This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Fear. The guided meditation begins at 15:50.

This monumental mask depicts a fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva known as Bhairava, or “the terrifying one.” He can be identified as a form of Shiva by the small snake in his hair and the crescent at the side of its tail, both symbols associated with this god. In addition, the small head at the center of the crown is that of Shiva. In his peaceful forms, Shiva is depicted as a human, but the terrifying Bhairava form is more monstrous than human, with demonic features that reflect his ultimately destructive purpose.

As an embodiment of Shiva’s destructive power, Bhairava is petitioned to eliminate ignorance and the ego so that spiritual liberation may be achieved. The god therefore bears the features of Hinduism’s ferocious deities: intensely bulging eyes, flaunted fangs, macabre ornaments such as skulls and snakes, and threatening girth. While this face may induce fear, his goal is to help followers. Bhairava aids us in reflecting on how fear-inducing things might be helpful in our lives, enabling us to explore the juxtaposition of good and bad fear.

As of Spring 2023, this object is no longer in the Rubin Museum’s collection.