Mindfulness Meditation · Loving Future
This week’s meditation session is led by Kimberly Brown and the theme is Loving Future. The guided meditation begins at 7:04.
Tree (Field) of Refuge for Geluk Tibetan Buddhist Tradition; U Region, Central Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; silk brocade; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.37.1
This painting represents the field of accumulation of merit. In this setting, all of the teachers of a specific tradition, their teachings in the form of religious texts, the deities that are the focus of their practice, and their protectors are visually arranged in one large gathering. This “tree of refuge” is meant to support a practitioner across many lifetimes. The lineage guides today’s practitioner and their past and future selves.
Such depictions are meant for devotional practice and also represent the Three Jewels of Buddhism: the buddha (teacher), the dharma (teachings), and the sangha (community).
This field is arranged around the central teacher Tsongkapa (1357–1419), the founding teacher of the Geluk tradition. He is surrounded by teachers, meditational deities, and protectors. At the time of its composition, practitioners would identify with a monk depicted in the lower right, who was probably the donor who commissioned the painting.
Kimberly Brown is a meditation teacher and author. She leads classes and retreats that emphasize the power of compassion and kindness meditation to reconnect us to ourselves and others. She studies in both the Tibetan and Insight schools of Buddhism and is a certified mindfulness instructor. Her latest book is Happy Relationships: 25 Buddhist Practices to Transform Your Connection with Your Partner, Family, and Friends. You can learn more about Kimberly at meditationwithheart.com.
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