Mindfulness Meditation · Suffering/End of Suffering
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Suffering/End of Suffering.
Tara Protecting from the Eight Fears; Kham Province, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; 26 3/8 × 18 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.15.1
This painting is a lovely depiction of Tara as a protectress. She sits in the pose of royal ease with her right hand extended in the gesture of supreme gift giving. Though Tara bestows her benevolence on all beings, she is often portrayed specifically as a protector against the Eight Great Fears most often experienced by travelers. These fears include drowning, being attacked by lions, and being falsely imprisoned. Though these are real fears for travelers, they also represent psychological states that bring us suffering. For example, drowning represents attachment, while lions are associated with pride, and thieves represent greed. Through her protection, Tara aims to end the suffering of all beings in both their physical and mental states.
Tracy Cochran has been a student and teacher of meditation and spiritual practice for decades. She is the founder of the Hudson River Sangha. In addition to offering meditation online, Tracy has taught mindfulness meditation and mindful writing at the Rubin Museum and the New York Insight Meditation Center, as well as in schools, corporations, and other venues worldwide. She is also a writer and the editorial director of Parabola, an acclaimed quarterly magazine that seeks to bring timeless spiritual wisdom to the burning questions of the day.
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