Mindfulness Meditation · Reflection
This week’s meditation session is led by Dr. Rebecca Li and the theme is Reflection. The guided meditation begins at 27:00.
Pilgrimage Map of Wutaishan; Cifu Temple (慈福寺), Wutaishan, China; dated 1846; Painted xylograph; 47 1/8 × 68 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2004.29.1
This painting depicts Wutaishan (Five Terrace Mountain), a group of mountains in northern China that are believed to be the abode of the bodhisattva of wisdom Manjushri. Wutaishan has been an important Buddhist pilgrimage site for more than 1,500 years, and by the 6th century there were more than 200 temples, shrines, and stupas on the slopes of the mountains. In this artwork, winding paths with tiny travelers link one temple to another, suggesting possible pilgrimage routes. Pilgrims traveled to these sacred mountains to see divine visions, which took the form of miraculous light and cloud formations, a ubiquitous presence on this map. Just as pilgrims contemplate religion and their lives, the viewer examining the artwork reflects on the many paths.
Dr. Rebecca Li, a dharma heir in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen, is the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community. She teaches meditation and dharma classes, gives public lectures, and leads retreats in North America and Europe. Li is the author of Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times, and her book Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method was published by Shambhala Publications in 2023. She is a sociology professor and lives with her husband in New Jersey.
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