Mindfulness Meditation · Three Jewels: Buddha
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Three Jewels: Buddha.
The Enlightened One, Lord of Shakya Clan, Shakyamuni Buddha (detail), Tibet; 18th century; pigments on cotton; Rubin Museum of Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin, C2006.66.222
This thangka portrays the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, the first of the Three Jewels, surrounded by scenes from his life story. Though Buddhism acknowledges the potential for others to reach enlightenment without the Buddhist path, what separates the Buddha from other enlightened beings is that he decided to teach and became the main source of the tradition. Narrative images in paintings are common throughout the Himalayas as they are often used to tell the life story of the Buddha by laying out the basic tenets of the religion.
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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