Mindfulness Meditation · Facing Chaos
This week’s meditation session is led by Lama Aria Drolma and the theme is Facing Chaos. The guided meditation begins at 20:26.
Green Tara as Protectress from the Eight Fears; Tibet or Mongolia; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; 39 x 31 1/2 x 2 1/4 in. (99.1 x 80 x 5.7 cm); Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2012.4.7
Green Tara, the protectress from the eight fears, is depicted at the top of this painting, accompanied by three figures wearing the monastic robes and yellow pandita hats of the Gelug tradition. On the left side is Shakyamui Buddha in gold. On the right is “Secret Accomplishment” Hayagriva, who is red in color with three faces and six hands.
Seven additional Taras appear in the lower composition surrounding the lotus seat of the central Tara. As a group they represent the eight Taras protecting from the eight fears. Beginning with the central Tara and moving clockwise, they represent protection from wrongful imprisonment, elephants, bandits, ghosts, water, snakes, fire, and lions. A depiction of each fear is located below each Tara.
Lama Aria Drolma is an ordained Buddhist teacher in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, who has completed over a decade of monastic study and meditation training. She is a graduate of the traditional Tibetan Buddhist retreat program spanning three years and three months, an advanced cloistered meditation training program at Palpung Thubten Choling Monastery, New York.
Lama Aria Drolma teaches worldwide, leading retreats, workshops, and corporate meditation programs and is a popular guest speaker at universities and organizations. She emphasizes Vajrayana Buddhism and Buddhist principles, making them relevant in our everyday lives, helping us to cultivate loving kindness and compassion, and bringing about a transformation of contentment and a genuine sense of well-being.
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