10% Happier with Dan Harris

Sharon Salzberg Takes on the Cliches: Authenticity, Love, and Being Your Own BFF

Oct 13, 2023

Sharon Salzberg, a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author, discusses the concept of an authentic life, being your own BFF, self-love in Buddhism, and the interconnectedness of things. They also explore the challenges of receiving love and the importance of kindness, effective communication, and personal growth.

50:21

Episode guests

Sharon Salzberg

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Living an authentic life involves genuine connection and a non-frantic way of being.

Love and non-attachment are not mutually exclusive; genuine love requires non-attachment.

Receiving acts of generosity can be challenging but practicing gratitude and awareness can deepen connections and joy.

Deep dives

The Frustration of Cliches in Personal Growth

In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the frustration and humor that arises when delving into personal growth topics such as meditation, contemplation, and authenticity. The cliches associated with these concepts, like authenticity and love, often hold truth, and the speaker explores how these notions can be revitalized and understood in a new light. The episode explores Sharon Salzburg's insights on living an authentic life, learning self-love in relation to Buddhist notions of emptiness, the challenges of receiving love, and the integration of love and non-attachment.

Introduction

2min

Love, Illusion, and Non-Attachment

5min

Authenticity and the Power of Kindness

14min

Reflections on Past Behavior and Self-Love

7min

Self-Love and Kindness in Buddhism

9min

The Interconnectedness of Things

7min

Mourning the Loss of a Loved One

14min

Gratitude, Book Promotion, and Podcast Recommendations

4min

One of the most prominent western meditation teachers talks about how to take gauzy concepts and operationalize them in your actual life.

A towering figure in the meditation world, Sharon Salzberg is a prominent teacher & New York Times best-selling author. She has played a crucial role bringing mindfulness and lovingkindness practices to the West.

Sharon co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield and is the author of nine books, including Lovingkindness, Real Happiness, and the most recent Finding Your Way: Meditations, Thoughts, and Wisdom for Living an Authentic Life. Sharon lives in New York City and teaches around the world.

In this episode we talk about: