Mindfulness Meditation · Liberation
This week’s meditation session is led by Jon Aaron and the theme is Liberation. The guided meditation begins at 10:13.
Vajrabhairava; Mongolia; ca. 19th century; Clay with pigments; 12 1/4 × 10 × 6 3/8 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2006.52.8
Vajrabhairava is a prominent deity in the Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug Tibetan Buddhist traditions. He is considered to be the wrathful emanation of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. He took on a wrathful form by reflecting back the terrifying nature of Yama, the Lord of Death. He overwhelmed and subdued Yama, who became a protector.
Vajrabhairava is considered to be a meditational deity. He is often referred to as Yamantaka, the slayer or defeater of death, since he accomplished the formidable task of overcoming Yama. He is depicted with the head of a buffalo, which is topped by the head of Manjushri, signifying Vajrabhairava’s true nature.
Jon Aaron is a Dharma and mindfulness teacher based in New York and Chicago. Since 2006 he has taught at the New York Insight Meditation Center, offering Dharma and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes. He regularly leads retreats around the US. He is primarily grounded in the Theravada tradition, alongside non-dual and Mahayana approaches. His teaching emphasizes integrating Dharma and mindfulness into daily life to foster clarity in addressing personal and social challenges. His teachers include Matthew Flickstein and, more recently, Kittisaro and Thanissara through their Dharmapala program. Jon also studied contemplative care at the Zen Center for Contemplative Care and completed the Integrated Study and Practice program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. He is a certified MBSR teacher and teacher trainer and a Somatic Experience Practitioner® In response to the pandemic, he and his partner, Upayadhi, launched the Space2Meditate community, offering daily meditation since March 2020. Additionally, he co-hosts the podcast Diggin’ the Dharma with scholar Doug Smith.
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