Taking Right Action

www.sharonsalzberg.com

Taking Action

“One of the primary conditions for suffering is denial. Shutting our mind to pain, whether in ourselves or others, only ensures that it will continue. We must have the strength to face it without turning away. By opening to the pain we see around us with wisdom and compassion, we start to experience the intimate connection of our relationship with all beings.”

 

Please Support the International Campaign for Tibet!

www.savetibet.org

The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) promotes human rights, democratic freedom, and public awareness for the people of Tibet. Founded in 1988, ICT is a non-profit membership organization with offices in Washington, DC, Amsterdam, and Berlin. ICT advances the Tibetan cause—and the vision and leadership of the Dalai Lama—in the halls of Congress and in international forums. It mobilizes international goodwill, collaborates with governments on meaningful support, reaches out to Chinese all over the world, and monitors conditions inside Tibet.

 

 

Engaged Spirituality

Sharon Salzberg has made a personal commitment to support social activism for positive change. She undertakes outreach to social change groups and teaches meditation practices for activists. At the Garrison Institute, her work includes meditation training for domestic violence social workers to alleviate vicarious trauma. “Collaborating with dedicated people who care for those in great suffering allows me to penetrate further into the reality of life rather than staying on the surface.”   

Her goal is to integrate social activism and an understanding of interconnectedness. “Social justice work can create a sense of being the adversary. When this degenerates into a dualistic sense of self and other, bitterness and anger often arise. Activists experience burnout and despair. I aspire to offer practices for transcending this dualistic world view.”

Her efforts widen the definition of social activism. “We express dharma in a form suitable to our understanding and needs. Being a fully committed artist is no less significant to making a better world than someone counseling trauma victims or walking picket lines. Caring about others can manifest in many different ways.”