As we cultivate mindfulness, we begin to see the interconnectedness of all life, and the ways our actions can bring either harm or benefit to ourselves and others.
Sharon Salzberg
Mindfulness and Service
Topic: Serving Others
As we cultivate mindfulness, we begin to see the interconnectedness of all life, and the ways our actions can bring either harm or benefit to ourselves and others. It is this understanding that leads us to acts of service.
Sharon Salzberg, born on August 5, 1952 in New York City, is one of the world's renowned meditation teachers and authors. Her early life was marked by loss and turmoil, with her parents' divorce and the death of her father. Her mother's subsequent mental health issues forced Sharon into a series of foster homes and schools. This period of difficulty and displacement sparked her interest in the workings of the mind and the possibility of finding inner peace amidst chaos.
In 1969, Sharon attended a lecture on Buddhism at the State University New York, Buffalo, which ignited her passion for understanding and exploring human consciousness. A year later, she left for India as part of an independent study program, searching for a more comprehensive approach to alleviate human suffering. This journey led her to meet various spiritual teachers, most notably S. N. Goenka, under whose guidance she began to practice Vipassana or Insight Meditation. This would prove to be a turning point not only in her personal life but also in her impact on Western spirituality.
Following her profound experiences in India, Salzberg returned to America in 1974 and co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. She has since authored several influential books, including "Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness" and "Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation," teaching people how to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and, most importantly, how to integrate these practices into everyday life. Despite her massive influence, Salzberg maintains a humble approach to her work, underscoring that it's not about achievement but being able to touch one's own heart and, subsequently, the hearts of others.
Real Happiness
Salzberg, Sharon. Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation. Workman Publishing, 2010.
Sharon Salzberg
Theme: Serving
About this Sharon Salzberg Quotation [Commentary]
Sharon Salzberg writes, “As we cultivate mindfulness, we begin to see the interconnectedness of all life.” This awareness does not arise through belief but through observation. As mindfulness deepens, we begin to perceive how no moment, action, or relationship stands alone. This recognition is not abstract. Salzberg points to something directly observable—that our lives are linked, and that with attention, we can see it. Cultivating mindfulness allows us to witness this reality for ourselves.
She continues, “We begin to see the ways our actions can bring either harm or benefit to ourselves and others.” With this shift in perception comes responsibility. Salzberg makes clear that mindfulness reveals the effects of our choices—not only inwardly, but in the lives of others. The clarity that mindfulness brings helps us notice these consequences in real time. Our words, gestures, and decisions carry weight. We become more aware of what fosters well-being and what causes harm, and this awareness changes how we live.
“It is this understanding that leads us to acts of service.” Service, for Salzberg, is not imposed or abstract. It grows naturally out of seeing clearly. When we recognize how connected we are, helping others is not separate from caring for ourselves. Salzberg’s sequence is deliberate: mindfulness, then recognition of interconnectedness, then an understanding of impact, and finally the movement toward service. Serving, in this view, is a continuation of insight—a response to the truth that we are not alone.
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