Mindfulness Meditation · Community
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Community. The guided meditation begins at 14:20.
Buddha Shakyamuni; Tsang Region, Central Tibet; 18th century; Pigment on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.128
This 18th-century thangka painting depicts the Buddha giving a teaching at Vulture’s Peak. Located in northeastern India, Vulture’s Peak is an important site for many of the Buddha’s teachings. His public teachings formed the basis of his community as he traveled throughout the region. In this particular painting, the Buddha sits holding a single flower in his right hand. Most of his followers appear to be confused, but the monk Mahakashyapa smiles in response, showing his understanding of the true ineffable meaning of the Buddha’s teachings. Mahakashyapa eventually founded the lineage that became the zen tradition, which focuses on meditation rather than the study of Buddhist scripture.
Tracy Cochran has taught meditation and spiritual practice for many years. She is a speaker and author whose most recent book, Presence: The Art of Being At Home in Yourself, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2024. Tracy is the founder and leading teacher of the Hudson River Sangha and has taught mindfulness and mindful writing at New York Insight, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, and many other venues. In addition to serving as the editorial director of the acclaimed spiritual quarterly Parabola, her writings have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Best Spiritual Writing series, Parabola, and many other publications and anthologies. For more about Tracy, please visit tracycochran.org and parabola.org.
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