Gathering Dharma with Sharon Salzberg & Frank Ostaseski: The Spirit of Service

In this Gathering Dharma session, Buddhist teachers Sharon Salzberg and Frank Ostaseski explore the profound nature of service and compassion. Drawing from their extensive spiritual and humanitarian work, they reveal service as spiritual practice and state of being. Salzberg introduces equanimity not as detachment, but as a balanced perspective that nourishes compassion. She offers insights on avoiding burnout by understanding personal limitations and creating sustainable ways of caring. Ostaseski complements her perspective by describing service as an expression of interconnectedness, using the phrase “coming alongside” to emphasize gentle, attentive presence. Their dialogue challenges traditional notions of helping others, suggesting that true service is about authentic human connection—being with someone’s suffering without attempting to fix or control it. They invite listeners to understand service as a transformative journey of mutual understanding and compassionate engagement. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here.