Mindfulness Meditation · Beginning Again
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Beginning Again.
Temple Banner (Bilampau) Depicting Prince Virakusha's Legend; Nepal; Dated by inscription 1864; Pigments on cloth; 33 3/4 × 225 1/4 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of John and Fausta Eskenazi; C2002.44.2
Expressive with deep colors, this temple banner dated to 1864 depicts the legend of the king Virakusha and the popular ritual Astakivrata. The ritual is performed by Newars on the eighth day of the bright half of each month. The banner depicts how King Virakusha performed this ritual and was blessed with an heir to his throne. His son and grandson also performed the ritual as a means of thanks for life’s blessings. Continuing this monthly ritual is a return to classic practices and serves as a reminder of the importance of beginning again.
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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