Mindfulness Meditation · Non-Aggression
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Non-Aggression.
Maitreya from Situ’s set of Eight Great Bodhisattvas, Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; ground mineral pigment on cotton; Rubin Museum of Art, Gift of Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, F1998.12.1
Considered the buddha of the future, Maitreya stands holding a stupa, a reference to the historical Buddha’s reliquaries. His name comes from the Sanskrit word maitri, which means “loving-kindness.” According to Buddhist tradition, he waits in Tushita heaven for a time when Buddhism has been forgotten on Earth. At that point, he will be reborn to teach the eternal truth of the dharma, and the Buddhist tradition will again start removing aggression from the world.
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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