Mindfulness Meditation Podcast - Mindfulness Meditation with Do Tulku Rinpoche 09/12/2024

Episode Date: September 20, 2024

The Rubin Museum presents a weekly meditation for beginners and skilled meditators alike. Each episode is inspired by a different work of art from the Museum’s collection and is led by a prominent meditation teacher.The episode begins with an opening talk followed by a 20-minute meditation. In this episode, the guided meditation begins at 13:48. Teacher: Do Tulku RinpocheTheme: TransformationArtwork: Buddha Shakyamuni; Bhutan; 19th century; silk textile appliqué with embroidery; Rubin Museum of Art; C2006.30.1 (HAR 65652)This program is presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and teachers from the New York Insight Meditation Center, the Interdependence Project, and Parabola Magazine and supported by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.Learn more about the Rubin Museum’s work around the world at rubinmuseum.org.

Welcome to the Mindfulness Meditation Podcast presented by the Rubin Museum of Art. We are a museum in Chelsea, New York City that connects visitors to the art and ideas of the Himalayas and serves as a space for reflection and personal transformation. I'm your host, Tashi Chodron. Every Thursday, we present a meditation session inspired by a different artwork from the Rubin Museum's collection and led by a prominent meditation teacher from the New York area. This podcast is a recording of our weekly in-person practice. In the description for each episode, you will find information about the theme for that week's session, including an image of the

related artwork. Our mindfulness meditation Podcast is presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and teachers from the New York Inside Meditation Center, the Interdependence Project, and Parabola Magazine, and supported by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism. And now, please enjoy your practice. Hello, everybody. Good afternoon and Tashi Delek. Welcome to Mindfulness Meditation at the Rubin Museum of Art. I am Tashi Chodron, Himalayan Programs and Communities Ambassador,

and I'm delighted to be your host today. So wonderful to see so many of you here, many familiar faces and many new faces. so many of you here, many familiar faces and many new faces. I just wanted to share how wonderful it was to invite all the Himalayan Heritage partners last Friday where we celebrated the Himalayan Heritage Gratitude Night reception with so many of our partners from many years. And it was so wonderful to come together with so many to celebrate the closing of this space, the 17th Street Gallery, which will be on the 6th of October.

And I was sharing to our audience that we are disseminating and we are going global. So I'm excited that the essence of the Rubin Museum collection will be actually shared to much wider world and I'm looking forward to that. So those of you who are new today, we are a global hub for Himalayan art with a home base in New York City, and we are so glad to have all of you join us for this weekly program where we combine art and meditation. Inspired by our collection, we will first take a look at work of art. We will then hear a brief talk from our teacher, Dho Tuku Rinpoche.

So thrilled to have Rinpoche back. And then we will have a short sit, 15 to 20 minutes for the meditation guided by Rinpoche. We will then take just a few questions and then if you have time, you may join us in the galleries to take a deeper look at the art we've chosen today. If you miss any of our mindfulness sessions or would like to hear our teachers again, you can find the recordings of all our sessions on rubinmuseum.org slash meditation dash pod or listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Now let's take a look at today's theme and artwork. This month we are exploring on the theme of realization and transformation,

the self-transformation, and the artwork that is hand-picked by Rumbuche amongst a selection of few others is this beautiful thangka, a very special thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni, special thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni, origin Bhutan. It's dated about 1800 to 1899, that is 19th century, and silk textile applique with embroidery about 58 into 32, 7 eighths into one inches, and a beautiful thangka painting, Mineral Pigment on Cloth. The artwork, Buddha Shakyamuni, is known in Tibetan as Sange Shachatthupa. And the connection to the theme is Buddha Shakyamuni's life story serves as an inspiration for practitioners to find their own path of self-transformation and that is transforming from afflictive emotions into wisdom.

This exquisite thangka is made of silk. It is ornately embroidered. It was created in Bhutan in the 19th century. The central figure is Shakyamuni Buddha, often referred to as the historical Buddha. To his right is Shariputra and to his left is Moggallana. The Shakyamuni Buddha is sitting in full lotus position with left hand in open meditation gesture and the right hand palm facing the knees, fingers touching the earth, this special gesture

called mudra is commonly associated with Shakyamuni Buddha, known as earth-touching gesture. And the symbolic meaning behind this gesture is when he reached awakening under the Bodhi tree in India, in Bodh Gaya, he calls the earth to bear witness of his enlightenment. Now let's bring on our teacher for today. Our teacher is Do Tukur Rinpoche. Do Tukur Rinpoche is the resident lama and spiritual guide of Arya Tara's Net, an online community and center for Buddhist studies and practice in Windeck, Germany. Dottukur Rinpoche was recognized by His Holiness Sakya Trichan

