Mindfulness Meditation Podcast - Mindfulness Meditation with Lama Aria Drolma 09/28/2023

Episode Date: October 6, 2023

Theme: Realization Artwork: Model of the Mahabodhi Temple; eastern India, probably Bodhgaya; ca. 11th century; stone (serpentinite); purchased with funds from Ann and Matt Nimetz and Rubin Museum of Art;http://therubin.org/37c Teacher: Lama Aria Drolma  The Rubin Museum of Art presents a weekly meditation session led by a prominent meditation teacher from the New York area, with each session focusing on a specific work of art. This podcast is recorded in front of a live audience, and includes an opening talk, a 20-minute sitting session, and a closing discussion.The guided meditation begins at 10:09This meditation is presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg, teachers from the NY Insight Meditation Center, the Interdependence Project, and Parabola Magazine.  If you would like to attend Mindfulness Meditation sessions in person or learn more, please visit our website at RubinMuseum.org/meditation.If you would like to support the Rubin Museum and this meditation series, we invite you to become a member and always attend for free.  Have a mindful day!

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. Good afternoon, everybody. Tashi Delek. Welcome. Welcome to Mindfulness Meditation at the Rubin Museum of Art.

I am Tashi Chodron, Himalayan Programs and Communities Ambassador. I'm so happy to be your host today. We are a global hub for Himalayan art with a home base in Chelsea, New York City. And we are so glad to have all of you join us for our weekly program where we combine art and meditation. Inspired by a collection, we will first take a look at work of art. We will then hear a brief talk from our teacher, Lama Aryadroma, and then we will have a short sit, 15 to 20 minutes, for the meditation guided by her. Now let's take a look at today's theme and artwork. The theme this

month is Realization and the artwork for today's session is this beautiful model of Mahabodhi Temple, origin Eastern India, dated 11th century, medium stone and the size is about seven into three and a half into four inches and beautiful miniature sculpture. The connection to the theme, this model of the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment evokes memories of pilgrimage. It helps us to envision ourselves in the sacred place in our mind's eye. The small sculpture of the Mahabodhi Temple is one of many sacred souvenirs that were produced to commemorate pilgrimage to Bodhgaya, India. The Mahabodhi Temple marks the place where Prince Siddhartha Gautama sat in unwavering contemplation under the Bodhi tree until he achieved enlightenment called Buddhahood, therefore named Buddha, meaning the awakened one, and in Tibetan it's called

Sangye. Material mementos of sacred places have always been an important element of Buddhist practice. It is important to note that this model is not a literal replica of the temple's structure. The miniature replicas include the Bodhi tree within the building itself. They actually depict many scenes of Buddha's important moments during his life. The characteristic features of these models include the stupa atop the central tower, which signifies that it is a Buddhist temple. The directional Buddhas inhabiting the four-corner towers and images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in registers all around the structure. To this day, recreating sacred sites remains an active practice in Buddhist cultures. The practice

underscores the accumulation of merit through pilgrimage. Now let's bring on our teacher for today. Our teacher today is Lama Aryadroma. Lama Aryadroma is an ordained Buddhist teacher in the Karma Kaju tradition of Tibetan Buddhism who has completed over a decade of monastic study and meditation training. She emphasizes Vajrayana Buddhism and Buddhist principles, making them relevant in our everyday lives, helping us to cultivate loving-kindness and compassion, and bringing about a transformation of contentment and a genuine sense of well-being.

Lama Arya Dromala, thanks so much for being here. Please help me in welcoming Lama Arya Droma. Hello everyone. Good afternoon and welcome. Thank you all for being here. I heard a lot of laughter when you all came in. It was nice to hear. I'm sure you all are happy to be here. And so I chose this image, the Mahabodhi Temple, because it's very meaningful to the Buddhists. The Mahabodhi Temple is one of the holiest sites in India. And it's located in Bodh Gaya, as Tashi mentioned.

And it's in the northern region of Bihar. And it's the place, of course, where Buddha became enlightened. And located on the west side, the tree that you saw is the actual descendant of the original tree and the tree is very, very significant and there are many, many people from all around the world who come there for pilgrimage and you can see people doing prostrations, and most of them want to do like thousand full body prostrations, and there are chantings and meditation. It's just an amazing, amazing sight. And the belief is that even if you have a glimpse of the image of the Mahabodhi temple,

it'll be a seed for your own awakening. So I chose this Mahabodhi temple. Although it's a souvenir, the actual temple is very, very beautiful. There's a garden and there's also a pond. And I myself, my teacher took us on a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya when I was becoming an ordained nun. And then we did a lot of prostration and fasting and praying that one day I will also, I and all the beings will be awakened in this very, very beautiful place.

