Mindfulness Meditation · Loving Future
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Loving Future. The guided meditation begins at 13:06.
Stupa; Tibet; 13th century; Copper alloy; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.635
Stupas are sacred sites associated with buddhas and esteemed Buddhist leaders. The practice of circumambulating a stupa is a sign of respect and admiration for a teacher. It imbues the practitioner with the qualities of the teacher and increases merit, paving the way for a loving future.
Stupas are steeped with meaning in Buddhism. They arose from traditional funerary mounds and contain the sacred remains of revered Buddhist figures or treasured objects related to their lives. Stupas range in size with some being monumental in scale.
Many Buddhist practitioners circumambulate a stupa daily while reciting mantras. This practice of circling the stupa in a clockwise direction is associated with the accumulation of merit. It cultivates the mind, so that one is more receptive to the teachings. It is also an expression of devotion.
It is taught that the shape of a stupa echoes the ushnisha on the crown of the Buddha’s head. Stupas are viewed as a physical representation of the enlightened mind of a buddha and are symbolic of the path to enlightenment and of enlightenment itself.
Tracy Cochran has taught meditation and spiritual practice for many years. She is a speaker and author whose most recent book, Presence: The Art of Being At Home in Yourself, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2024. Tracy is the founder and leading teacher of the Hudson River Sangha and has taught mindfulness and mindful writing at New York Insight, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, and many other venues. In addition to serving as the editorial director of the acclaimed spiritual quarterly Parabola, her writings have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Best Spiritual Writing series, Parabola, and many other publications and anthologies. For more about Tracy, please visit tracycochran.org.
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