Mindfulness Meditation Podcast - Mindfulness Meditation with Kimberly Brown 09/18/2025

Episode Date: September 26, 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 13:09.Teacher: Kimberly Brown Theme: ChangeGanapati; Tibet; 17th century; gilt copper alloy with pigments and turquoise inlays; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.25Learn 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. Good afternoon, everyone, and Tashi Delak. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Arts, Mindfulness Meditation Program, here at New York Inside Meditation Center.

I'm Tashi Churdan, Himalayan Programs and Communities Ambassador, and I'm delighted to be a host today. 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 in person and online for this weekly program where we combine art and meditation. Inspired by our collection, we will first take a deep look at work of art we've chosen today. We will hear a brief talk from our teacher Kimberly Brown, And then we will have a short set, 15 to 20 minutes for the meditation guided by her.

Let's take a look at today's theme and artwork. The artwork for today's session is this beautiful dancing Ganapati, origin from Tibet, dated 17th century, its gilded copper alloy with mineral pigments, and as you can see, beautiful inlays of semi-precious stones like torporary. The theme of the month in September is changed and Lord Ganesha is synonymous with new beginnings and Ghanapati is a form of Ganesha, often also referred to as Lord Ganesh. The dancing form of Ghanapati evokes the cosmic dance of existence. Now, Ghanapati or Ganesh or Ganesha, if you are familiar with, is called Chogdala, in Tibetan word.

The Lord Ganesha is also in Tibetan Buddhism is related to the Chakrasamwara cycle of tantra and regarded also as the emanation of Avalokatashvara. Now in Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati and often referred to as the elephant-headed god, remove of obstacle, and also known as the deity or the god of new beginnings. Individuals often make offerings to Ganesha at the beginning of new endovers to express appreciation and ensure a smooth path forward.

Now, in the next slide, the Lord Ganapati wills various ritual emblems. Sometimes they call it weapons and has multiple arms with multiple ritual emblems that he's holding along with different hand mudras or gestures. Now, these ritual emblems are associated with his role as the removal of obstacles. Ganapati is also perpetually in motion, in dancing, movements, embracing the ebb and flow of life. As we behold the majesty of Ganapati, let's reflect on our response to, change and how it can be perceived as an opportunity depending on how we look at it. So in the Buddhist teaching of having pure perception is for one's own benefit and leads to

wisdom and happiness. So let's bring on our teacher for today. Our teacher is Kimberly Brown. Kimberly is a meditation teacher and author. She leads classes and retreats that emphasize the power of compassion and kindness meditation to reconnect us to ourselves and others. She studies in both the Tibetan and inside schools of Buddhism and is a certified mindfulness instructor. Her latest book, Happy Relationships, 25 Buddhist practices to transform your connection with your partner, family, and friends were released this year. You can learn more about Kimberly on her website, Meditation withheart.com. Kimberly, thank you so much for being here.

And please help me in welcoming Kimberly Brown. Hello, everyone. So, you know, usually I just start talking. But maybe let's take a moment just to notice that we're here. You could close your eyes and you don't have to meditate or not meditate. If you're here today, it likely means you're looking for something, probably freedom from suffering. In Buddhism, we call this Dukha.

So taking a moment to thank yourself. You're choosing a healing path, a wisdom path, and bringing your attention back to our group for a moment. So with this theme of change, you know, it's funny, everybody knows that change is always happening. It's not like I have students and they say, no, Kim, things aren't changing. Everybody says, yeah, I know. Everything changes, you know, baby grows to a toddler, grows into a person, right? And yet, on some level, we don't really know it. We really, depending what the change is, we resist it, we don't like it.

It's terrifying, right? Nobody wants to have a loss. So we have this intellectual knowledge, but then on a deeper level, we have this ignorance. In the tradition, this ignorance is the root of a lot of suffering. Avidia, it's a Sanskrit word for it. Avidia. And this is probably our most common obstacle, right? We're talking about Anapati and who's an emanation of Ganesh.

And Ganesha is associated with removing obstacles, right? Obstacles to what? Obstacles to what's true? change in permanence cause and effect are real our actions have outcomes everybody has suffering and this self that we hold on to

so tightly is actually very dynamic not so fixed and these obstacles are what cause us suffering and they prevent us from seeing clearly and wisely and most importantly, they prevent us from accessing our inherent clarity and wisdom. You'll hear this called Buddha Nature in the tradition.

You'll sometimes hear it called presence or openness or awareness with a capital A. Some Tibetan teachers just call it mind with a capital M. and with change the obstacles generally are fear grasping like i really want that to change i want this new job right this that's a desire or clinging there's also delusion when change when change change happens, unwanted change or wishing. Wishing is a form of delusion. I wish he were less angry. We've all had those thoughts. So how do we, how do we overcome obstacles or cut through obstacles? Now we noticed here, Kanesh has many arms and many quote unquote, weapons in his many hands, right?

