For the 11th episode of the Real Love Podcast Series, Sharon is interviewed by James Shaheen, the Editor and Publisher of Tricycle Magazine.
This talk was recorded live at the JCC Manhattan and co-sponsored by Tricycle Magazine and the Garrison Institute. James and Sharon are old friends and colleagues – enjoy this intimate conversation between them about Sharon’s new book and the practices of Real Love – and in particular, how they look in the everyday life.
The Real Love Podcast Series is a special series on the Metta Hour featuring a variety of conversations with some of the world’s finest thinkers and teachers exploring Sharon’s new book “Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection.“ Real Love a field guide for anyone seeking awakened living in the 21st century – regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity or status. The book explores love in three different arenas in life: love of oneself, love of an other, and love for all of life. Real Love is now available to order in hardcover, ebook and audiobook format.
Show Notes
Love as an Ability (Opening) – Sharon talks about love as an ability which we are able to cultivate, rather than just feel. She describes the transformation that occurs we stop viewing love as a commodity and how spiritual practice can teach us how to love without expectation.
Learning to Love an Other (16:00) – We often hear that we cannot learn to love an other before we learn to love ourselves. James and Sharon discuss whether this is the case or if there are other ways to approach love and compassion for others and ourselves. Sharon shares mindfulness practices that she uses to cultivate loving-kindness and compassion.
“There needs to be a balance of love and compassion for yourself and for others.” – Sharon Salzberg
Misconceptions of Love (29:00) – Sharon touches on two major controversies around love that she has experienced in her years of teaching; the ideas that love is weak and that qualities like love and compassion can be trained.
“Love and compassion are like emergent properties of how we pay attention. If we pay attention fully and differently, that is the grounds out of which these qualities will emerge.” – Sharon Salzberg
Q & A (39:20) – Sharon takes questions from the live audience. She touches on forgiving ourselves, the psychology of love, anger and fear, Metta practice, childhood trauma, and
“I really credit my practice for what I have been able to do with my life.” – Sharon Salzberg
Find more Dharma talks, articles, and more over at Tricycle.org. Catch up with the Real Love Series by listening to her first episode with Ram Dass.
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