Mindfulness Meditation · Three Jewels: Dharma
This week’s meditation session is led by Sharon Salzberg and the theme is Three Jewels: Sangha. The guided meditation begins at 10:38.
Woodblock for Printing Prayer Flags; Himalayan Region; ca. 19th–early 20th century; Pigments on wood; 14 × 7 3/8 × 1 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2006.75.20
The third and final jewel of Buddhism is sangha, or the Buddhist community. Woodblocks are used to create the designs on prayer flags. Himalayan Buddhists use these flags to honor holy sites and auspicious days. Along with being a way for practitioners to receive merit, when seen, prayer flags also serve as a reminder for those in the community to keep the Buddha’s teachings in mind while the wind spreads the blessings of the prayers that are printed on the flags.
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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