Loving-kindness Meditation: Learning To Love Through Insight Meditation

by Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg, co-founder of the venerable Insight Meditation Society, is among this country's leading teachers of metta (lovingkindness) practice. Lovingkindness Meditation is her guide to this traditional six-step meditation, designed to access the human heart's own limitless source of supreme energy -- the energy of love. A perfect introduction to this healing, enriching, and life-changing practice, originally taught by the Buddha himself."In clear and simple words, 'Loving-kindness Meditation' conveys a lifetime of study, practice, and inspiration". -- Joseph Goldstein author of The Experience of Insight

Genres: Buddhism, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help, Meditation, Audiobook, Health

7 pages, Audio Cassette

First published July 1, 1996

About the author

One of America’s leading spiritual teachers and authors, Sharon Salzberg is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts. She has played a crucial role in bringing Asian meditation practices to the West. The ancient Buddhist practices of vipassana (mindfulness) and metta (lovingkindness) are the foundations of her work.

Reviews

[Elana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did take something very good away from listening to this audio book. In many of my meditation sessions I now include giving love to those I know and those I don't know (as taught in this book). Because I feel what I learned from this book is so valuable and important, I have given it 4 stars. In terms of listening enjoyment, I did find it a little lacking (not too much, but it is not one of the audio books I listen to again and again like so many others that I have) - and for this reason I could not give it 5 stars. Still, if you meditate at all and are unfamiliar with this kind meditation, this may be an important book for you to read.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very worthwhile - inspiring, supportive, instructive. The book group brought it to Life, by sharing our experiences of being loved, loving, unloved, unloving. The human dance!
There are many wonderful teachers now and Salzberg was a pilgrim for us. Much gratitude to her and her on-going endeavors to relieve suffering and promote kindness and love!!

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Teach about loving kindness and one thing is that everybody is the same, everybody wants happiness. And teach about what's suffering. Lots of great insight about Buddha teaching and Dalai Lama!
Thank you! I enjoy reading it :)

[Jeff B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

I wanted to learn about Metta meditation, or Loving Kindness meditation after reading about it a few times - most recently in the book, The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World. I'm an on again, off again meditator, but I do find benefits when I put the time in to do it. I decided to investigate further and listened to this short audiobook narrated by the author.

I have never read (or listened to) Sharon Salzberg before, though I believe I have seen her name around. It felt like I was listening to a lecture or talk, more than a book, which isn't a bad thing by any means. She's very listenable and engaging with lots of personal anecdotes and Buddhist stories sprinkled in.

I think I was hoping for some guided Metta meditation sessions, but there aren't any here - not even a step-by-step guide to what it exactly is. Or maybe I missed it. Maybe Metta meditation isn't a meditation technique as much as something you incorporate into your existing meditation practice, if you have one.

That's not to say I didn't get a lot out of this, because I did. I appreciated when she talked about working your way up to sending love to your enemies (why make make it harder?). I also liked how she talked about feeling like it wasn't working, but then realizing it was by being surprised at your own reaction - that is something I have experienced with meditation in the past.

So I wouldn't say this is the end-all be-all book for Metta meditation, but has a lot to offer and is enough to add some of these ideas into my existing meditation. I will be checking out more Sharon Salzberg's other books in the future, likely in audio format.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a shortish audiobook, read plainly by the author. Sharon’s voice lands as tho delivered with a gentle humour. She shares stories of compassion for herself with the very qualities she’s imparting.

Open, welcome, encouraging, instructive.

The stories she shares, a blend of personal and spiritual scripture, the life of the Buddha, are sweet simple & compelling. There’s a deceptively easy manner that make it easy for beginners and those a little way along a path to benefit from such well told tales.

I enjoyed her way of describing how a practise becomes part of a way of being. At once affirming and acting as encouragement.

Metta, the loving kindness practise is a surprisingly versatile practise, and appeared for me me today as an antidote to a stressful dental procedure.

I’ve listened to this book 3 or four times in a row, interspersed with other reading. Great bedtime listening and again in more focused conditions.
Maybe that’s also my general habit when listening to meditation related work, allow it to enter in different states of receptivity and active or passive listening.

I’d only like a handout or an audio equivalent, with the exercises summarised to remind me. Maybe that comes with the bought version, I borrowed mine from a library online.

On the other hand it would not be so hard to write them all down.

[Mark Robison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the author's book Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness back in the 1990s. One of the things that the audio publisher Sounds True does — and did more in the past than now — is to have authors do an audio version of a book that's not a reading of the actual text but is instead a full-length performance of it, like a presenter might do at a conference over multiple sessions.

Some of these Sounds True recordings are great, and I think this is one of those, maybe even more approachable than the book — although I may be misremembering since I read it 25 years ago.

But I thought this was the best discussion of metta and metta meditation that I've come across, and I plan to listen to this one a few more times. It really made the whole concept of metta — lovingkindness — more actionable for me.

As you probably know if you're reading this, with metta meditation, you imagine wishing others (and sometimes yourself) be happy, be healthy, be safe and be at ease in their lives. She suggests it can be help not to imagine yourself pushing out these thoughts but instead to imagine being the other person and receiving your lovingkindness. That really helped me.