The Buddhist tradition talks about, in the early tradition, they say 84,000 doors to awakening. Later, they say 84,000 teachings to awakening. And that is pointing at everybody's mind is a little different. so it isn't one size fits all and there are certain practices all of us can use and paths that we can follow to help us

hate the word overcome our obstacles but to see them clearly and free them really you know we're not going to go in and look at our anger and beat it up try to get rid of it, fight with it, right? Going to experience anger or fear in the face of change

and allow it, integrate it, help transform it into clarity and wisdom. And so the path that is most common, the Bodhisattah path in the Mahayana tradition, is a path of practicing generosity, practicing ethical behavior, patience, diligence, meditation, and practices of wisdom. Diligence is sometimes translated as joyful effort. So using these tools, maybe we could call them instead of weapons, using these tools, we can start to first notice our obstacles, the things that prevent us from seeing change clearly,

the things that prevent us. See, part of what happens with change is we don't want it, badly that we can't see any other possibility, or we want it so badly that we can't see other possibilities. This is what Tashi Children mentioned. So how can we let go of that? Go of these obstacles, fear, desire, delusion. So we can work within change to see what's possible. and use our efforts in ways to benefit and not harm ourselves and everybody else. So let's practice. Those of you here in the room, you are welcome.

If you want, we have space on the right and in the back. You can lie down, grab a couple cushions as many as you'd like and make a little nest. You can sit as you are. You can also do walking meditation. The same for those of you at home. Pick a posture that feels conducive to having some balance of relaxation. An effort. Tranquale and awake, the tradition tells us.

So take a minute to create this little spot. Most importantly, not looking at devices, giving yourself an opportunity just to be with your own beautiful presence for these few minutes. and choosing to place a hand on your heart and a hand on your belly just remind you of your own presence you are here for you and it brings you closer to your body away from your head maybe and all the thought that are swirling all your plans all your memories ideas judgments see if you can bring that energy down to your heart to your belly receiving your breath receiving sound, receiving the sensation of your skin, contact with your clothing, warmth, coolness.

and gathering all your attention to the feeling of your breath in your belly sound entering your ears a breath in your belly or sound entering your ears if you start chasing after a thought a plan go and come back. You're coming back to your senses. Your breath, sound. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Whatever you're

doing right now. See if you could do a little less. Because right now you're just receiving. You're experiencing your breath. You're receiving sound. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Noticing where you are you if you need to come back, return, letting go of these obstacles of mind coming back. And you might know there are so many metaphors in Buddhism. Many are very useful in our practice. And perhaps today you can consider yourself like a loader. as flower.

So this plant, the blossom rides on top of a pond. It's resilient with the wind and the waves. And it's only able to do that because

it has such a strong stem and root system. And so allowing yourself to stay grounded, to stay rooted in your body and sensation in this moment. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And calling to your heart, to your mind, someone you know who's struggling, perhaps struggling with change.

Could be someone you know personally, it could be someone you know from the news. And you can connect with them by feeling their presence, by imagining them. and saying to them, may you be open to the unfolding of life, may you meet change with wisdom and courage. May you be open to the unfolding of life. May you meet change with wisdom and courage. May you be open to the unfolding of life.

of life may you meet change with wisdom and courage and just taking a moment to repeat those phrases give these gifts to this struggling person Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Make you know, be open to the unfolding of life. May you meet change with wisdom and courage. You can keep in touch with this being.

Know that they're here beside you. As you connect with yourself as well, you might imagine yourself as you look this morning in the mirror. You might put your hand on your heart and feel your own beautiful presence. and saying to yourself, may I be open to the unfolding of life. May I meet change with wisdom and courage?

May I be open to the unfolding of life? May I meet change with wisdom and courage? May I be open to the unfolding of life? May I meet change with wisdom and courage. And continuing to repeat these phrases to yourself, like you're giving yourself a gift. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Paying attention.

Do you need to reconnect? May I be open to the unfolding of life? May I meet change with wisdom and courage? And just for one more minute, saying these phrases to yourself wholeheartedly. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Knowing that all of us, all humans, struggle with these obstacles, struggle with ignorance of Vidia, offering this wisdom to all of us.

May everyone, may we be open to the unfolding of life. May we meet change with wisdom and courage. You could stop saying the phrases, bringing your attention to your lotus self, your resilience and strength, your beautiful blossoming nature, your strong, deep roots. thanking yourself and thanking the Rubin and all of us for creating the conditions for being here today. And whenever you're ready, bringing your attention to our group, and you can move, you can stretch,

whatever seems appropriate for you right now. Thank you so much for that beautiful teaching on change. I especially like the meeting the change with wisdom and courage. That is so needed when you look around in the world, what's happening now. And then it's so wonderful and always look at gratitude and thankful to this beautiful. space where we could all come together. And I always think, like, I wish more people could benefit and more people could, you know. But thanks to the podcast, so, you know, this teaching is also benefited all over the world.

So that gives hope and encouragement and inspiration. That concludes this week's practice. To support the Rubin and this meditation series, we invite you to become a friend of the Rubin at Ruben 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 rubinmuseum.org. Thank you for listening. Have a mindful day.