Mindfulness Meditation · The Unexpected
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is The Unexpected.
Stories of Previous Lives of the Buddha (Jataka); Tibet; 18th century; Pigments on cloth; 63 1/4 x 34 1/4 x 1/2 in. (160.7 x 87 x 1.3 cm); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2007.33.1
One of the key moments of the Buddha’s enlightenment was him seeing all the previous lives he had lived. Not only did this experience give him an understanding of how he reached enlightenment, it also taught him the inner workings of karma, allowing him to see precisely what actions lead to what results. Karma can produce unexpected results in life. Meditation may not stop the unexpected from happening, but it helps us prepare for those moments so that we don’t become completely bound to our habitual reactions.
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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