Mindfulness Meditation · No Mud, No Lotus
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is No Mud, No Lotus.
Lotus Mandala of Hevajra; Northeastern India; 12th century; Copper alloy; 12 3/8 × 7 5/8 × 6 5/8 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2003.10.2
This intriguing 12th-century sculpture of a lotus flower from northeastern India opens and blooms revealing inside a mandala, or a deity’s heavenly abode. The lotus is a potent symbol in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Growing in ponds and rivers, the roots of the lotus flower extend deep into the mud. The stem of the flower rises from the muck and extends through murky dark waters. Yet once the stem reaches the surface of the water, it blooms into a beautiful flower. The lotus flower reminds us that beautiful things can arise from darkness, and though we may be stuck in the “mud” of common existence, we all have the potential to “bloom” into enlightenment.
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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