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ABOUT THE MEDITATION

This week’s meditation session is led by Lama Aria Drolma and the theme is Transformation.

The episode begins with an opening talk followed by a 20-minute meditation. In this episode, the guided meditation begins at 12:35.

 

RELATED ARTWORK

Black Cloak Mahakala; Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.562 (HAR 1044)
Black Cloak Mahakala; Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum; gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.562 (HAR 1044)

The wrathful deity Mahakala is associated with ritual practice due to his attribute of bestowing protection.

In this thangka dating from the 19th century, Mahakala is portrayed with his female counterpart, Shri Devi Rangjung Gyalmo. They are perched atop a donkey, locked in embrace and surrounded by the flames of pristine awareness.

Mahakala’s appearance is ferocious. Although Mahakala is portrayed as fierce, his role is that of a guardian, protecting practitioners from negative forces, and destroying obstacles on the path to enlightenment.

 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

lama aria drolma headshot photo

Lama Aria Drolma is an ordained Buddhist teacher in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, who has completed over a decade of monastic study and meditation training. She is a graduate of the traditional Tibetan Buddhist retreat program spanning three years and three months, an advanced cloistered meditation training program at Palpung Thubten Choling Monastery, New York.

Lama Aria Drolma teaches worldwide, leading retreats, workshops, and corporate meditation programs and is a popular guest speaker at universities and organizations. 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.

 

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.

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