Mindfulness Meditation · Compassion
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Compassion. The guided meditation begins at 16:50.
One of the most recognizable mantras in the world is om mani padme hum, often called the mantra of compassion. It is associated with the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who has countless forms, both peaceful and wrathful. The central figure in this painting is red Avalokiteshvara, known as Rakta Avalokiteshvara. He beckons viewers with his right hand extended downward in the gesture of supreme generosity. The left hand holds the stem of a pink lotus flower blossoming over his shoulder.
Practitioners who are developing the aspiration of mind awakening, also known as bodhichitta, recite mantras and visualize the deity, aspiring to make their body, speech, and mind indistinguishable from the bodhisattva’s. Red Avalokiteshvara’s appearance is laid out in ritual texts and painted in thangkas to help practitioners with visualization and training the mind.
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.
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