About the MeditationAbout the Meditation

This week’s meditation session is led by Kate Johnson and the theme is Mandala. The guided meditation begins at 11:22.

Related ArtworkRelated Artwork

Painting of larger seated figured srrounded by smaller figures in surrounding circles and squares.
Mandala of Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara; Tibet; 18th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.224

In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition Avalokiteshvara is regarded as a bodhisattva that exemplifies compassion. In Vajrayana Buddhism there are many forms of Avalokiteshvara, both peaceful and wrathful, where he is a meditational deity and regarded as a completely enlightened buddha. Avalokiteshvara is foremost a bodhisattva arising from the sutra tradition and secondly a deity of the Vajrayana tradition. He is represented in all four tantra classifications in a variety of forms. In this complex mandala he is shown bearing a wrathful appearance with a consort.

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.

Published September 25, 2021
PodcastsMindfulness Meditation

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