Mindfulness Meditation Podcast - Mindfulness Meditation 12/14/2016 with Sharon Salzberg

Episode Date: January 4, 2017

Every Wednesday, the Rubin Museum of Art presents a meditation session led by a prominent meditation teacher from the New York area. This podcast is a recording of the weekly practice. If you would like to attend in person, please visit our website at RubinMuseum.org/meditation to learn more. Presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and the Interdependence Project. Sharon Salzberg led this meditation session on December 14, 2016. To view a related artwork for this week's session, please visit: http://bit.ly/2nNyCW8

Welcome to the Mindfulness Meditation Podcast. I'm your host, Dawn Eshelman. Every Wednesday at the Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea, we present a meditation session led by a prominent meditation teacher from the New York area. This podcast is a recording of our weekly practice. If you would like to join us in person, please visit our website at rubinmuseum.org slash meditation. We are proud to be partnering with Sharon Salzberg and the teachers from the Interdependence Project and the New York Insight Meditation Center. In the description for each episode, you will find information about the theme for that week's session, including an image of a related artwork chosen from the Rubin Museum's

permanent collection. And now, please enjoy your practice. It's a delight, as always, to have Sharon Salzberg in the house. And as you know, she is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barrie, Massachusetts. She's been studying and teaching for over 45 years, and she's the author of some fabulous books, many of which you can find upstairs in the shop. And that includes her most recent book, Real Happiness at Work. Please welcome Sharon Salzberg. Hello. It's so beautiful, isn't it, the art?

Yes. Every time I'm going to speak here, they kindly send me, like, three things to choose from, you know, in terms of the topic. So I get an explanation of how it might fit the topic, which is really useful. So I get to see it early on and make a choice, which is wonderful. And I just thought, this is like the most beautiful thing.

The colors are so warm. And here we are. So how great. And what a nice topic for such a cold season in so many ways. When I think about gratitude, of course, I think about many things. But oddly enough, one of the things I think about is distraction and how likely it is there would be so many things I would feel grateful for in my ordinary everyday life if I only were to notice them instead of being so distracted. The Buddha said something like, there are two very rare and precious kinds of

individuals in this world, one who is generous and one who is grateful. And yet I think in terms of generosity, one of the big hindrances or hurdles we have to get over is the idea that we don't have enough, we are not enough, what we offer could never be enough, and to rejoice in just the act of offering, even if it's not the vast amount of money that is going to solve some seemingly intractable problem,

or even if it's not the end of someone else's distress, it's being present with them, you know, it's smiling at them, it's acknowledging their worth, something like that, and to do the good that's in front of us, even if it doesn't seem so immense. You know, if we can get through that hurdle of misunderstanding

and recognize, just do it, just offer it. You know, just be present or just give what you can give reasonably. That's a beautiful contribution. It's a beautiful element of participation and the same thing with gratitude we don't necessarily feel grateful for the ordinary things

or the things that clearly we don't feel gratitude for the things we take for granted or we're somewhat complacent about. And I can remember, it's funny, it's not exactly this, but I'm reminded of this. I went to a conference once many years ago in San Francisco, and it was a magnificent conference and tremendous, you know, the Dalai Lama was there and, you know, all kinds of speakers were there and eminent, other Nobel laureates. And, you know, it was just this amazing gathering and every talk on the stage was intense and provocative and interesting. And yet,

provocative and interesting, and yet the real takeaway, the one thing I clearly remember from the conference was a conversation I accidentally overheard backstage. You know, I was walking through, and the writer, Alice Walker, was talking to a group of people, and I was just walking by, and I overheard her say something like, as I get older, the thing that matters to me more than anything is goodness. It's good heartedness. And I went off into the other room and all these years later, that's what I remember and treasure. And I think how many conversations do we kind of overhear

or we're not really a part of but we're witnessing we get to witness or something that's going on that's not the main event I mean I've met really really good friends

sitting next to them in some program I actually don't remember the program really good friends sitting next to them in some program. I actually don't remember the program as much as I think, hey, I have a friend now. So there's a lot that we may not notice because it's routine, it's ordinary, it's expected, or it's not what we expected, it's not what we're there for. We're distracted. And that's why it's such a tremendous discipline

and such a source of joy to make it a practice, to recollect. You know, if you have that kind of determination or dedication, like every night I'm going to write down three things I'm grateful for from the day, you'll start to notice more. You'll think, well, it's 5 o'clock. All I have so far is that I'm breathing. You know, like, what's good?

What's going on? And I find, you know, I really love New York City. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about the place we are at. I'm here as an adult, not full-time, but often here in my sublet apartment. Somebody asked me how long I was going to stay, and I said, as long as I have an apartment.

