Mindfulness Meditation · Awareness
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Awareness. The guided meditation begins at 17:09.
Wheel of Life; Tibet; 18th century; Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.40.10
The large red figure of Yama, Lord of Death, holds the wheel of existence against the mouth, ready to swallow it at any moment, representing the immediacy of impermanence. In the center of the wheel are the three poisons symbolized by three animals: a black pig (ignorance), snake (anger), and rooster (desire). The surrounding circle shows individuals moving upward and downward in the circle of existence based on merit and karma. The five sections of the wheel portray the six realms of existence: god, asura (anti-god), human, animal, ghost (preta), and hell. The outermost circle comprises 12 scenes representing the 12 links of dependent arising.
This model of Buddhist cosmology, focusing on the inhabitants, is based on the Abhidharma literature of the Theravada and Sutrayana vehicles. The bottom of this painting features verses written in gold in the old ornate lan tsa script of Nepal. The background landscape and colors indicate an eastern Tibetan style of painting.
Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She was among the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 50 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of 14 books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Sharon’s podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed eight million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.
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