ABOUT THE MEDITATION
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is: Balance.
The guided meditation begins at 15:07.
For centuries Himalayan practitioners have used meditation to quiet the mind, open the heart, calm the nervous system, and increase focus. Now Western scientists, business leaders, and the secular world have embraced meditation as a vital tool for brain health.
Whether you’re a beginner, a dabbler, or a skilled meditator seeking the company of others, join expert teachers in a 45-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session is inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection and includes an opening talk and a 20-minute meditation session.
RELATED ARTWORK
Within Vajrayana Buddhism, Manjushri is a meditational deity who is associated with wisdom, and is one of the most frequently portrayed figures in Tibet. This form of Manjushri, in which he is depicted as a bodhisattva, is the focus of practice in all of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
Manjushri is seated on a lotus pedestal. The style of the lotus pedestal and the intricate halo reflect Nepalese aesthetic conventions. It’s possible that this work of art was produced in a Nepalese workshop for a Tibetan patron.
Manjushri has four arms. His upper left hand raises a sword, cutting through ignorance. In his upper right hand is a book, symbolizing wisdom and Buddhist teachings. His lower left hand wields an arrow and his lower right hand holds a bow of penetrating wisdom. The balance between the sword and the book exemplifies the integration of wisdom and skillful means, which is essential for attaining enlightenment.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tracy Cochran has been a student and teacher of meditation and spiritual practice for decades. She is the founder of the Hudson River Sangha, which is now virtual and is open to all. The link for her weekly meditations can be found on her website:tracycochran.org.
In addition to the Rubin Museum of Art, Tracy has taught mindfulness meditation and mindful writing at the New York Insight Meditation Center, as well as in schools, corporations, and other venues nationally and internationally. She is also a writer and the editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that seeks to bring timeless spiritual wisdom to the burning questions of the day. Her writings, podcasts, and other details can be found on her website and at parabola.org.
This program is presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and teachers from the New York Insight Meditation Center, the Interdependence Project, and Parabola Magazine and supported by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
