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A Heart as Wide as the World

Stories on the Path of Lovingkindness

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The beloved Buddhist meditation teacher and New York Times–bestselling author of Real Happiness offers encouragement and inspiration for anyone on the spiritual path

Buddhist teachings have the power to transform our lives for the better, says Sharon Salzberg, and all we need to bring about this transformation can be found in the ordinary events of our everyday experiences.
 
In A Heart as Wide as the World, Salzberg distills more than twenty-five years of teaching and practicing meditation into a series of short essays, rich with anecdotes and personal revelations, that offer genuine aid and comfort for anyone on the spiritual path. Many chance moments, both small and profound, serve as the basis for Salzberg's teachings: hearing a market stall hawker calling, “I have what you need!”; noting hotel guests’ reactions to a midnight fire alarm; watching her teacher, Dipa Ma, bless a belligerent dog; seeing the Dalai Lama laughing uproariously at his own mistake. Each passing moment, Salzberg shows, can help us down the path toward “a seamlessness of connection and an unbounded heart.”
“Sharon Salzberg understands the power of story, skillfully [employing] anecdotes from her own life and others’ to enliven Buddhist teachings and to demonstrate their relevance to every aspect of life. Salzberg has written a book brimming with the mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion that she teaches so well.”
Publishers Weekly
Sharon Salzberg is one of America's leading spiritual teachers and authors. A practitioner of Buddhist meditation for over thirty years, she is a co-founder of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and the Insight Meditation Society, and she directs meditation retreats throughout the United States and abroad. She is the New York Times–bestselling author of Real Happiness, Lovingkindness, and Real Change.

About

The beloved Buddhist meditation teacher and New York Times–bestselling author of Real Happiness offers encouragement and inspiration for anyone on the spiritual path

Buddhist teachings have the power to transform our lives for the better, says Sharon Salzberg, and all we need to bring about this transformation can be found in the ordinary events of our everyday experiences.
 
In A Heart as Wide as the World, Salzberg distills more than twenty-five years of teaching and practicing meditation into a series of short essays, rich with anecdotes and personal revelations, that offer genuine aid and comfort for anyone on the spiritual path. Many chance moments, both small and profound, serve as the basis for Salzberg's teachings: hearing a market stall hawker calling, “I have what you need!”; noting hotel guests’ reactions to a midnight fire alarm; watching her teacher, Dipa Ma, bless a belligerent dog; seeing the Dalai Lama laughing uproariously at his own mistake. Each passing moment, Salzberg shows, can help us down the path toward “a seamlessness of connection and an unbounded heart.”

Praise

“Sharon Salzberg understands the power of story, skillfully [employing] anecdotes from her own life and others’ to enliven Buddhist teachings and to demonstrate their relevance to every aspect of life. Salzberg has written a book brimming with the mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion that she teaches so well.”
Publishers Weekly

Author

Sharon Salzberg is one of America's leading spiritual teachers and authors. A practitioner of Buddhist meditation for over thirty years, she is a co-founder of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and the Insight Meditation Society, and she directs meditation retreats throughout the United States and abroad. She is the New York Times–bestselling author of Real Happiness, Lovingkindness, and Real Change.