Mindfulness Meditation · Openness
This week’s meditation session is led by Kaira Jewel Lingo and the theme is Openness. The guided meditation begins at 19:31.
Red Avalokiteshvara; Nepal or Tibet; dated by inscription, 1871; Pigments on cloth; 48 1/2 × 28 1/2 × 1 1/2 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.29.1
Rakta Avalokiteshvara is a bodhisattva who has made a vow to remain in the cycle of rebirth through countless lifetimes to work for the benefit of other beings. Around his radiant body, tethered to his gaze by fine lines of gold, are worldly deities, many originating in the Hindu tradition, such as Shiva, Brahma, Surya, Varuna, Ananta, Chandra, Vishnu, and Agni. This symbolizes his ability to see and manifest his compassion in all realms while all other deities pay homage to him. Painted in warm red hues, he stands against a lapis background with his head at a charming angle. He beckons viewers with his right hand, held in the gesture of generosity.
Kaira Jewel Lingo is a dharma teacher with a lifelong interest in blending spirituality with social justice. Her work continues the Engaged Buddhist movement developed by Thich Nhat Hanh, and she draws inspiration from her parents’ stories and her dad’s work with Martin Luther King Jr. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition, as well as in secular mindfulness, at the intersection of racial, climate, and social justice with a focus on activists, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, artists, educators, families, and youth. Based in New York, she offers spiritual mentoring to groups and is the author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons in Moving through Change, Loss and Disruption from Parallax Press.
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