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About the Mindfulness Meditation Podcast

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 18:00.

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.

New York Insight Meditation Center

Related Artwork

White Tara as Protectress from the Eight Fears Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; late 18th-early 19th century Pigments on cloth Rubin Museum of Art Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin C2006.66.524 (HAR 997)
White Tara as Protectress from the Eight Fears Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; late 18th-early 19th century Pigments on cloth Rubin Museum of Art Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin C2006.66.524 (HAR 997)

Theme: Awakening

White Tara as Protectress from the Eight Fears

Tara is the most beloved female deity in Tibetan Buddhist traditions. She is often depicted holding a blue lotus flower in her left hand, while performing the hand gesture of blessings with her right hand.

In one rendition of her origin story, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was so overwhelmed with compassion for the suffering of all sentient beings that he shed a tear that formed a lake. From that lake emerged a lotus flower where Tara appeared.

This beautiful painting features White Tara, who is associated with practices of longevity and protection. She sits on a lotus throne, holding her signature lotus flower in her left hand. There are seven more White Taras in this narrative painting; each one highlights the eight fears she protects against, including lions, fire, and ghosts.

About the Speaker

Sharon Salzberg

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.

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