This week’s meditation session is led by Michel Pascal and the theme is Refuge. The guided meditation begins at ​​22:55​​​.

This exquisitely detailed painting of Drepung Monastery features a high vantage point. This is a characteristic feature of many map-like images of sacred Buddhist places. It enables the viewer to behold the revered site from above, immersing them within the landscape.

Drepung Monastery is one of the three most prominent monasteries of the ​​​​Gelu​k​ tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It is massive in scale and was once​ ​the largest monastery in the entire world. It is located at the foot of Mount Gephel in the vicinity of Lhasa, Tibet. The artist conveyed the idyllic setting of the monastery by painting rolling hills, cloud-topped mountains, and stylized rocks.

By looking at the map we can envision walking through this sacred complex, which once housed as many as eight thousand monks. Pilgrims traverse the hills and the monastery’s paths while monks engage in philosophical debates in courtyards. These elements evoke the vitality of Drepung. The site of this sacred complex calls us to awaken to our true selves.