Mindfulness Meditation · Empowerment
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Empowerment. The guided meditation begins at 15:25.
Protector Begtse Chen; Mongolia; late 18th - early 19th century; Gilt copper alloy with pigments; 19 1/4 × 17 3/4 × 4 3/4 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.12.3
One of the main protector figures of the Gelugpa school of Buddhism, Begtse is distinguished by his “coat of mail,” which is wonderfully portrayed in this sculpture, stretching over the vast expanse of his corpulent torso. He brandishes a flaming sword in his right hand and the fresh heart of an enemy in his left hand. Though these seem to be fearsome objects, they all symbolize the defeat of ego-centered conceptions and the empowerment of individuals.
Sharon Salzberg, Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Her latest books are Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom and Finding Your Way: Meditations, Thoughts, and Wisdom for Living an Authentic Life. 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, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World, 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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