various ways that are predetermined (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph). I would take this as a reminder to cater to both your immediate and long-term mental hygiene (through meditation) as well as physical hygiene (keeping an active lifestyle). Blessings 🙏

[@oliverford5367]

I feel bad for saying but I agree. Mental, emotional and physical health need to go together. You need to take care of your body as well as your mind.

[@jabibgalt5551]

​@Suze G "I've never understood why she would let herself get into such a bad physical shape."

[@oliverford5367]

@Suze G You can't become obese without overeating. Even if you're physically unable to exercise much you can limit your food intake.

[@jem7645]

this is a rude and unnecessary comment. she has given her life to meditation and is giving a talk about overcoming suffering, and you have to point to her weight? It's none of your business.

[@emilycook5629]

Please stop saying, "sucks"!

[@js2010ish]

Underwhelming

[@js2010ish]

(Sharon being an embodiment of white mediocrity, as usual)