About the Meditation

Meditation session led by Lama Aria Drolma.

The guided meditation begins at 12:03.

For centuries Himalayan practitioners have used meditation to quiet the mind, open the heart, calm the nervous system, and increase focus. Now Western scientists, business leaders, and the secular world have embraced meditation as a vital tool for brain health.

Whether you’re a beginner, a dabbler, or a skilled meditator seeking the company of others, join expert teachers in a forty-five-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session will be inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection and will include an opening talk, a twenty-minute meditation session, and a closing discussion.

Presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and the Interdependence Project and Parabola Magazine.


RELATED ARTWORK

Buddha Shakyamuni; Tibet; 13th century; gilt copper alloy with pigment; Rubin Museum of Art; C2005.16.31 (HAR 65454)
Buddha Shakyamuni; Tibet; 13th century; gilt copper alloy with pigment; Rubin Museum of Art; C2005.16.31 (HAR 65454)

Theme: Unity

This sculpture depicts the Buddha Shakyamuni, a historical figure who lived on earth and died, as all humans do. In the Buddhist religion, it is believed that his Manifestation Body (nirmanakaya) is a physical body that took birth in response to the needs of living beings. As a result of the Buddha’s compassion, he appeared in a human form that was perceptible to ordinary beings in order to teach them.

The stories about the life of the Buddha are among the most popular stories told in Buddhism. In this sculpture he is depicted in an earth touching gesture, connecting the artwork to the story of the Buddha attaining enlightenment while sitting under the Bodhi tree. As we reflect on this story, we might also consider what makes the Buddha’s story so powerful and meaningful in our daily lives.


About the Speaker

Lama Aria Drolma

Lama Aria Drolma is an ordained Buddhist teacher in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism who has completed over a decade of monastic study and meditation training. She is a graduate of the traditional Tibetan Buddhist retreat program spanning three years and three months, an advanced cloistered meditation training program at Palpung Thubten Choling Monastery, New York.

Lama Aria Drolma teaches worldwide, leading retreats, workshops, and corporate meditation programs and is a popular guest speaker at universities and organizations. She emphasizes Vajrayana Buddhism and Buddhist principles, making them relevant in our everyday lives, helping us to cultivate loving kindness and compassion, and bringing about a transformation of contentment and a genuine sense of well-being.

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