The Force of Kindness
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Synopsis
A Buddhist teacher shares guidelines on how to promote the power of kindness, using a series of stories, teachings, and guided meditations to explore the meaning of kindness and how it can be used to transform our lives, relationships, the environment, the community, and the world.
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First Sentence
I HAVE BEEN ENGAGED by kindness nearly my whole life, fascinated by it at times, repulsed by it at others. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
I HAVE BEEN ENGAGED by kindness nearly my whole life, fascinated by it at times, repulsed by it at others. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gentle and wise,
By Niki Collins-queen, Author "author" (Forsyth, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life with Love and Compassion (Paperback)
Sharon Salzberg shows how to open our hearts and radiate the force of kindness in her powerful book "The Force of Kindness: Change Your life with Love and Compassion." She uses stories, insights, guided exercises and meditations to help us cultivate the foundation of inward peace and empathy. She says, "Kindness is a force that breaks open your heart even as it heals - and in that healing sets you free." Metta or loving-kindness and friendship is a cornerstone of Buddhist happiness.
Salzberg says the Dalai lama's quote, "My true religion is kindness" illustrates how kindness is a deep and abiding understanding of how we are all connected. Kindness helps us develop a certain kind of faith in ourselves and in our ability to meet difficulties. Our potential to grow, understand, love and connect is nourished by what we believe about ourselves. If we truly loved ourselves we would never harm another because if we harm another it diminishes who we are. The Buddha said within our body lies the entire universe. When we understand our own experience and connect to it, we can connect to all life, to the whole universe. The world is no longer experienced dualistically for there is no sense of "us" and "them." When a person becomes an "other" kindness dies. To find the power, confidence and release in kindness we must transcend belief systems, allegiances, ideologies, cliques and tribes. Kindness inspires a sense of ethics and requires finding how we can be smart and strong and still be kind. Kindness is not just being nice it has great forcefulness. Salzberg explains the difference between remorse and guilt. Remorse is considered a skillful state of mind as we recognize we have done something wrong, we experience pain but essentially forgive ourselves and avoid making the same mistake. Guilt is considered unskillful as we remain stuck and continually blame ourselves until we are drained. It's a form of self-hatred. Salzberg says there are five Buddhist precepts for living. Refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking intoxicants. She also shares ways to weave kindness in our lives and intentions: Notice the intentions underlying actions. Take responsibility for the intentions we act on. Forgive ourselves when we make mistakes. Practice greater restraint in speech. Follow through on strong generous intentions. Wish for love, peace and happiness for ourselves and others and all beings. Each chapter has expert instruction and valuable teachings. They include: Compassion in Action, Kindness to Ourselves, Overcoming Cruelty, How We see the World, Ethics is Kindness and The Intention of Kindness. Salzberg also includes a CD with four guided meditations to develop loving kindness towards ourselves, to others, for all beings and gives practices that uplift and benefit both. Salzberg has been a student of Buddhism since 1971. She is the founder of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts. She is the author of several books.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews) 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loving-kindness,
By Audrey - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life with Love and Compassion (Book & CD) (Hardcover)
This is a book that will shine a light in the darkness. Salzberg has a wonderous gift in her ability to remind us of our own beauty. I find myself re-reading these pages often when I need to remember my own, and when I need to remember to have compassion for myself and others. Her words easily flow from the pages directly to my heart.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love & Compassion Book/CD Set,
By Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life with Love and Compassion (Book & CD) (Hardcover)
"Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth, What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness. ~Naomi Shihab Nye Sharon Salzberg presents kindness in a book about life lived with love and a CD to introduce kindness meditations. Through her work, you can learn how to bring more compassion into the world. She presents her ideas in six chapters: Compassion in Action Kindness Toward Ourselves Overcoming Cruelty How We See the World Ethics and Kindness The Intention of Kindness Sharon Salzberg teaches us how to see the good inside us and to reflect on things we have done in the world that are positive and nurturing. She recommends spending 15-20 minutes a day on doing something to be kind to yourself. You can also repeat phrases like "May I live in safety," and "May I have mental happiness." She also shows how a natural sense of morality can be born from a sense of empathy and in understanding that hurting others will cause your own suffering. How can we feel liberating joy? What is an enlightened being? Can you dedicate your life to kindness? How can you become a bodhisattva? While we all seem to move from unhappiness to happiness on a daily basis or a minute-by-minute cycle of life's ever changing circumstances, this book helps to bring us back to a more centered existence. Sharon Salzberg's teachings encourage you to live with an open heart and be a place of calm in the midst of the world's storms. "Kindness is the foundation of unselfconscious generosity, natural inclusivity, and an unfeigned integrity. When we are devoted to the development of kindness, it becomes our ready response..." ~Sharon Salzberg ~The Rebecca Review 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Resource,
By 9 Sense - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life with Love and Compassion (Book & CD) (Hardcover)
This book was the start of a profound change in my practice. Until I read it and listened to the included guided meditation CD I missed an essential aspect of mindfulness meditation. Repeatedly returning to the breath, returning to the focal point of meditation is essential. But how one returns is critical. Salzberg's reassurance that "nothing is lost, nothing is ruined" when meditation doesn't go as expected helped free me from unnecessary struggle and distracting self-judgment. A single sentence (p. 46) which emphasized the importance of being honest about one's pain turned me on my ear. Salzberg's perspective on mindfulness practice was like a healing balm for my tortured effort. If you have felt frustrated or defeated in attempting mindfulness practice, this book can definitely help. I now own 8 copies so I have enough to share. All are currently out.
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