Mindfulness Meditation · Discovering
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Discovering.
Indian Master Shantarakshita (active 8th century) and Scenes from his Life; Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; 72 x 41 1/2 x 1 7/8 in. (182.9 x 105.4 x 4.8 cm); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, From the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Warren Wilds; C2007.22.1
This painting depicts the great Indian monk Shantarakshita. He was invited to Tibet in the eighth century by King Tri Songdetsen to ordain the first Tibetan Buddhist monks and establish central Tibet’s first monastery, Samye. But upon arrival, Shantarakshita discovered that many of Tibet’s indigenous deities wanted to stop Buddhism, and he did not have the necessary powers to deal with these spirits. He suggested to the king that only Padmasambhava could subdue the demons. With time, these three figures—Tri Songdetsen, Shantarakshita, and Padmasambhava—came to represent the ideal triptych of practitioners—the patron, the monk, and the tantric yogi—that support the Vajrayana Buddhist system.
Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Her latest book is Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. She is a weekly columnist for On Being, a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, and the author of several other books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation, Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness. Ms. Salzberg has been a regular participant in the Rubin’s many on-stage conversations and regards the Rubin as a supplemental office.
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