Sharon Salzberg
Sharon Salzberg
Sharon Salzberg is a remarkable lady who has spent her life devoted to insight meditation in order to find peace for the tragic loses of both her mother and father when she was young. She first encountered Buddhism in an Asian Philosophy class while she was at the State University in Buffalo, New York. This was in 1969 and it seemed to inspire her so much that the next year she decided to take an independent study trip to India. During her trip to India, she wanted to find, “ an institution that the methods of meditation would bring me some clarity and peace” (Salzberg). In 1971, she attended her first intensive meditation course while in Bodh Gaya, India. She spent the next few years doing these intense meditations with some highly respected Buddhist teachers. Dipa Ma and Anagarika Munindra are two examples of these well-known Buddhist teachers who helped guide her on her journey. She decided in 1974 to go back to America in order to spread the knowledge that she had learned. This all began with her teachings of vipassana or insight meditation. Sharon Salzberg in 1976 founded along with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield that Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts. This place consists of “The Retreat Center and Forest Refuge are on some 240 secluded wooded acres in the quiet countryside” (dharma.org). It is currently ranks, “as one of the most prominent and active meditation centers in the Western world”. She spread vipassana (insight meditation) in order the help others establish, according to Salzberg, a “love (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha) as our home” (Salzberg). In this special place, Buddhist speakers from around the whole world come to speak and lead meditations. This place is for people of all different ages and cultures coming together over an interest in learning about meditation. Every year about 2,500 people go to participate either the Retreat Center or the Forest
Sharon Salzberg is a remarkable lady who has spent her life devoted to insight meditation in order to find peace for the tragic loses of both her mother and father when she was young. She first encountered Buddhism in an Asian Philosophy class while she was at the State University in Buffalo, New York. This was in 1969 and it seemed to inspire her so much that the next year she decided to take an independent study trip to India. During her trip to India, she wanted to find, “ an institution that the methods of meditation would bring me some clarity and peace” (Salzberg). In 1971, she attended her first intensive meditation course while in Bodh Gaya, India. She spent the next few years doing these intense meditations with some highly respected Buddhist teachers. Dipa Ma and Anagarika Munindra are two examples of these well-known Buddhist teachers who helped guide her on her journey. She decided in 1974 to go back to America in order to spread the knowledge that she had learned. This all began with her teachings of vipassana or insight meditation. Sharon Salzberg in 1976 founded along with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield that Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts. This place consists of “The Retreat Center and Forest Refuge are on some 240 secluded wooded acres in the quiet countryside” (dharma.org). It is currently ranks, “as one of the most prominent and active meditation centers in the Western world”. She spread vipassana (insight meditation) in order the help others establish, according to Salzberg, a “love (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha) as our home” (Salzberg). In this special place, Buddhist speakers from around the whole world come to speak and lead meditations. This place is for people of all different ages and cultures coming together over an interest in learning about meditation. Every year about 2,500 people go to participate either the Retreat Center or the Forest