Mindfulness Meditation · Hopes and Anxieties
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Hopes and Anxieties. The guided meditation begins at 20:00.
Maitreya, Buddha of the Future, (After models designed by Zanabazar (1635–1723)); Mongolia; late 18th - early 19th century; Gilt copper alloy with pigment; 12 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 3 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.12.1
Maitreya, the buddha of the future, was a special focus of worship within the Gelukpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, to which the Mongols became fervent adherents. The promise of the coming of a new age, which the buddha of the future would usher in, was especially appealing among the Mongols, who linked this story with their aspirations to reestablish the glory days of the Mongol Empire.
This statue of Maitreya reminds us that the future, although it may be a source of anxiety, is also a source of hope for the betterment of society.
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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