Mindfulness Meditation Podcast - Mindfulness Meditation with Dr. Chok Tenzin Monlam 11/13/2025

Episode Date: November 21, 2025

The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art 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 09:23.Teacher: Dr. Chok Tenzin Monlam Theme: Generosity Buddha Ratnasambhava with Wealth Deities; Tibet; early to mid-14th century; mineral pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.39Learn more about the Rubin’s work around the world at rubinmuseum.org.

Welcome to the Mindfulness Meditation podcast presented by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, a global museum dedicated to bringing greater awareness and understanding of Himalayan art to people around the world. I'm your host, Tashi Children. Every Thursday, we offer a meditation session at New York Inside Meditation Center that draws inspiration from an artwork from the Rubin's collection. and is led by a prominent meditation teacher. This podcast is a recording of our weekly in-person practice. The description of each episode includes information about the theme for that week's session and 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 Delak, welcome. Welcome to the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Arts Mindfulness Meditation Program

here at this beautiful space at New York Insight Meditation Center. I'm Tashi Chudun, Himalayan Programs and Communities Ambassador, and I'm delighted to be a host today. So the Rubin is a global museum dedicated to Himalayan art and its insights, and we're 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 deep look at the work of art that is chosen by our guest teacher today amongst a selection of few other objects. And then we will have a short set about 15 to 20 minutes for the meditation guided by our teacher, Dr. Chok Tenzin-Murlam. So let's take a look at today's theme and artwork.

Our theme for this month is generosity. And the art for today's session is this beautiful thanka of Buddha Ratna's Rava. In Tibetan, he's known as Rinchen Yunnanet or Rinchen Jung. then, along with the wealth deities that you can see on the bottom. This is origin from Tibet, dated early to mid-14th century, and it's a mineral pigments on cloth, 32 into 26 inches, and it's called Tanka, a scroll painting. Of course, you don't see the traditional silk border, you just see only the painting. the theme for the month of November as generosity.

Ratna Sambava embodies the spirit of giving, his right hand in the supreme generosity or giving mudra, palm facing up fingers pointing towards the earth. When we transcend ego-centered giving it, leads to the wisdom of equanimity. And Ratna Sambava is one of the five Buddha family, of the five Buddha family, and one of the Buddha known as the Diani Buddhas, which is a meditation Buddha,

and each Buddha amongst the five Buddha is associated with a cardinal direction. You can discover more about them through the Rubin Museum's Mandala Lab, which you can go on the Rubin's website. It's one of our favorite exhibition that was born around the COVID, and it's transforming your afflictive emotions into wisdom. And who doesn't want that, right? There is so much more information you can get on the website as well. And he's associated with overcoming pride and developing equanimity.

His identifying characteristics include his yellow color and his horse vehicle, which is shown peaking out from either side of his lotus throne. Now, this thanka dating from the early to mid-14th century is an example of an early Tibetan painting works from this time period are hierarchical in nature. Since Ratna Sambava is the subject of this painting, he is centered. And then below him are the wealth deities known as Zambala. So with that, I'd like to bring you our teacher for today. our teacher is meditation master, Dr. Chok Tenzin Milam.

He has dedicated his career to the continuance of Tibetan Buddhist culture and language in modern society, ordained by His Holiness Dalai Lama. He studied and practiced as a Tibetan monk for 10 years, having advanced his studies through institutions for two decades. Dr. Chok has obtained multiple degrees in Buddhist and Tibetan studies, including his PhD from the University of Delhi. He has taught all over the world and including here in New York and other institutions as well. And he's authored many books.

You can find all of this information on our Rubin Museum and New York Insights guest teachers website as well. So please help me in welcoming Dr. Chok Tenzin-Mellam. Kanghitozheny, you know, the other than the people, the other people, you know, and then Zahveh,

I'ma, you've been there, and then so, so, the, you know,

and then, so, and so, and so, and so, So, touch it's the leg, looks very serious everyone. Say, touch it the leg. So I just came without any preparation, and I don't know what you want to know. I don't know what you want to know, but we'll start with Radna Sambawa.

I think it's talked about south. You remember that, right, south direction, and then yellow color, right? But the way is south, you know, that's a big question. And also what is yellow, right? Looks interesting, but when we come into practice, especially Tanasambawa, if you receive highest tandra, then we have 19 samayas that you have to keep every day. So, Rinjong is related with four samayas. It's all related with the giving.

