Mindfulness Meditation · Generosity
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Generosity. The guided meditation begins at 18:22.
White Tara with Long Life Deities; Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1996.32.5
As a female buddha, Tara works for the benefit of all beings and has many manifestations. In the form known as White Tara she bestows longevity. Her right hand rests on her knee, displaying the gesture of infinite generosity, while the left holds the stem of a pure white lotus blossoming above her shoulder. The reverse of the painting features handprints of a Buddhist master and a depiction of a stupa with a mandala in its dome. The stupa’s body includes prayers and dedications written in gold that state this painting was commissioned by Yeshe Lopsang Tenpa, likely the Eighth Tatsak Rinpoche (1760–1810). Taking refuge in Tara, he dedicates the merit of the painting’s creation to preventing untimely death and other dangers for all sentient beings, and he asks to bestow the blessings of a long, auspicious life. The handprints and the small seal prints underneath them may be his own.
Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She was among the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 50 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of 14 books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Sharon’s podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed eight million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond.
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