Sharon Salzberg

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This Week’s Work of Art

Stupas are made to hold precious relics of the Buddha or other important religious leaders. In India stupas were originally hemispherical mounds, but gradually they evolved into more complex forms. Stupas can be found in all sizes throughout the Himalayas, marking important locations or boundaries.

Walking around stupas is a common Buddhist practice believed to bring great merit to an individual. The concept of merit is a prevalent overarching purpose of commissioning or creating religious objects in the Himalayas. It is tied to the concept of karma and is considered an investment toward the future that can bring about results in this life or the next.

The circumambulation can be seen as a metaphor for the wise effort one puts toward intentions and goals, once again underscoring the necessity of action to accompany intention. Furthermore, the stupa acts as a geometric architectural model representing the enlightenment of all buddhas as well as a blueprint for the path to achieve enlightenment, an aspiration of Buddhist practitioners. How might we understand meditation and mindfulness as a blueprint to help us achieve our own intentions?

About the Program

The Rubin Museum of Art presents a weekly meditation session led by a prominent meditation teacher from the New York area, with each session focusing on a specific work of art. This podcast is recorded in front of a live audience, and includes an opening talk, a 20-minute sitting session, and a closing discussion. The guided meditation begins at 18:30.

If you would like to attend Mindfulness Meditation sessions in person or learn more, please visit our website at RubinMuseum.org/meditation.

This program is supported with thanks to our presenting partners Sharon Salzberg, the Interdependence Project and Parabola Magazine.

Theme: Intention

You’re more powerful than you know. Inspired by devotional practices related to stupas, Sharon Salzberg discusses overcoming the fear of inadequacy through the power of intention, reflection, and resolve.

About the Speaker

Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Sharon’s latest books are Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connections and Real Happiness at Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace. She is a weekly columnist for On Being, a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, and the author of several other books including the New York Times best-seller Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation, Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness. Sharon has been a regular participant in the Rubin’s many on-stage conversations.