Meditation teacher and author Sharon Salzberg, along with Buddhist scholar and author Robert Thurman, join Raghu Markus on the podcast to discuss loving our enemies, transforming our lives, and bringing love into the world. They explore the concept of love as a source of strength, the importance of self-love, and the antidote to fear. They also delve into tough love, insightful patience, and the power of love in overcoming hatred and internalizing our enemies.

It’s a piece of deep psychological acuity, carried in many religious traditions: that each of us is defined as much by who our enemies are and how we treat them as by whom and what we love. In this episode, two legendary Buddhist teachers shine a light on the lofty ideal of loving your enemies and bring it down to earth. Across a half-century conversation and friendship, Sharon Salzberg and Robert Thurman have investigated the mind science behind this virtue and practice. They illuminate how to transmute the very real, very consequential and consuming energy of anger and hatred — and why love in fact can be a rational and pragmatic stance towards those who vex us. This is a conversation filled with laughter and friendship and with practical wisdom on how we relate to that which makes us feel embattled from without, and from within.Robert Thurman is the first American to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama. He is president of Tibet House U.S., and was a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University for 30 years. His many books include Inner Revolution and the book he co-wrote with Sharon Salzberg, Love Your Enemies. In 2021, he published Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life. Sharon Salzberg is one of the original three young Americans who traveled to India in the 1960s and ‘70s and introduced Buddhist meditation into mainstream Western culture. She is a globally renowned meditation teacher and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Her books include Real Happiness, Lovingkindness, and most recently, Real Change: Mindfulness To Heal Ourselves and the World.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.This show originally aired in October, 2013.

Renowned Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman discusses empathy, happiness, and compassion. He highlights the connection between mindfulness and the body, the misconception of selflessness in Buddhism, and the value of psychedelics. Thurman emphasizes the significance of wisdom, being realistic, and the necessity of compassion programs in universities.

David Swenson, a renowned Ashtanga Yoga teacher, joins experts John Campbell and Robert Thurman, a prominent Tibetan Buddhism scholar. They explore Tantric Buddhism as a fast path to enlightenment, discussing how dreams can compress many lifetimes of virtue. The conversation highlights the roles of compassion, ethics, and wisdom in spiritual practice. They also delve into the significance of femininity in Buddhism and the journey of yogis, contrasting quick enlightenment with deeper transformative experiences. Dive into a rich tapestry of mythology and the quest for selflessness!

Bob Thurman discusses updates on his latest book, the Dalai Lama's teachings, India's Prime Minister visit, and the conflict in Ukraine. He emphasizes interconnectedness, global harmony, freedom, democracy, and enlightenment for positive transformation.