Mindfulness Meditation · Aspiration
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Aspiration.
Pancharaksha Mandala; Central Tibet; 18th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2003.50.6
This mandala depicts the deity Pancharaksha inside her celestial palace, surrounded by her entourage. Mandalas are used in advanced visualization meditation practices in the Tibetan tradition. In addition to visually building the mandala with their minds, practitioners must eventually visualize themselves as the central deity as a means of transforming themselves into an enlightened being. In this sense, a mandala like this one serves as an aspirational map toward enlightenment.
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.
Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.