About the Meditation
Meditation session led by Tracy Cochran.
The guided meditation begins at 13:38.
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 forty-five-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session will be inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection and will include an opening talk, a twenty-minute meditation session, and a closing discussion.
This program is supported in part by the Hemera Foundation with thanks to our presenting partners Sharon Salzberg, the Interdependence Project, and Parabola Magazine.
Related Artwork
Theme: Compassion
Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, is known to be the patron deity of Tibet and is one of the most popular deities in Nepal, where 108 forms of him are known.
Here is Avalokiteshvara in his simplest form, his right hand extended in the gesture of supreme generosity and holding the stalk of a lotus (now broken) in his left hand.
This sculpture is remarkable for its fluid simplicity of form, and graceful proportions. In terms of iconography, bodhisattvas are bejeweled with armlets, necklaces, and crowns. This figure has translucent drapery and large hoop-like earrings. The subtle modeling of the body contrasts with the voluminous pointed dress and scarf ends and the large, slim-petaled lotus blossom. The reddish tone of the metal where the gilding has worn away indicates a high copper content, which is typical of the Nepalese aesthetic.
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 Cochran 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 on parabola.org.