Mindfulness Meditation · Mandala
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Mandala. The guided meditation begins at 14:03.
Mandala of Guhyasamaja-Akshobhyavajra; Tibet; 14th century; Pigments on cloth; 23 7/8 x 22 7/8 x 2 1/4 in. (60.6 x 58.1 x 5.7 cm); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.43.1
Derived from the Sakya lineage, this mandala is focused on the meditational deity Guhyasamaja, who is a form of Akshobhyavajra, the Unshakable Vajra. He and the deities who surround him are the so-called directional buddhas, with Vairochana in the east, Ratnasambhava in the south, Amitabha in the west, and Amoghasiddhi in the north. They represent the enlightened qualities and wisdoms of the five constituents of the human body and mind, which practitioners develop through the practices of visualization, meditation, and ritual.
Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Her latest book is Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. 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, 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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