Ep. 283 – Engaged Compassion: Valarie Kaur
From Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg by Be Here Now Network
March 31, 2026 · 1h 2m · Episode 283
About this episode
Sharon Salzberg engages Valarie Kaur in a discussion about compassion, social justice, and navigating pain in today's world.
The Buddha taught a path of awakened living, but how does that manifest in today’s world of constant connectivity and widespread suffering? How do we keep our hearts open without being defined or hardened by the pain that surrounds us, whether personal, collective, or historical? How do we navigate the paradox of holding both pain and joy, without mistaking suffering for punishment or personal failure? Can we infuse our compassion with wisdom and perspective to find the agency to take meaningful action in our communities? In her new series, Engaged Compassion , Sharon delves into these questions and more, engaging in candid conversations with a diverse group of teachers, activists, and changemakers. For the second episode in the series, Sharon speaks with Valarie Kaur, making her third appearance on the Metta Hour. Valarie is a renowned social justice leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, faith leader, mother, and best-selling author of See No Stranger, Sage Warrior, and World of Wonder. She leads the Revolutionary Love Project, building a movement to reclaim love as a force for justice. A daughter of Punjabi Sikh farmers in California, Valarie earned degrees at Stanford…
People in this episode
Host: Sharon Salzberg
Guest: Valarie Kaur
Topics covered
- engaged compassion
- social justice
- navigating pain and joy
- community action
- awakened living
Keywords
- compassion
- social justice
- gun violence
- ICE brutality
- Revolutionary Love Project
- awakened living
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Revolutionary Love Project
Books & works: See No Stranger, Sage Warrior, World of Wonder
Places: California, LA
More episodes of Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg
- Ep. 288 – Engaged Compassion: Reggie Hubbard · June 9, 2026 · 1h 11m
- Ep. 287 – Engaged Compassion: Mirabai Bush · May 26, 2026 · 1h 3m
- Ep. 286 – Engaged Compassion: Parker J. Palmer & Jerry Colonna · May 14, 2026 · 51 min
- Ep. 285 – Engaged Compassion: Anu Gupta · April 28, 2026 · 1h 10m
- Ep. 284 – devon and nico hase · April 14, 2026 · 1h 7m
- Ep. 282 – Elisha Goldstein · March 17, 2026 · 59 min
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