Mindfulness Meditation · Care
This week’s meditation session is led by Rebecca Li and the theme is Care. The guided meditation begins at 20:14.
Guhyasamaja Akshobhvajra with Consort; Tibet; 15th century; Gilt copper with inlays of semiprecious stones and pigment; 8 3/4 × 7 5/8 × 6 5/8 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2003.45.1
Guhyasamaja is one of the main tantric deities (yidam) who are the focus of the contemplative esoteric practice in Gelug tradition. The seated couple is in sexual embrace. Each deity has three heads and six arms; their hands are crossed in front of each other’s chest holding a vajra and bell. In their right hands are a lotus and the wheel, and in their left hands are a sword and a flaming jewel. The two deities represent the same enlightened nature indicated by their hand implements, which together symbolize the union of all the qualities of the Buddha families. Akshobya, which means “the unmovable,” is believed to help the practitioner to master anger, one of the main afflictions that perpetuate the endless cycle of death and rebirth.
Dr. Rebecca Li, a dharma heir in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen, is the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community. She teaches meditation and dharma classes, gives public lectures, and leads retreats in North America and Europe. Li is the author of Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times, and her book Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method was published by Shambhala Publications in 2023. She is a sociology professor and lives with her husband in New Jersey.
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