Mindfulness Meditation · Light and Dark
This week’s meditation session is led by Light and Dark and the theme is Sharon Salzberg. The guided meditation begins at 14:20.
Zanabazar; Goddess of the Dawn, Marichi; Mongolia; late 17th century or early 18th century; Gilt copper alloy; 15 5/8 × 10 3/8 × 7 1/4 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.26
Sitting in the pose of royal ease rests Marichi, the goddess of dawn, holding a vajra near her heart and an ashoka branch in her left hand. Along with the daily sunrise, she represents the metaphorical dawn of awakening and the moment when a practitioner commits to their spiritual development. She is the light that overcomes darkness, symbolizing meditation and Buddhist practice.
Sharon Salzberg, Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Her latest books are Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom and Finding Your Way: Meditations, Thoughts, and Wisdom for Living an Authentic Life. She is a weekly columnist for On Being, a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, and the author of several other books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World, Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness. Ms. Salzberg has been a regular participant in the Rubin’s many on-stage conversations and regards the Rubin as a supplemental office.
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