Mindfulness Meditation · Rebirth
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is: Rebirth. The guided meditation begins at 14:55.
Padmasambhava, his eight manifestations, and scenes from his life; Gangteng Monastery, Bhutan; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; SC2012.4.13
This remarkable thangka—Tibetan scroll painting—depicts Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava is one of the most revered figures within Tibetan Buddhism and is honored for bringing Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century.
According to the Kama Tradition, Padmasambhava was born in Northern India as the son of a king or minister. In the Terma Tradition, he is a lotus-born emanation of the Buddha Amitabha.
Padmasambhava’s eight forms represent the outer, inner, and sacred aspects of Tantric teachings. This painting is in the Treasure (Terma) Tradition of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. It includes Padmasmabhava’s eight forms and eight narrative vignettes with scenes from his life.
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 and parabola.org.
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