Mindfulness Meditation · Beginning Again
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Beginning Again.
Red Avalokiteshvara, also known as Bunga Dya, and Macchendranath; Nepal; Dated by inscription 1842; Pigments on cloth; 30 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.45
Set in the center of this Nepalese thankga stands the red god Bunga Dya surrounded by deities from the Hindu pantheon. The artisans have presented Bunga Dya as Srstikanta Avalokiteshvara, the lord that creates the world. Worshiped by both Hindus and Buddhists, Bunga Dya directs each of the Hindu gods and goddesses to maintain their assigned section of the cosmos. Bunga Dya’s creation of the universe serves as a reminder of the constant renewal that we can all experience in our lives as we continually begin again in meditation and other important practices in our lives.
Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Her latest book is Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. 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, 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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