Mindfulness Meditation · Generosity
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Generosity. The guided meditation begins at 16:38.
A parcel-gilt silver ritual ewer; Tibet or Mongolia; 19th century; Parcel-gilt silver; 11 1/8 × 6 3/4 × 4 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2011.11
Ewers like this one are used for pouring liquid offerings during initiation ceremonies and other rituals. This ewer could have been used in a monastic setting or a lay household shrine. It is a good example of the exquisite silver metalwork with traditional Tibetan symbols and aesthetic elements found in ritual items from the region.
The central decorative motif on the belly of the vessel is a gilt dragon surrounded by Buddhism’s Eight Auspicious Symbols, also highlighted in gold. The spout emerges from the mouth of a water monster (makara). The base features the pattern of a stylized lotus, much like the bases of sculptures.
Tracy Cochran has been a student and teacher of meditation and spiritual practice for decades. She is the founder of the Hudson River Sangha. In addition to offering meditation online, Tracy has taught mindfulness meditation and mindful writing at the Rubin Museum and the New York Insight Meditation Center, as well as in schools, corporations, and other venues worldwide. She is also a writer and the editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that seeks to bring timeless spiritual wisdom to the burning questions of the day.
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