Rubin Museum meditation episode explores open-mindedness through Tibetan wisdom

Open-mindedness is the focus of the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art’s latest Mindfulness Meditation episode, and Kimberly Brown gives it a very usable shape for anyone trying to stay steady through commuting, overwork, or too much screen time. The April 17 release pairs a short opening talk with a 20-minute guided meditation, and the meditation itself starts at 09:44 for listeners who want to jump straight in.

The episode is part of the museum’s weekly mindfulness series, a long-running program built around artworks from the Rubin’s collection and framed by monthly themes. For this session, the museum ties Brown’s teaching to a Tibet, 13th-14th century Page of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra Manuscript. That artwork is not just decorative context. The Rubin uses the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra to frame the idea that the self is a construct rather than a fixed reality, which gives the practice a clear philosophical spine: loosen your grip, widen your view, and see experience with less reactivity.

Brown is a strong fit for that job. The Rubin identifies her as a mindfulness instructor, teacher, and author who studies in both the Tibetan and Insight schools of Buddhism, with a focus on compassion and kindness meditation. Her book, Happy Relationships: 25 Buddhist Practices to Transform Your Connection with Your Partner, Family, and Friends, was published by Prometheus on February 4, 2025, and that same emotional intelligence runs through the new episode. This is not a generic relaxation track. It is a guided practice that connects Buddhist wisdom, lived relationships, and a very specific piece of Himalayan art.

The release also shows how far the Rubin’s meditation work has gone beyond the walls of its former New York building. The podcast has reached 523 episodes and nearly 1.5 million listens worldwide, growing from a weekly gathering into a global digital practice. The museum announced its shift to a global museum model on January 31, 2024, while continuing digital offerings, partnerships, loans, traveling exhibitions, and grants.

The Mindfulness Meditation series is presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg, teachers from the New York Insight Meditation Center, The Interdependence Project, and Parabola Magazine, with support from the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism. For listeners who want a practice that feels grounded, specific, and ready to use the same day, Brown’s open-mindedness episode delivers exactly that.