Mindfulness Meditation · Non-Attachment
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Non-Attachment.
Vajrapani (From Situ's set of Eight Great Bodhisattvas); Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; 41 3/4 x 21 1/2 x 1/2 in. (106 x 54.6 x 1.3 cm); Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.40.5
This beautiful painting displays the bodhisattva Vajrapani dressed like a prince, sitting in a relaxed pose while holding his namesake, the vajra. Vajra, often translated to “diamond,” “adamantine,” or “thunderbolt,” represents the indestructible nature of the Buddha’s teachings. Vajrapani himself is said to be the bodhisattva of power and appears more frequently in his wrathful form within the Tantric Buddhist tradition.
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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