Theme: Equanimity
Throughout Himalayan art, people often encounter not only majestic peaceful deities but also demonic looking wrathful deities as well. In fact each peaceful deity has a wrathful opposite. Though they look evil in nature, they are actually meant to scare away anything that could possibly harm you. Dynamic in their posture doing what is essentially a Warriors Pose, they also represent the innate power within us all to harness negative emotions and use them to produce a state of equanimity. Lastly many Wrathful Deities can be seen trampling on figures representing an active destruction of the Ego.
Image credit: The Great Black One, Lord of the Pavilion, Mahakala Panjarnata (detail), Tibet; 18th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art, C2001.1.4 (HAR 65004)
Mindfulness Meditation Series
Himalayan practitioners have, for centuries, used meditation to quiet the mind, open the heart, calm the nervous system, and increase one’s ability to focus. Now, western scientists, business leaders, and the secular world have embraced meditation as a vital tool for brain health. Learn more
Presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and the New York Insight Meditation Center.
About the Teacher
“Each of us has a genuine capacity for love, forgiveness, wisdom and compassion. Meditation awakens these qualities so that we can discover for ourselves the unique happiness that is our birthright.
— Sharon Salzberg
Sharon Salzberg is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts. She has been a student of meditation since 1971, guiding meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Sharon’s latest book is Real Happiness At Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace, published by Workman Publishing. She is a weekly columnist for On Being, a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and is also the author of several other books including the New York Times Best Seller, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program (2010), Love Your Enemies (2013), Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience (2002), and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (1995). For more information please visit: www.SharonSalzberg.com.