Mindfulness Meditation · Refuge
This week’s meditation session is led by Lama Aria Drolma and the theme is Refuge. The guided meditation begins at 16:10.
Model of the Mahabodhi Temple; Eastern India, probably Bodhgaya; ca. 11th century; Stone (Serpentinite); Purchased with funds from Ann and Matt Nimetz and Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2019.2.2
This model of the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment helps us envision ourselves in this sacred place in our minds’ eye. It is one of many sacred souvenirs that were produced to commemorate pilgrimage to Bodhgaya, India. The Mahabodhi Temple marks the place where Prince Siddhartha Gautama sat in unwavering contemplation under the bodhi tree until he became the Buddha, meaning the Awakened One.
Material mementos of sacred places have always been an important element of Buddhist practice. It is important to note that this model is not a literal replica of the temple’s structure. The miniature replica includes the bodhi tree within the building itself and also depicts scenes of the Buddha’s life. One of the most commonly featured scenes in models such as this one is the birth of the Buddha. The eastern façade of the temple, pictured here, portrays his passing away (parinirvana), at Kushinagara.
Characteristic features of these models include: the stupa atop the central tower, which signifies that it is a Buddhist temple; the directional buddhas inhabiting the four corner towers; and images of buddhas and bodhisattvas in registers all around the structure.
To this day, representing or recreating sacred sites remains an active practice in Buddhist cultures, underscoring the accumulation of merit through pilgrimage.
Lama Aria Drolma is an ordained Buddhist teacher in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, who has completed over a decade of monastic study and meditation training. She is a graduate of the traditional Tibetan Buddhist retreat program spanning three years and three months, an advanced cloistered meditation training program at Palpung Thubten Choling Monastery, New York.
Lama Aria teaches worldwide, leading retreats, workshops, and corporate meditation programs and is a popular guest speaker at universities and organizations. She emphasizes Vajrayana Buddhism and Buddhist principles, making them relevant in our everyday lives, helping us to cultivate loving kindness and compassion, and bringing about a transformation of contentment and a genuine sense of well-being.
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