Mindfulness Meditation · Love
This week’s meditation session is led by Kate Johnson and the theme is Love.
Guhyasamaja with Consort; Tibet; 15th century; Gilt copper alloy with inlaid semiprecious stones; 11 1/8 × 9 × 6 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.23
Sitting crossed-legged holding his consort in a sexual embrace, Guhyasamaja represents the union of wisdom and compassion. While seemingly erotic, the bliss experienced through sex is meant to be a metaphor for the bliss of enlightenment and has little to do with romantic love. By achieving the state expressed in this sculpture, the practitioner achieves something much greater than mere romantic love—a love for all sentient beings.
Kate Johnson works at the intersections of spiritual practice, social action, and creativity. She has been practicing Buddhist meditation in the Western Insight/Theravada tradition since her early twenties and is empowered to teach through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She holds a BFA in dance from the Alvin Ailey School/Fordham University, and MA in performance studies from NYU.
Kate is a core faculty member of MIT’s Presencing Institute, and has trained hundreds of leaders and change-makers in using Social Presencing Theater, a mindfulness and dance improvisation methodology used to inform strategic planning and systems change in our complex world.
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