Mindfulness Meditation · Fierce Compassion
This week’s meditation session is led by Michel Pascal and the theme is Fierce Compassion. The guided meditation begins at 25:43.
Shezad Dawood; Wrathful Activity, Fierce Energy; 2018; Neon on black painted board; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; SC2020.1.1
This contemporary artwork features wrathful deities, whose purpose is to protect practitioners from negative forces and destroy obstacles on the path to enlightenment. They wield fierce compassion in order to propel us forward.
Buzzing with energy, this abstracted fierce figure is a contemporary twist on depictions of Buddhist deities who help practitioners transcend obstacles. Artist Shezad Dawood (b. 1974) blends cultural heritage with references to popular visual culture and materials—like the neon of this sculpture—to reexamine how we tell and perceive history.
Skull crowns often adorn the heads of wrathful deities. In this sculpture, there are six small skulls and enveloping flames above the central figure’s elongated face. The glowing neon gives the sculpture a playful quality, and reveals the goodwill beneath the figure’s tough exterior.
Michel Pascal, a meditation teacher for 25 years, has led successful programs for prisoners, which help prevent suicides and reduce reoffending. He’s written 20 books on spirituality, including Meditation for Daily Stress: 10 Practices for Immediate Well-Being. Known as “The Medicine Voice,” he’s performed at Carnegie Hall and played at the Peace Day Concert in Times Square in September 2023. In December 2023 he presented his methods at the United Nations.
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