Mindfulness Meditation · Suffering/End of Suffering
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Suffering/End of Suffering.
Mandala of Amoghapasha, Nepal; dated 1502 by inscription, Pigments on cloth, Rubin Museum of Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin, C2006.66.43
This incredibly detailed mandala from Nepal, dated to 1502, depicts Amoghapasha in the center of a palace surrounded by attending deities. The name Amoghapasha means “unfailing lasso” and references the noose he holds as part of his iconography. He holds the noose so he can grab any of his followers that might fall behind in their practice. Just like the goal of Buddhism itself, Amoghapasha seeks to end all forms of suffering through the destruction of ignorance and the realization of truth.
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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