Mindfulness Meditation · Gratitude
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Gratitude.
Buddha Vajradhara; Nepal; 14th century; Gilt copper alloy with inlays of semiprecious stones; 6 1/4 × 3 7/8 × 2 5/8 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.43
This 14th-century sculpture of Vajradhara is from Nepal. He sits in full lotus pose wearing an ornate crown with his hands crossed above his chest holding a vajra and bell. This hand gesture, with the combination of the vajra and bell, represents the unification of compassion and wisdom, the two aspects of enlightenment. Vajradhara is a primordial buddha, meaning he is a personification of the innate qualities of enlightenment that pervade all beings. Essentially, he represents how we can all be buddhas just like him, and that’s certainly something to be grateful for.
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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