Somebody asked me how long I was going to stay, and I said, as long as I have an apartment. And sometimes people who know me from Barry, Massachusetts, which is rural, peaceful, tranquil, calm, pretty, full of trees, they run into me, like it's some program in New York, and they'll say to me, are you okay? Like, are you okay here in New York? And I say, it's a choice. Like, no one's making me be here.

I want to be here. And partly I realize that one of the things that delights me about New York City is these kind of overheard conversations or just encounters with a salesperson or bus driver or certainly taxi driver that are just these openings. And you go, wow, look at that. And I could have sat here like sullen. When you say my book, Real Happiness at Work,

my favorite story in there actually comes from a taxi driver where I was here in the city around this area trying to get midtown to hear the Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh give a lecture and I'd left getting a taxi a little late and this is before you know all those other options and so I was trying to get a taxi right at that time when the shift is changing, and it's so difficult. And as the taxis do, occasionally they stop, and the driver will open the window and say,

where are you going? And if your destination is close to where they need to drop off the cab before they go off from work. They'll take you as the last trip of the day. So that's what happened. I got in this guy's cab and we got stuck in the most immense, overwhelming, unthinkable, unbearable traffic. I'd never seen anything like it. And first I thought, forget Thich Nhat Hanh. I'm never going to make it. And then I felt really bad for the guy. I thought he was nice enough to pick me up,

and he was going to be incredibly late, no doubt, turning in the cab. And I don't know what happens when you're late turning in the cab. Do you get fined or do you get penalized in some way? So I said to him, I am so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I've never seen traffic like this. This is unbelievable.

You were so nice to pick me up. I know you're going to be late. I'm so, so sorry. At first he said to me, Madam, traffic is not your fault. And then he said, nor is it mine. And I thought, wow, I don't have to see Thich Nhat Hanh. You know? I just had an enlightened cab driver.

Like, wow. I mean, especially that second one, like, nor is it mine. Because I thought, how many times a day is he likely blamed for something that's not his fault? You know, a bridge is closed, there's terrible traffic, there's some crazy driver on the road. And to have that kind of self-possession, like, nor is it mine.

So it was like, wow. And then he got me there with like zero seconds to spare. I don't know if you've ever, when Thich Nhat Hanh was still touring and stuff, if you ever saw him, he was incredibly dignified, walking on the stage, and I was running to my seat, all flustered. But it actually hardly mattered, because there it was. That was the precious jewel of the day.

Right? Nor is it mine. So let's pay attention to what we have, what is kind of the bounty. You know, we're wired, evolutionary psychologists say, to see threat, to see danger. And there's actually a lot of that. Genuinely so. It's not all imagination. But it's not all there is.

You know, we live in a world where there are these Jew-like wisdom holders and where people are actually looking out for one another and kind of helping each other and taking care of each other as well. And so let's spend some time really consciously. Sometimes people don't like practices like that. It feels forced or phony or coerced, but it doesn't have to be. It's really like, let's have an adventure.

I'm the kind of person who comes to the end of the day, and all I think about is what I can complain about. Let's see what happens. When I think, what are three things I can also be grateful for? You can do the complaints, too, if you want. But they'll come more automatically. Spend some time intentionally saying, what's it like to also notice the gifts that are genuinely mine in this life. OK, so let's sit together.

See if your back can be straight without being strained or overarched, and just relax. You can start, if you like, by listening to sound, whether it's the sounds of my voice or other sounds. Just let the sounds come and go and wash through you. Now, that same open, relaxed awareness, bring your attention to the feeling of your breath, the actual sensations of your in and out breath, just the normal, natural breath, however it's appearing, however it's changing, wherever you feel it most distinctly, nostrils, chest, or abdomen.

You can find that place. Bring your attention there and rest. See if you can feel one breath. Thank you. If you like, you can use a quiet mental notation like in, out, or rising, falling, to help support the awareness of the breath, but very quiet. So your attention is really going to feeling the breath, one breath at a time. Oh. Thank you.. If you find your attention's wandered, you've been lost in thought, spun out in a fantasy, you've fallen asleep, don't worry about it. Once you realize that's happened, see if you can gently let go

and just bring your attention back to the feeling of the breath. Gå in. Thank you. Thank you for watching! Gå in. Thank you for watching! Gå in. Thank you for watching! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53,. Mm. Gå in. Thank you for watching. Gå ut. Takk for ating mediet. Thank you. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 52, 53, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 51, 52, 53, 59, 52, 53, 59, 52, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, Gå inn på min kanal. Thank you. Gå in. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 52, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, 53, Gå ut.. Thank you. Thank you. See you next year. Amen. year. That concludes this week's practice. If you'd like to attend in person please check out our website rubinmuseum.org meditation to learn more. Sessions are free to Rubin Museum members, just one of the many benefits of membership. Thank you for listening. Have a mindful day. you