Mindfulness Meditation · Ritual
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Ritual. The guided meditation begins at 19:00.
Ushnisavijaya and Celebration of Old Age (Jyatha Janko); Nepal; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.17.24
This painting depicts the birthday celebration practiced by Hindus and Buddhists in the Kathmandu Valley for an elder who reaches the age of 77 years, 7 months, 7 days, 7 hours, and 7 minutes. To commemorate this day, Buddhists commission the construction of reliquary mound known as a stupa. In the day’s festivities, the elder mounts a chariot and rides through the city, stopping to perform a religious service in front of a sacred stupa.
Tracy Cochran has taught meditation and spiritual practice for many years. She is a speaker and author whose most recent book, Presence: The Art of Being At Home in Yourself, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2024. Tracy is the founder and leading teacher of the Hudson River Sangha and has taught mindfulness and mindful writing at New York Insight, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, and many other venues. In addition to serving as the editorial director of the acclaimed spiritual quarterly Parabola, her writings have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Best Spiritual Writing series, Parabola, and many other publications and anthologies. For more about Tracy, please visit tracycochran.org and parabola.org.
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