So I just wrote down, but it's part of my Samaya everyday practice. So in English it's the, you know, jimbai shi, we call the four givings, four types of givings. So it's a sang-sing-che-mejik, chamba. So something is material giving, any kinds of material stuff. And two is giving Dharma. And three is protection, giving protection from fear, anxiety, etc. And the last one is chamba, which is giving love, loving kindness, and compassion, all this. So that's a samaya that I keep.

Then it also says color, you know, and the direction. But in terms of the body, actually, because it's yellow, so it's a naval chapter, right, and it's Earth, so therefore, it's a color is yellow. So we must keep this. And then inside this, we have very important energy called fire, like you. energy okay so so sometimes you know it's it's actually very much related with digestion and metabolism you know so because we eat you know so many you know bad stuff but we need this inner heat now my name the fire like energy and it abides in the chapter okay so with this now we will learn how to practice meditation so i don't know what kind of

meditation you like so i'm thinking maybe we will try we have 50 minutes right we'll try something like tonglen or we can do a little bit on analytical meditation okay so which one you like? Both. So which one first? Analytical or maybe at the end we will just do guided meditation. Okay. So anyway, 15 minutes is too short. Even one hour is too short, but we'll try. So meditation or mindfulness, whatever you call it, but it's training our mind. That's important, okay? When we meditate, any type of meditation, you should train your mind so that you physically, verbally, and energetically, you should become better and better and better human being. That's the goal. Okay? Good. Make sense? So that

means we should reduce our negative emotions every day lesser lesser that's the main practice the main result of practicing meditation that should be otherwise you know just just 15 minutes calm you know it maybe it's good but actually not good for you you know it's just deceiving yourself so you should actually learn you know whatever practice you but it should improve yourself. Here you call a personal development or something, right? So you should develop every day. Okay. So you practice every day, every day, and then when you grow older and older, you become wiser and wiser, more calm, like that. That's the goal. We're not talking about Ratna Sambawa and all this stuff, you know, that's a serious matter. Okay. So first,

and a little bit meditation. There's so many topic but we must find who am I. That's very, very important. So just close your eyes and find.

You can use your name and I'll say chalk is my body me because that's what we can always see also feel if my body is me what about the head is it me or is it my right hand left hand or left leg or the torso that's pretty easy that you know my body is not me if you analyze four limbs two legs and arms are not me it's very much easy because there's so many people without you know these four limbs so if it's head what about the face it's not me eyes not me ears nose mouth tip even the skull and the brain everything is not me so basically

every particle in my body is not me at all Each atom is not me. That's pretty easy, you know. But if this body is not me, why I'm taking care of this body so much? Why am I giving breakfast, lunch, dinner? Why I'm giving all this, you know, things to wear, the best house? house why giving that if it's not me have we deceiving ourselves so like this you analyze every day maybe right now you may not feel anything or maybe you have some

kind of fear doesn't matter if body is not me what about my mind So again, what is mind? It's not the brain. Let's say my eye consciousness is not me, ear, nose, tongue, and the body consciousness. They're very pretty much easy. It's not me because there are a lot of blind, death, you know. And during COVID, we suffer from not smelling or not having taste, you know. So it doesn't mean that it's easy.

They are not me. And what about the mental consciousness? Mental consciousness, again in tundra, there are different subtleties, like growth. But when we're fully awakened right now, our mental consciousness, that's not me. What about when we go further, like in sleep, the mental consciousness? That's pretty much subtle compared to the awakened state, especially in the dream state. What about in deep sleep? Its father becomes subtler.

It's not really. So then who am I? Who is that person who is always looking for happiness or who doesn't want on happiness? Like this, every day you analyze. Just look for that person who always desire happiness. Or just looking for something. We tend to look for something outside. Just find who you are first.

So once, if you meditate every day like this, and one day maybe you'll feel. Maybe you find something. That's how to do analytical meditation, you know, looking for self. Okay, now open your eyes. So next again, we'll do a little bit Tonglin because I don't teach, which I don't do. So I practice every day on this. There is a sound coming where is that?

