Mindfulness Meditation · Generosity
This week’s meditation session is led by Kate Johnson and the theme is Generosity. The guided meditation begins at 14:23.
Major Events of the Buddha's Life; Northeastern India; 12th century; "Andagu" stone with pigments; 6 1/2 × 4 1/2 × 1 1/2 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.4.2
The northeastern Indian village of Bodhgaya, the place of the Buddha’s enlightenment, is an important pilgrimage site. This small portable stone relief is an example of the small souvenir sculptures dedicated to the Buddhas’s life that pilgrims picked up on their visits. The image of the Buddha at the center of the stele shows him seated under a tree with his right hand touching the earth, a common visual reference to the moment of his enlightenment. This central figure and the six buddhas on the sides represent the seven weeks the Buddha spent meditating in Bodhgaya. The scenes on the stele’s periphery depict events from the Buddha’s life, culminating at the top with his achievement of nirvana at death.
Kate Johnson works at the intersections of spiritual practice, social action, and creativity. She has been practicing Buddhist meditation in the Western Insight/Theravada tradition since her early twenties and is empowered to teach through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She holds a BFA in dance from the Alvin Ailey School/Fordham University, and MA in performance studies from NYU.
Kate is a core faculty member of MIT’s Presencing Institute, and has trained hundreds of leaders and change-makers in using Social Presencing Theater, a mindfulness and dance improvisation methodology used to inform strategic planning and systems change in our complex world.
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