Mindfulness Meditation · Community
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Community. The guided meditation begins at 14:20.
Stupa; Tibet; 14th century; Copper alloy; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2003.12.2
While this copper stupa is only a few feet tall, stupas can range in size from a few inches to several stories. They have been used as burial mounds for important religious teachers since before the Buddha’s lifetime. According to legend, when the Buddha passed away, eight princes divided his ashes, with each creating a stupa in his own kingdom. During the third century BCE, the great Indian king Ashoka took the contents of those eight stupas and spread them across eighty thousand stupas, symbolizing the dissemination of the Buddhist religion throughout his empire. Today large stupas still serve as the centers of communities. The practice of circumambulation, known as kora in Tibetan, is a common activity involving circling around a stupa.
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.
Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.