Mindfulness Meditation · Change
This week’s meditation session is led by Lopon Rigzen Lossal and the theme is Change. The guided meditation begins at 21:23.
Skull cup with Base; Tibet; 18th - 20th century; Bone, silver, turquoise, coral, brass alloy; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2011.13.11a-b
The skull signifies the empty nature of all things, including the self. Revered figures such as Padmasambhava or Milarepa are often portrayed holding this tantric ritual object. The skull is often paired with a flaying knife in images of tantric deities such as Vajrayogini. Both implements are meant to focus the practitioner’s mind and the underlying goal is to remove any false notions of the ego.
This skull cup features an intricate design including delicate leaves, animals, and a motif of skulls interspersed with semiprecious stones. The skull cup embodies the impermanence of this world and the inevitability of change. When practitioners grasp the illusory nature of reality, they are open to receive wisdom.
Born and raised in Leh, Ladakh, Lopon Rigzen Lossal began his education at the Moravian Mission School before joining Namdroling Monastery in South India in 2005. In Namdroling, he went to Yeshe Wodsal Sherab Raldriling Junior High School and trained in Tibetan language, rituals, and foundational Buddhist studies. He later studied Buddhist debate at Sera Jey Monastic University and earned his Higher Secondary, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in Buddhist philosophy at the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute (2012–2021).
As a translator with the Padma Mani Translation Committee, he has contributed to major works and served as an editor for Tibetan and English publications with the Ngagyur Rigzod Editorial Committee. Since 2022 he has offered Dharma teachings online to Western students. He serves as an interpreter at the annual Palyul Retreat in Upstate New York. A dedicated practitioner, he has completed multiple retreats under eminent teachers and continues to make Buddhist teachings accessible through translation, teaching, and contemplative guidance.
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