About the MeditationAbout the Meditation

This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Offering. The guided meditation begins at 16:41.

Related ArtworkRelated Artwork

Butter Lamp; Tibet; 18th century; Metal, silver; 11 × 7 × 7 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Ralph Redford; C2008.27

One of the ubiquitous offerings in Himalayan cultures, butter lamps can be found in virtually at any temple or holy site in the region. Himalayan people use butter lamps as offerings of light to appease the sense of sight for the deities that appear on the altar. The light itself serves as a metaphor for illuminating awareness that dispels the darkness of ignorance, just like meditation practice and the Buddha’s teachings.

Tracy Cochran has been a student and teacher of meditation and spiritual practice for decades. She is the founder of the Hudson River Sangha. In addition to offering meditation online, Tracy has taught mindfulness meditation and mindful writing at the Rubin Museum and the New York Insight Meditation Center, as well as in schools, corporations, and other venues worldwide. She is also a writer and the editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that seeks to bring timeless spiritual wisdom to the burning questions of the day.

Published August 7, 2021
PodcastsMindfulness Meditation

Sign up for our newsletter

Your gateway to Himalayan art and its insights, with stories and news from the Rubin.

Discover artworks, articles, and more by typing a search term above, selecting a term below, or exploring common concepts in Himalayan art.