Lovingkindness

Sharon Salzberg is undoubtedly the preeminent teacher of lovingkindness meditation in the west, and probably the world. When I read her book I’d already been practicing this form of meditation for a dozen years, and yet dipping into it now reminds me of how much of my own teaching draws on Sharon’s pioneering work. If you want to learn to develop lovingkindness, which is the basis of compassion, Sharon’s book is the ideal place to start.

The first Westerner on this list, Sharon Salzberg is an OG student of the Buddhism here in America, having traveled to India back in 1970 and learned from a wide variety of masters before co-founding the Insight Meditation Society. In this classic text she talks about one of the most essential Buddhist concepts: living with an open and awake heart. When we open our heart, love can manifest in a number of ways, including the four immeasurables known as loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. These are not just ideas but things we can embody, thanks to the teachings in… show more.

Sharon Salzberg understands that “the love we give” is every bit as important as the love we receive, and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness is an excellent introduction to her teachings. This guidebook for those seeking ”radiant joy” amidst the stress of modern life offers readers the path toward loving ourselves first so as to love others better.