Mindfulness Meditation · Lovingkindness
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Loving Kindness. The guided meditation begins at 16:34.
Butter Lamp; Tibet; 18th century; Metal, silver; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Ralph Redford; C2008.27
Butter lamps are a common feature of Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the Himalayas. Butter lamps are traditionally placed on the Buddhist altar as an offering. They are offered during meditation practice or ceremonies with the wish that all beings be free of suffering and reach enlightenment.
When making an offering, one can easily fall into such traps of negative attitude, and it is critical to ask yourself why you are involved in doing the things that you do, what is your motivation. One makes offerings not for any mundane reason, but one surrenders everything to be able to experience perfect liberation and so that one may liberate other beings as well.
Tracy Cochran has taught meditation and spiritual practice for many years. She is a speaker and author whose most recent book, Presence: The Art of Being At Home in Yourself, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2024. Tracy is the founder and leading teacher of the Hudson River Sangha and has taught mindfulness and mindful writing at New York Insight, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, and many other venues. In addition to serving as the editorial director of the acclaimed spiritual quarterly Parabola, her writings have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Best Spiritual Writing series, Parabola, and many other publications and anthologies. For more about Tracy, please visit tracycochran.org and parabola.org.
Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.