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Quote by Sharon Salzberg

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Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection

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Author

Sharon Salzberg
Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg is a renowned author and mindfulness meditation teacher. Born in New York in 1952, she has a deep interest in Eastern philosophy and meditation from a young age. Her works cover a wide range of topics including personal growth, spiritual cultivation, and Buddhist wisdom, which have won her a large following among readers. more

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“This is the way it ought to be, he thought to himself, to be able to dance with a girl you like and really get a kick out of it because everything’ on an even keel and one’s worries are of the usual ones of unpaid bills and sickness in the family and being late to work too often. Wh can’t it be that way for me? Nobody’s looking twice at us. Nobody’s asking me where I was during the war or what the hell I am doing back on the coast. There’s no trouble to be had without looking for it. Everything’s the same, just as it used to be. No bad feelings except for those that have always been and probably always will. It’s a matter of attitude. Mine needs changing. I’ve got to love the world the way I used to. I’ve got to love it and the people so I’ll feel good, and feeling good will make life worthwhile. There’s no point in crying about what’s done. There’s a place for me and Emi and Freddie here on the dance floor and out there in the hustle of things if we’ll let it be that way. I’ve been fighting it and hating it and letting my bitterness against myself and Ma and Pa and even Taro throw the whole universe out of perspective. I want only to go on living and be happy. I’ve only to let myself do so.”

“The point is, being a Christian does not mean hating or belittling the non-Christians. Being a Muslim does not mean hating or belittling the non-Muslims. Being an Atheist does not mean hating or belittling the religious people. In a civilized society, diversity in religious orientation should be the reason for celebration, not the cause for hatred and differentiation.”

“In recent decades we have emphasized the value of teaching people 'tolerance.' Tolerance is not only inadequate, it is a negative concept which only alienates society further. Learning to tolerate absolves people of the responsibility of learning to understand different people, accept and appreciate their differences, and progress towards respecting them for who and what they are. It is only when we build acceptance between people that we will rid ourselves of the scourge of prejudice and liberate ourselves from violence.”

“بمرور الزمن، بدأت أشعر بأن كل ما يجري في الطبيعة مؤلم وقاسٍ، وكل ذلك القتل باسم الإله وباسم الدين لم يكن مقبولاً على الإطلاق، كل تلك المئات من الضحايا التي تسقط كل يوم على قارعة الطريق مضرجة بالدماء وهي تسمع صيحات التكبير كآخر كلمة تسبق الموت، كل ذلك جعلني أشك في وجود العدالة أو الإنسانية، ولم أعد قادراً على استيعاب فكرة وجود قوة بإمكانها وقف كل ذلك من دون أن تفعل شيئاً، إلا إذا كانت توافق على ما يجري، أو أنها ببساطة غير موجودة.”