Mindfulness Meditation · Facing Chaos
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Facing Chaos. The guided meditation begins at 17:12.
Shezad Dawood; Wrathful Activity, Fierce Energy; 2018; Neon on black painted board; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; SC2020.1.1
Buzzing with energy, Shezad Dawood’s abstracted fierce figure is a contemporary twist on depictions of Buddhist deities who help practitioners transcend obstacles. Dawood blends cultural heritage with references to popular visual culture and materials, like the neon of this sculpture, to re-examine how we tell and perceive history. The Buddhist gods seen here, known as wrathful deities, are a positive force despite their demonic appearance. The six small skulls and enveloping flames above the central figure’s elongated face represent the embodiment of wrathfulness and the power to transform ferocious activity into positive energy.
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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