[Julia Bucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's very difficult sometimes to send metta to the difficult person, because the anger will arise, and the judgment will arise, or the despair will arise--that we'll never go beyond it. Forgiveness tends to be a cyclical process. We find that we can open and we can connect -- and then once again we become overcome; we forget; we're contracted. And as we simply continue, we find that the moments of spaciousness and connection are more and more. The times of difficulty are things that we accept as a natural part of the process.
It's also important to be creative in the times of sending metta to the difficult person. Sometimes people feel that if they're sending metta to the difficult person, it's in some way an abandonment of their own needs, of their own hurt. And what we suggest, in fact, is that you imagine yourself along with the difficult person so that you might be saying, 'May we be free from danger. May we have mental happiness..."

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovingkindness Meditation: Learning to Love Through Insight Meditation
by Sharon Salzberg
Released February 10, 2011

<3 GREAT READ!

Compassion for others begins by building a foundation of lovingkindness toward ourselves. Sharon Salzberg leads a meditation to help us recognize our own inner suffering with tenderness and awareness, opening us naturally to the ability to love others.
Sounds True Practices are short downloadable audio sessions selected from our most popular courses. Affordably priced and ideal for beginners, they're a powerful way to use energy healing, guided imagery, meditation, and other proven practices at home or on the go. Put them on your smartphone, MP3 player, tablet device, or computer ... and start experiencing their benefits today.
This session is excerpted from Sharon Salzberg's book/CD The Force of Kindness.

[Ahdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, offers a gentle approach to cultivating love and compassion through a meditation practice called metta, or lovingkindness. In this practice, Salzberg guides you through a six-step process designed to open the heart and help you connect with your innate capacity for kindness.

As you explore this style of meditation, you'll learn to reduce feelings of isolation, nurture compassion for yourself and others—including those who may have hurt you—and release unnecessary suffering. This accessible practice provides a meaningful way to foster inner peace, trust, and emotional healing, making it an ideal introduction for anyone seeking more love and understanding in their life.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand, this one put me to sleep a lot, but on the other hand, that's exactly what I was using it for. I often use audiobooks to calm my brain as I'm falling asleep and this one was lovely, like a meditation. Because of the way I listened to it, I don't feel like I got the cohesive message as well, even though I probably listened to parts many times because I was always rewinding until I recognized something. I'd like to revisit again as a daytime book to pay more attention to it at some point.

[Karli Sherwinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful audiobook red by the author teaching metta, loving kindness, meditation theory. She weaves in stories of the Buddha along with real life examples of how to integrate metta meditation into one’s life.

[Julie Capell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful introduction to lovingkindness meditation. This is an audiobook I will definitely listen to more than once.

[Arie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mix of Dharma talk, personal stories, and meditation technique instruction.

[Mary-ann Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great and deep work on this with exercises at the end of each chapter. Lovely read.

[Autumn Kovach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great listen about meditation and practicing extending love to oneself, those we don't like and those we love in order to experience deeper, daily compassion.

[Snappy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you angry at the world, this audiobook is for YOU.

[Syareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great (re-)introduction to loving-kindness meditation. Short audiobook, worth listening (and re-listening) to if you're interested in meditation and spirituality.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's lovely. Although I prefer the Lovingkindness meditation by Dr. Loretta Siani instead.

[Jill Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

put your money where your mouth is. if the name of your game is LOVE, this book is nothing less than age old wisdom given in the form of a daily practice of naming love as the place where you begin, the context in which you choose to swim. "let us then try what Love will do." this book has been a big piece for me falling into place. maybe it will do the same for you. maybe not. No matter what, I am just putting it out there, cuz it certainly cannot hurt...

May you live free of fear.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you have ease of well-being.

[Kimball · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was a much needed pick-me-up after the previous vile book that I just finished. I'm enjoying the teachings of Buddhism/Hinduism/Eastern Religions more and more. And they are lacking so much today. This book taught the principles of detachment through Meta which I think is her abbreviation of meditation. A state of attachment is limited, dependent, and fearful. Happiness and joy aren't limited commodities in this world.

"What is your plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

[Alanna-Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible. I adore Sharon Salzberg and her wonderful ability to convert complex, esoteric concepts into simple, understandable language. Interwoven stories and fundamentals combine to illuminate the powerful, albeit simple practice of metta. Short but sweet, and read by the author.

[Allie Jo Arendell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sharon Salzberg is a wonderful teacher....there is so much patience and understanding in her writing and in her thinking. This is the third time I have read this book and each time something more appears. To extend our love outward...for the good of all...for ourselves.

[Elizabeth Kuntz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very supportive and constructive for cultivating more self love and love for others who have wronged you. Practicing her loving kindness meditations left me with a lighter heart, and taught me that letting go is possible.

[Jerod Hammerstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great talk on loving kindness.

[Traci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my thing. Mostly common sense stuff.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listen to this every year or so and learn something new each time.

[Fausto Betances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about the fundamentals of lovindkindness meditation. No actual meditation sessions, just the explanation behind it. Great for beginners like me. :)

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

It bored me. I think I got what it was about in the first chapter. Not a lot to add here.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of Salzberg's teachings that I plan to listen to repeatedly.

[James Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovingkindness Meditation by Sharon Salzberg contains metta (lovingkindness) meditations for ourselves and others. I plan on listening to the audio book again.