Just in us. Oh, I see, okay. Just listen to the sound. You can count the sound, you know? Different sounds in the room Using your finger, just be aware of the sound. So, there's a shamata. So now further, we go into Tongeland.

Tonglin is you know Tonglin is translated giving and taking if Tong is always use the breath you know breathe out and breathe in so Len is breathe in and Tong means breathe out so based on the breathing because we breathe in and out all the time 21,600 you know so if you can use that breath except not only just shamata meditation but we use that tongue in practice is very very powerful so we will do the highest tongling I think so first visualize someone who needs love or who is suffering someone you love so someone you love so maybe dead or alive or is sick and anybody who's suffering and you want to help that person

okay for those who are a little bit at once think about the the sufferings of all sentient beings visualize earth let's say small and then all the sentient beings living you know, use the Google, you know, map, you know, just in front, you visualize all this sentient beings suffering. So at least you need this. So anyway, one person, two person, or sentient person, visualize that first. Now first we need LEN means to take. So We take the suffering of that person or sanction beings, okay? So you breathe in, long breath. And as you breathe in, you know, that person's sentient beings suffering, coming in the

form of smoke, dark, black smoke, you know, coming. entering through your nostrils, going deep down to the navel chakra. And visualize its spread in our whole body. And then you completely become black, like a charcoal. So we practice that for few bread. Just only lean means to take in. So first visualize that person properly. Suffering really needs help.

Okay? Really in. Now whole your body becomes black, like charcoal. And especially if you have diseases like cancer or any pain, then bring that black stuff into that area. pain you're not because you experience pain right but instead of just having pain only this much but you're bringing all the pain and suffering of sentient beings and others into that area no now you're not feeling or experiencing just a small personal you know it's a pain of all sentient beings

Wow, I'm able to do this. What a joy. I'm experiencing this pain for others. Continue to breathe in. Now, we visualize that that person's pain, suffering, sickness, it's all gone. That person is now free from all suffering, pain. Wow.

Be joyful. That's how to, you know, practice Tonglin, especially lemba, to take in. You can give. We have so many good. things you know smile you know so many merits that you have earned anything your body everything you see whatever you have just visualize that in a form of white array and now when you breathe out it goes to that person or all sentient pains okay now breathe out And that person or sentient beings receiving that positive video, and they feel happy, joyful.

So like this, practice lemba taking in many times. And then sometimes you do giving, you know, breathing out. Later, if you practice again and again, then as you breathe in and out, you can do, you know, at the same time. But you need to practice every day. It's really powerful, you know. For example, Kina Devots,

Because I, you know, Dehoth Sosso, when you feel happy, joyful, you know. Just visualize this as like a marriage, the positivity, and then you can make offerings to Buddhists and Buddhists are words. And may that positivity feel the whole space. Kinaw Dehotsu Sonsa, Fendanongka, Kavuji. When you have any pain, suffering, you know, physically, verbally, mentally, bring the suffering of all sentient beings. May the suffering of the ocean be dried.

So it's so wonderful. Duna kungi, dunga, bring all the suffering to the others. Donghei Giazokkampasur May the suffering of ocean be tried Wow, so powerful then

you forget about everything when you practice this you know I all the time I I

I you know my my my all this you see just vanish

disappears and thin air like that just practice that Not one time, you practice every day. You don't need to sit like this, sleep in toilet, when you're about, you know, just if you sleep like this and practice,

even in the night time, you see, when you just awake, you see, you're still in that practice, you know. It's so powerful there. And this, you know, there's so many benefits, you know, when you practice this. I think you will know I'm not going to talk, because it's just leave service, you know. You just practice every day and see, just try for one month and see what happens to yourself. Okay. I think more than 15 minutes has gone. Right? Yeah. Thank you so much for that, Dr. Chokla.

Such a short time and you really took us into Sharmata and analytical and a beautiful Tonglen session. That concludes this week's practice. To support the Ruben and this meditation series, we invite you to become a friend of the Rubin at Rubin Museum.org slash friends. If you are looking for more inspiring content, please check out our other podcasts, Awaken, which uses art to explore the dynamic paths to enlightenment and what it means to wake up,

available wherever you listen to podcasts. And to learn more about the Rubin Museum's work around the world, visit Rubenmuseum.org. Thank you for listening. Have a mindful day.