PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (February 6, 2010) - Sharon Salzberg, a Buddhist writer, teacher and panelist with His Holiness the Dalai Lama is coming to Philadelphia in March to teach meditation to Philadelphian’
The last time Sharon was in Philadelphia was on a book tour rather than to teach. Her latest book is The Kindness Handbook, She is also the author of The Force of Kindness; Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience; and Lovingkindness:
Sharon may be familiar to readers as a contributing editor of Oprah’s O Magazine, and has appeared in Time Magazine, msnbc.com, Mirabella, Good Housekeeping, as well as others.
Sharon first encountered Buddhism in 1969, in an Asian philosophy course that sparked an interest that, in 1970, took her to India, for an independent study program. Sharon traveled motivated by “an intuition that the methods of meditation would bring me some clarity and peace."
In 1971, in Bodh Gaya, India, Sharon attended her first intensive meditation course. She spent the next years engaged in intensive study with highly respected Buddhist teachers. She returned to America in 1974 and began teaching vipassana (insight) meditation.
In 1976, she established, together with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, which now ranks as one of the most prominent and active meditation centers in the Western world. Sharon and Joseph Goldstein expanded their vision in 1989 by co-founding the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS). In 1998, they initiated the Forest Refuge, a long-term retreat center secluded in a wooded area on IMS property.
Sharon has also emerged as a featured speaker and teacher at a wide variety of events. She served as a panelist with the Dalai Lama and leading scientists at the 2005 Mind and Life Investigating the Mind Conference in Washington, DC. At the 2005 Sacred Circles Conference at the Washington National Cathedral, Sharon served as a keynote speaker. She has addressed audiences at the State of the World Forum, the Peacemakers Conference (sharing a plenary panel with Nobel Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Jose Ramos Horta). She was selected to attend the Gethsemani encounter, a dialogue on spiritual life between Buddhist and Christian leaders that included His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The LovingKindness Meditation Workshop with Sharon Salzberg is 1 pm – 4pm March 13th, 2010 at the UNITARIAN SOCIETY of GERMANTOWN, 6511 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19119. To ensure admission, advance ticket purchase is suggested at www.sharonsalzberg.com. Go to website to see if additional dates have been added.
