Mindfulness Meditation · Removing Obstacles
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Removing Obstacles.
Ganesha; Madhya Pradesh, India; 11th century; Sandstone; 49 × 27 1/2 × 10 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2004.14.4
Much like in India, Ganesha is incredibly popular in Nepal with hundreds of shrines and temples devoted to him throughout villages and the cities. In the Kathmandu Valley, both Buddhists and Hindus worship Ganesha by offering him fruits, sweets, and flowers, particularly on days celebrating the union of his parents, the divine couple Shiva and Parvati. Holding a rosary, axe, radish, and bowl of sweets, he stands in warrior pose with a big, bulbous belly displaying his ability to remove obstacles from the lives of his followers.
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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