The Light That Shines Through the Universe: Lectures and Meditations | Buddhism Along the Silk Road

As part of the public programming for Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s High Line Plinth commission, The Light That Shines Through the Universe, the High Line presents a monthly lecture and guided meditation series at the Spur. Presented in partnership with the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, the series invites visitors to engage more deeply with themes central to Nguyen’s work. Each session features a lecture by a scholar, artist, or cultural leader, followed by a guided meditation led by an invited practitioner.

The series is hosted by Tashi Chödrön, Himalayan Programs and Communities Ambassador at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, who, in her two decades with the Rubin, has led meditation programs for over ten years and is the current host of the Rubin’s Mindfulness Meditation podcast. Through this combination of intellectual and contemplative practice, the series invites audiences to pause, reflect, and consider the artwork’s historical and philosophical themes through both thought and experience.

Featuring a lecture by Jin Xu, Jane and Leopold Swergold Associate Professor of Chinese Art History at Columbia University, this session situates the Bamiyan Buddha within the broader history of Buddhist transmission across East, Central, and South Asia. The session highlights how trade routes facilitated cultural encounters, religious coexistence, and the circulation of artistic forms.

The lecture will be followed by a guided meditation by Jessica Angima, a Kenyan-American artist, organizer, and dharma practitioner in the Western Insight and Theravada traditions. With over ten years of training and mentorship, she leads meditation and contemplative experiences in community green spaces throughout New York City.

On the High Line Spur at 30th Street and 10th Avenue