Mindfulness Meditation · Kindness
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Kindness. The guided meditation begins at 13:04.
Buddha Shakyamuni and Stories of his Previous Lives; Tibet; mid-late 14th century; Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2003.50.4
This remarkable painting portrays the Buddha with more than 100 stories of his previous lives (jataka) organized into a geometric grid. One such scene, found in the top-left corner, shows him sacrificing himself to feed a hungry tigress and her starving cubs. The narrative scenes closest to the central buddha figure depict his deeds during his final life as Prince Siddhartha, during which he achieved enlightenment or awakening (bodhi).
Directly below the Buddha appears to be the Third Karmapa (1284–1339), a religious leader who is famous for first compiling a set of 100 jataka tales in the Tibetan language, presumably the very stories pictured here. Scrolling floral patterns within the red halo, the dark-blue background, and some of the narrative cells, as well as the thin yellow lines that separate the scenes and demarcate the painting’s outer edges, are features drawn from Nepalese painting.
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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