Mindfulness Meditation · Action
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Action. The guided meditation begins at 14:20.
Siddhi Lakshmi; Nepal; Dated by inscription 1796; Pigments on cloth; 33 7/8 × 24 3/4 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2003.38.2
The white goddess Siddha Lakshmi is a wrathful manifestation of the Hindu deity Durga. Associated with the Secret Black Mother tradition of the deity Guhya Kali, Siddha Lakshmi is revered for her ability to turn back negative forces and malicious spirits. Though she brandishes weapons in her many arms, she has a peaceful expression on her face. She is supported by her consort, Shiva, who holds her feet in his hands.
Like many Nepalese paintings, this one features a dense composition that fills the entire canvas with deities, animals, and floral motifs. Siddha Lakshmi was the patron deity of the Malla dynasty, which ruled the Kathmandu Valley from the 13th to the 18th century.
Tracy Cochran has been a student and teacher of meditation and spiritual practice for decades. She is the founder of the Hudson River Sangha. In addition to offering meditation online, Tracy has taught mindfulness meditation and mindful writing at the Rubin Museum and the New York Insight Meditation Center, as well as in schools, corporations, and other venues worldwide. 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.
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