Mindfulness Meditation · Resilience
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Resilience.
Bodhisattva; Tibet; 12th century; Gilt copper alloy; 38 × 16 × 6 7/8 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2003.24.1
This torso of a beautiful bodhisattva has endured much during its lifetime. The sculpture is a masterwork of 12th-century metal casting, incredibly refined and similar to large sculptures found in the Shalu and Sera monasteries in Tibet. It is theorized that this sculpture was damaged during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). Despite the damage, this bodhisattva maintains its sense of grace, displaying the resilience of his idealized beauty. It ultimately serves as a reminder that in the face of devastation, we too can be resilient.
Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Her latest book is Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. 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, 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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