at the age of 17 as the reincarnation of the fifth Raktur Rinpoche. His incarnation line goes back to the first Ratu Rumpuche 17th century, a master of the Dotheng Monastery in eastern Tibet. After his recognition, he received an 11-year training in Buddhist philosophy, practice and debate at the Dzongsa Chense Chokyelodru Institute in India, from which he graduated with the title of an Acharya Lopin, which is equal to PhD, doctorate. Since then, Rambuche has been teaching and guiding retreats in India, Nepal, Europe, and South America. He has received teachings, transmissions, and initiations from some of the greatest masters of our time, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness Sakyatrinzen, Khenchen Kunga Wangchuk, Zongsa Jamyang Chhensir Rinpoche, Dakchen Rinpoche, Luding Khenchen Rinpoche and many more.

He lives in Germany where he teaches regularly. Rinpoche will also be teaching at Tibet House right around the corner from the Rubin tomorrow and this coming Monday. Rinpoche, thank you so much for being here. Please help me in welcoming Dh Tukurumbuche. Yeah, Tashdele, so nice to see some familiar faces. And yeah, we're really happy to be here at the Rubin Museum, a place that is a house to so many blessed, precious thangkas and statues and stupas. So, before we begin,

as all of my teachers always stress, motivation being the supreme. No matter what we do, however small, however brief or great, the outcome depends entirely on motivation. As the Fifth Dalai Lama has said in his commentary of Lamrim, as a speaker,

the sole motivation should be to bring some sort of benefit. That's all I can hope for today. Well, it's about half an hour talk and meditation. We cannot really do that much, but I'm really happy that this is an ongoing program. And so I'm confident that you must have heard so many profound teachings already related to this topic. I really like this thangka, and I'm so thankful that the choices were given in this way that there is a Siddhartha Gautama image to choose.

I would like to request you to please try and sit straight and bring to your mind in front of you Siddhartha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha, an one who opened the door of liberation to countless of beings with gratitude and thankfulness, regardless of whether you are a follower or not, or Buddhist or not, the very reason you are here shows there is some understanding of who this person was. And so bring to your mind, please, those experiences. And the visualization is what you see on the screen. Siddhartha Gautama seated under the Bodhi tree with one hand touching the ground and the left hand in meditation posture. And the time when he gained full awakening was that of a dawn. One fateful evening he sat under the Bodhi tree after having searched for many lives, many years. Finally he sat under the tree with the resolve that no matter what happens, either I gain full awakening or I disintegrate on this spot. And with that resolve, he sat. And that evening, Siddhartha is said to have tamed the Mara,

basically apparitions appearing from his own afflictions. And at midnight, he entered into the most profound of meditation, concentration. And just as the light of dawn spread through the forest of Gaia, wisdom awakened in his mind. And so this is a very precious symbol, this mudra, the way he is seated. In one of the sutras, Buddha Anusmriti Samadhisagar, Siddhartha says, sons and daughters of noble family in the future who will contemplate in this way,

at that moment, in that time, their mind and my wisdom becomes one. So it's quite, not a mere symbol, but his appearance, everything about the Buddha was for the benefit of beings. Even a word he would speak or even when Buddha would smile was for the benefit of beings. Monks would ask him, why did the enlightened one smile? So obviously this appearance of Siddhartha Gautama was for the benefit of beings, beings of our time. Please, I would like you to have that visualization and just look at the Buddha or even have a doubt. How did he actually look like?

How did he sound when he spoke? How did his voice sound? And so on. All that becomes meditation. Please. Thank you. Thank you. The theme is transformation. The theme is transformation.

Transformation. Transformation of ourselves, oneself. I like that. Transformation of oneself. It is good to know. What are we transforming into what? What do you mean by oneself? We are nothing more than our body and mind. When we think of ourselves in an abstract manner,

I will go there, I will do this, I am a doctor, I am a German or American or what not, you know. We go further and further and further away from what we truly are, who we truly are. The teaching of Buddha, the way Siddhartha taught, was not to reveal something that was not known before, or to create a new complex philosophy or a path. The way Buddha has taught, always, was to point out the reality whatever that is happening so you might find that even though you're not Buddhist we just look and read into his life or his teaching you will understand actually almost all of it it's simple reality. So here, body and mind, this is our reality. Removed of all other labels. At the end of the day, that's what we are.

And I think everything, our habits, you know, all the distractions and social media, everything in this world, the politics, it's just, it's designed to take us further and further and further from this simple fact, the awareness of ourselves, most importantly, our mind. That's the nucleus of us, the mind. The only thing actually that we can really know for sure is this mind. Everything else is inferential. The most important thing is this mind. Siddhartha Gautama realized that, saw that. And so,

he said, tame your mind. This is the teaching of the Buddha. Initially, the monks, they had no rules. They became monks and practiced. And all Buddha said was this one stanza, basically. Do not accumulate negative karma, always do good, tame your mind. This is the teaching of Buddha.

