Lovingkindness For Your Enemies – Ep 97

In this podcast Professor Thurman & Sharon Salzberg discuss the practice of lovingkindness meditation and it’s power to change one’s relationship with difficult people, emotions & situations.

Includes a brief introduction to lovingkindness practice & dialog with retreat participants.

Recorded at the 2009 Tibet House US Retreat “Working With Your Enemies” at Menla Retreat in Phoenicia, New York.

Photo by James Pond on Unsplash

“Normally, we don’t want to love someone we’re in an adverse relationship with. We may feel it means giving in, surrendering, or giving up our values. But real love means loving them too.

Over the years that I’ve taught lovingkindness, I’ve encountered many people who are skeptical about the whole thing. “If I were to develop a more loving heart,” they think, “I’d have to give more money, I wouldn’t take a stand, I wouldn’t protect myself, I’d just sort of smile.”

If we think that’s what love means, what a degraded notion of love we’ve come to! There’s something empowering in recapturing the word “love” as something strong and unafraid.”

Sharon Salzberg from www.lionsroar.com.