Mindfulness Meditation · Acceptance
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Acceptance. The guided meditation begins at 15:58.
Four Mandalas of the Vajravali Cycle; Ewam Choden Monastery, Tsang Province, Central Tibet; 1429-1456; Pigments on cloth; 36 × 30 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2007.6.1
Mandalas are utilized by advanced practitioners of Buddhism as visual aids during meditation. They portray the sacred realms of deities, and serve as microcosms of frames of existence.
This exquisite thangka is the 13th painting in a set depicting the 42 mandalas of the Vajravali (Diamond Garland) ritual text. This book of esoteric teachings was the crowning achievement of the 11th-century Indian master Abhayakaragupta, and was widely transmitted in Tibet. Remarkable for its near pristine condition, this painting represents the culmination of Newar artisanship in southern-central Tibet. Although the painting was made by Newar artists, the composition strictly follows Tibetan conventions of imagery and iconography.
Sharon Salzberg, Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Her latest books are Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom and Finding Your Way: Meditations, Thoughts, and Wisdom for Living an Authentic Life. 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 bestseller Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World, Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness. Ms. Salzberg has been a regular participant in the Rubin’s many on-stage conversations and regards the Rubin as a supplemental office.
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