Sublime

way. If liberation is the central aspiration of your life, periods of intensive meditation practice can be of inestimable value. They generate tremendous energy, power, and insight. But there are also cycles of living actively in the world, developing generosity, morality, truthfulness, and compassion, qualities more easily expressed in daily life

struggle with the idea of loving-kindness as phony or contrived. Or they might think that it’s a sign of weakness. Meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg says, “I think kindness in many ways is an overlooked force. Culturally it might be considered a secondary virtue, as though to say, ‘Well, if you can’t be brilliant and you can’t be wonderful, be

Whenever I teach lovingkindness retreats in an urban setting, I ask the students to do their walking meditation out on the streets. I suggest they choose individuals they see and, with care and awareness, wish them well by silently repeating the phrases of the practice, “May you be happy, may you be peaceful.” I tell them that even if they don’t

I like to think of mindfulness simply as the art of conscious living. You don’t have to be a Buddhist or a yogi to practice it. In fact, if you know anything about Buddhism, you will know that the most important point is to be yourself and not try to become anything that you are not already. Buddhism is fundamentally about being in touch with your

there are three pillars of Buddhist practice: virtue, wisdom—and concentration. Concentration stabilizes attention and brings it to a laser-like focus that fosters liberating insight.

It might turn out that your Aunt Thelma was Buddha. She was cooking chicken soup, and you went to India and Tibet for forty years looking for somebody who looked like Buddha. You totally despaired, and in the despair, you gave up all your hope and all your models. You come home, and you walk in and there she is. You look, and you fall on your face

“May my practice serve others” or “For the sake of all beings, may I be awake in this life.”