Mindfulness Meditation · Transforming Obstacles
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Transforming Obstacles.
Portable Mani Shrine (Tashi Gomang) of the Copper Palace of Padmasambhava; Bhutan; 18th-19th century; painted and gilded wood with sun-dried clay figures; Private Collection; L195.1.1
This portable shrine from Bhutan depicts the palace of Padmasambhava. According to legend, after the Buddhist master Padmsambhava left Tibet, he went to live in his pure land on top of the Copper-Colored Mountain where he still resides today. This shrine was likely carried through Bhutan and used as prop by traveling storytellers who recounted the great achievements of Padmsambhava. Opening up the shrine reveals several different levels filled with elaborate details transforming the seemingly simple structure into something much larger and more complex.
The shrine can be seen as a metaphor for how our obstacles, when examined with mindful attention, can transform into something that can teach us about ourselves and the world, much like the stories of Padmasambhava do.
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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