Mindfulness Meditation · Interdependence
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Interdependence. The guided meditation begins at 19:27.
Stories of Previous Lives of the Buddha (Jataka); Tibet; 18th century; Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2007.33.1
There are hundreds of jataka tales that describe the events and various previous births of Shakyamuni Buddha. Through the lens of compassion, selflessness, and generosity, the Starving Tigress tale reminds us of the truth of interdependence. Born into a family renowned for its purity of conduct and great spiritual devotion, the bodhisattva became a great scholar and teacher. With no desire for wealth and gain, he entered a forest retreat and began a life as an ascetic. Here he encountered a tigress who was starving and emaciated from giving birth, and was about to resort to eating her own newborn cubs for survival. With no food in sight, the bodhisattva offered his body as food to the tigress, selflessly forfeiting his own life in an act of infinite compassion.
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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