So this month, the theme is realization. And what does realization mean in the Buddhist perspective? So many great philosophers, thinkers, and spiritual teachers for centuries have questioned, who am I and what is the purpose of our life and our relation to the universe. And so there's so many great philosophers, they've contributed their thoughts to the purpose of what life is and what our relation to the universe, each offerings unique perspectives and insights into this profound question. However, Siddhartha, Gautama Siddhartha, known as Buddha, is considered one of the most influential and revered figures in the history of philosophy and spirituality.

Buddha's realization was a direct experience and not an abstract concept or reasoning like a philosopher, but it was a direct experience. He became fully liberated, awakened and attained the perfect knowledge and gained perfect wisdom. So realization in the Buddhist perspective refers to a deep and profound understanding of a direct experiential insight into the reality of all existence. The ultimate realization Buddha had was the liberation from the cycle of birth and death, which is the highest form of spiritual awakening in the sense he was liberated from the cycle of life and death that we all go through. Life, death, and again reborn. Life, death. This is a Buddhist perspective. What else did he realize

while he was awakened? He also realized the Four Noble Truth, the realization of impermanence. Everything changes. You know, we are young and then we become young seniors and then death and again rebirth and also interconnectedness. We all think most of us are independent individuals, but he also realized the interconnectedness. All of us, every element in this earth is interconnected and us as well. And then the realization through meditation, through vipassana, one can become awakened. So today, let's start meditation so we can all have that intention.

One day we too can become awakened. When he had all these realizations, one of the most important teachings that he gave us all was that we too can follow these teachings and can become awakened. So all the monks and all the people who go to Bodh Gaya, to the Mahabodhi temple that is the intention for us all to be awakened so let's start the meditation today and I will give you all a guided meditation it's a very very simple technique and the meditation is shamatha meditation which means calm abiding or peaceful it's very simple but it's

extremely profound. So all you have to do is when you start the meditation session we will just sit upright and relaxed and we can keep our feet parallel to the ground. Our hands can rest on our knees like this or whatever is comfortable. Inhale and exhale, breathe normally. and as you breathe out, rest in that present moment of awareness. Inhale and exhale. And as you exhale, just rest in that present moment of awareness. Keep your mind's attention on your breath. That is the anchor for your mind. Breathe in and breathe out naturally. At some moment, your mind will wander off. It's okay. Just label it as thinking.

Don't follow the story. Just drop the story and bring your mind's attention, observing your breath going in and coming out. Thank you. All you need to do is keep a continuous awareness of your mind's attention on your breath. Thank you. When you notice your mind has wandered off, that's okay. That's what your mind does. Just say, label it as thinking. Don't follow the story. Bring your attention back to observing your breath going in and coming out. That is your mind's anchor. Thank you. Inhale and exhale.

Breathe normally. Breathe at your own pace. pace. And as you breathe out, relax and rest in that present moment of awareness. Thank you. Your mind is like a spacious open sky and your thoughts are like clouds. They come and they go, leaving no trace. So when thoughts, when you catch yourself thinking, just say thinking, drop the storyline, and anchor yourself in paying attention to your breath. Inhale and exhale, breathe normally and as you exhale, relax completely into the present moment of awareness. Thank you. When you catch yourself thinking, don't try to stop your thoughts. Instead, label it as thinking.

Just drop the thought. Don't continue the story. And focus your mind's attention on your breath. Going in and breathing out. Thank you. It's okay if you want to adjust in your seat. If you want to cough. If you want to shift in your chair it's perfectly alright and again

anchor your mind in observing your breath and relax your whole body and be here and now in the present moment and relax your whole body and be here and now in the present moment of awareness.. The idea is to have continuous awareness of your breath, observing the breath going in and going out. And as your mind wanders off into a thought, just being gentle with yourself.

Say, thinking, drop that thought and again bring your mind's attention to observing your breath. Breathing in and breathing out. Okay. Okay, relax everyone. And that's how easy it is to meditate. Thank you so much for that, Lama Arya Domala. Thank you so much for that Lama Arya Dormala That concludes this week's practice To support the Rubin and this meditation series we invite you to become a member at rubinmuseum.org and to stay up to date with the Rubin Museum's

virtual and in-person offerings, sign up for a monthly newsletter at rubenmuseum.org e-news. I am Tashi Chodron. Thank you so much for listening. Have a mindful day.