That is the core teaching. That is the transformation. Or what we are trying to transform is this mind. The most powerful thing, the most precious thing, which is totally unguarded. From the moment we wake up, I'm sure you guys are very well behaved and good people. Me, I wake up and I look at the phone, what message I have?

Who commented what? what. Till the time I go to bed at a very unhealthy hour, it's all distraction, not a moment spent on just being with myself, just quiet, not a moment spent. and yeah, what we seek, what anyone, regardless of names, age, gender, whatever, is contentment, joy, happiness, security, courage, to be brave. And we look for these qualities. We hope that we will gain these qualities from all kinds of sources, all kinds of external sources, which never last, which is temporary. And so it's just a never-ending search. Whereas the teaching of the Buddha is that

all of those is possible if you just stop and be with yourself. Watch yourself breathing. Watch your heart beating. Just watch that. Well, there are

so many methods of mindfulness or satipatthana chimpanyarjao. So many methods to meditate, basically, to return to our core. The one that I would like to use is Anapanasati. And also that, if you read, I brought this book just to show it to you. It's commentary to Vishuddhi Magga,

Path of Purification. It's called Knowing and Seeing. So wonderful. There, there, this is so precious, you know. The most important things spoken in such simple words. This is what the Buddha said. Big who's means monks.

Here in this teaching, a big who, having gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree or to an empty place, sits down cross-legged and keeps his body erect and establishes mindfulness on the meditation object. Ever mindfully he breathes in and ever mindfully he breathes out. in and ever mindfully he breathes out. So, there are now four steps. First one is breathing in

a long breath. Is it breath? He knows I am breathing in a long breath. Or breathing out a long breath. He knows I am breathing out a long breath he knows I'm breathing out a long breath just that and you decide what is long breath or not anytime second breathing in a short breath he knows I am breathing in a short breath or

breathing out a short short breath he knows I am breathing out a short breath. He knows, I am breathing out a short breath. Third, experiencing the whole breath body, I will breathe in. This is what the bhikkhu thinks. Thus he trains himself. And experiencing the whole breath body, I will breathe out. Thus he trains himself.

That means when you are breathing in now, there is a beginning of inhalationation in the middle and an end. That is the body of the breath, inhalation. And then we exhale again, you begin to exhale while you are happening and then end. So simple. Fourth, calming the breath body, I will breathe in, thus he trains himself. And calming the breath body, I will breathe out, thus he trains himself. This one is a bit difficult. So these are the steps. A teacher of mine taught me like a shortcut, maybe due to the time today, that's the best here, is to try and sit straight. Sitting straight is important though.

It does something to your mind, sitting straight. mind sitting straight. Meditation should be not like a chore, but like a celebration, something exciting. You're changing yourself. What can be more adventurous than that? And it's nice to have a clean space, not a clutter. If you want like a Buddha's

picture, a painting, something that reminds you, these kind of things these days. Now, when you hear this, people always think of like a temple, meditation. This is all good, why not? Have this, all of this, whatever you need that makes you feel like it helps. And then you try and sit straight. Close your eyes if sights are distracting. Close your window and make it quiet if sounds distract you. And then you sit and you breathe. When you breathe in, knowing that you're breathing in,

watch the sensation of the air passing through your nostril. And then you breathe out, again the air passing through your nostril going out inhalation exhalation that is the sum total of what we truly are just exhaling and inhaling and let's do that. Please sit straight to your best ability. You are here to meditate. Your physical structure should be such that it doesn't become a burden. So do not... Sitting straight is the best position in which way the body is least distracting.

in which way the body is least distracting. And then please breathe in, breathe out. Watch that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. When you notice a lot of thoughts, distractions arising, please know that that is a good sign. That means you are meditating. Because they have always been there. For the first time, we are being aware of it.

first time we're being aware of it. So you may have noticed when you're breathing in, sensation is that of cooling. Air outside is usually cooler than your body and so when you breathe in your whole nostril becomes cool just watch that know that that's happening then you breathe out your entire nostril become warm just know that what can be simpler this yet it holds the key to sanity to please let's do that one more just quickly just watch the warmth and the cold the warmth and the cold. Thank you. Thank you so much, Rinpoche, for leading us to how to transform the afflictive emotion into wisdom. That concludes this week's practice.

To support the Rubin and this meditation series, we invite you to become a member at rubinmuseum.org membership. And to stay up to date with the Rubin Museum's virtual and in-person offerings, sign up for a monthly newsletter at rubinmuseum.org slash enews. I am Tashi Chodron. Thank you so much for listening. Have a mindful day.