Lovingkindness

by Sharon Salzberg

Our fear of intimacy-- both with others and with ourselves-- creates feelings of pain and longing. But these feelings can also awaken in us the desire for freedom and the willingness to take up the spiritual path. Salzberg shows us how the Buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. The Buddha described the nature of such a spiritual path as "the liberation of the heart, which is love." Simple Buddhist teachings, wisdom stories from various traditions, and guided meditation practices illustrate how each one of us can cultivate love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?