Mindfulness Meditation · Awakening
This week’s meditation session is led by Kimberly Brown and the theme is Awakening. The guided meditation begins at 12:17.
Lords of the Charnel Ground, Smashana Adipati; Tibet; 18th century; Painted terracotta; Object size: 6 1/2 x 5 1/8 x 1 1/2 inObject w/ Base/Mount #1 size: 6 5/8 x 5 1/4 x 1 1/4 in. Base/Mount #1 size: 6 3/8 x 4 3/4 x 1 1/4 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2002.36.1
Here we see two skeleton lords of the charnel ground, brother and sister, animated by ecstatic dance and laughter, their festive demeanor expressing the joy of being free from attachment. The male and female figures are interdependent here, illustrating the interplay of masculine and feminine in all beings. The male sports a garland of freshly severed heads and holds a skeleton club and a skull bowl. In contrast, the female wears a garland of dried skulls and holds a staff and a golden vase. These skeleton lords support the practice of the deity Chakrasamvara and are revered as powerful protectors.
Kimberly Brown is a meditation teacher and author. She leads classes and retreats that emphasize the power of compassion and kindness meditation to reconnect us to ourselves and others. Her teachings provide an approachable pathway to personal and collective well-being through effective and modern techniques based on traditional practices. She studies in both the Tibetan and Insight schools of Buddhism and is a certified mindfulness instructor. Her book Navigating Grief and Loss: 25 Buddhist Practices to Keep Your Heart Open to Yourself and Others was published in 2022, and an updated edition of Steady, Calm, and Brave was released in 2023. Both are published by Prometheus Books.
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