This week’s meditation session led by Jon Aaron and the theme is Balance. The guided meditation begins at 13:02.
The name Vajradhara means the vajra holder or the vajra bearer. In Tibetan, Vajradhara is referred to as Dorje Chang. Vajradhara is the personification of the enlightened state. He is the primordial Buddha. Vajradhara is typically seated in a cross-legged position, as depicted here, with his two hands folded across his heart holding a vajra and a bell. The vajra and bell signify the union of all dualities. The vajra symbolizes compassion and the bell represents wisdom. The vajra is held in the right hand and the bell in the left. When the arms are crossed it symbolizes that the two forces are united, representing enlightenment. As we gaze upon Vajradhara may we be inspired to create a greater sense of balance between wisdom and compassion in our own lives.
Jon Aaron is a Dharma and mindfulness teacher based in New York and Chicago. Since 2006 he has taught at the New York Insight Meditation Center, offering Dharma and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes. He regularly leads retreats around the US. He is primarily grounded in the Theravada tradition, alongside non-dual and Mahayana approaches. His teaching emphasizes integrating Dharma and mindfulness into daily life to foster clarity in addressing personal and social challenges. His teachers include Matthew Flickstein and, more recently, Kittisaro and Thanissara through their Dharmapala program. Jon also studied contemplative care at the Zen Center for Contemplative Care and completed the Integrated Study and Practice program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. He is a certified MBSR teacher and teacher trainer and a Somatic Experience Practitioner® In response to the pandemic, he and his partner, Upayadhi, launched the Space2Meditate community, offering daily meditation since March 2020. Additionally, he co-hosts the podcast Diggin’ the Dharma with scholar Doug Smith.
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