In this episode, Dawnette Samuels explores an intricate, striking image of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, also known as Lokeshvara. Then the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi leads a meditation to inspire loving-kindness in ourselves and others, reminding us that despite distance we are all connected.
Eleven-headed, Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara; Central Tibet; early 20th century (before 1935); Pigments on cloth; 54 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. (139.1 x 95.9 cm); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.1.6
Three Mahasiddhas, Kamala, Suvarnadvipa, Viraya; Tibet; ca. 17th century; Pigments on cloth; 61 7/8 × 32 3/8 × 1/2 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2004.14.2
Red Avalokiteshvara, also known as Bunga Dya, and Macchendranath; Nepal; Dated by inscription 1842; Pigments on cloth; 30 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (estimated); Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.45
Kashmira; Kashmir, India; 10th century; Copper alloy with inlays of silver; 8 3/4 × 5 × 2 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.5
Phakmo Drupa Dorje Gyelpo (1110-1170) with His Previous Incarnations and Episodes from His Life; Central Tibet; ca. 1270; Pigments on cloth; 26 × 14 3/4 × 1/4 in.; Rubin Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.38
The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi is an innovative thinker, philosopher, educator, and polymath monk. He is president and CEO of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a center dedicated to inquiry, dialogue, and education on the ethical and humane dimensions of life. The Center is a collaborative and nonpartisan think tank, and its programs emphasize responsibility and examine meaningfulness and moral purpose between individuals, organizations, and societies. Six Nobel Peace Laureates serve as the Center’s founding members, and its programs run in several countries and are expanding. Venerable Tenzin entered a Buddhist monastery at the age of ten and received his graduate education at Harvard University with degrees ranging from philosophy to physics to international relations. He is a Tribeca Disruptive Fellow and a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.
The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi’s memoir, Running Toward Mystery: The Adventure of an Unconventional Life, was recently released and tells the beautiful story of a singular life compelled to contemplation, sharing lessons about the power of mentorship and an open mind.
Dawnette Samuels was formerly the manager of Visitor Experience and Interpretation at the Rubin Museum.
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