Mindfulness Meditation Podcast - Mindfulness Meditation with Doyeon Park

Episode Date: March 27, 2026

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 13:22.Teacher: Reverend Doyeon Park Theme:  Fierce CompassionMakzor Gyelmo, Queen Who Repels Armies; Amdo Region, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; pigments on cloth, silk brocade; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2009.7Learn 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 week, we offer a meditation session that draws inspiration from an artwork from the Rubin's collection and is led by a prominent meditation teacher. You can find more information about the related artwork. in the episode description. Our mindfulness meditation podcast is presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and teachers from the New York Insight Meditation Center, the Interdependence Project, and supported by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.

And now, please enjoy your practice. Hello, Tashi Deleg and welcome to the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Arts Mindfulness Meditation Program. I'm Tashi Chudrun Himalayan Programs and Communities Ambassador and I'm delighted to be a host today. The Rubin is a global museum dedicated to presenting Himalayan art and its insights, and we're so glad to have all of you join us for our weekly program where we combine art and meditation. Inspired by our collection, we will first take a deep look at the work of art we've chosen for today. we will then hear a brief talk from our teacher, Reverend Doyen Park. And then we will have a short sit, 15 to 20 minutes for the meditation guided by her.

The artwork for today's session is this beautiful Thanka, a scroll painting of Madjor Gilmo, queen who repels armies. Origin, Amdor region, eastern Tibet, dated 19th century, and this is a mineral pigment on cloth, silk brocade, and this is about 56-18 inches in height, 25-7-8 inches top-width, 26-18-inch's middle-width, and 27-quarter-inchths bottom-width into quarter-inch's depth. The theme for the month of March is fierce compassion. Mount Zor Gelmo, the queen who repels armies, embodies this notion. In Tibetan, the word muck,

means army. Zor refers to a magical weapon that can be thrust at enemies of a Dharma and Gelmo means queen. Therefore, she is literally the queen of the army defeating weapon. Magzo Jalmo is a form of Paldun Lamo, one of the most significant female protector deities of Tibet. In Sanskrit, she is known as Sri Devi, meaning glorious goddess. Mangjord Galmo is regarded as a wrathful emanation of the peaceful goddess Saraswati, popular in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Mangjord Galmo's appearance is both wrathful and regal. Her crown is made of skulls and her head is encircled by a canopy of peacock feathers.

She is adorned with a garland of severed heads. Magjord Galmo wheels a club menacingly in her right hand and gregers. grasped a skull cup with her left hand. She sits astride a mule whose brittle is made of snakes. This vivid imagery denotes her role as a protector of Buddhism and a guardian in times of military conflict. For centuries, Mangor Gilmo has been endowed with the responsibility of safeguarding and protecting His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As we behold her, may we be reminded of the importance of intentionally exercising fearsome energy for the sake of compassion and for world peace. Our teacher is Reverend Doyen Park. She is a guamanim, a title in the one Buddhist tradition

that means one who devotes oneself to teaching the Dharma. Since 2008, she has served as the minister at the Manhattan One Buddhist Temple and as the one Buddhism representative to the United Nations. In addition, she serves as the Buddhist spiritual life advisor at both Columbia University and New York University, the president of Buddhist Council of New York, and co-chair of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations. Inspired by the Buddhist path of inner freedom and happiness, Reverend Doyen began her monastic training in 1998. She earned her BA from the Department of One Buddhism at

Wang Wang University in Ixan South Korea and completed her MA in one Buddhist studies at the One Institute of Graduate Studies in Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA. She received full ordination in 2007. Reverend Doyen, thank you so much for being here. Thank you. When we hear the word compassion,

what usually comes to mind is something soft and gentle. like kind words, patient, listening, a worm and comforting presence. And then that is a beautiful and important expression of compassion. But if we look at a little more closely, we begin to see that compassion can take many different forms. There are moments when compassion looks quite different from simply being kind, gentle, and soft. Sometimes compassion means saying something that is difficult.

Sometimes it means stopping a harmful action or encouraging someone to look honestly at their behavior. We can think of a parent pulling a child away from danger. In that particular moment, the parent may look stern and the child may not like it at all, but the motivation is love and protection. Or we can think of a teacher who challenges a student, pointing out mistakes and encouraging discipline because the teacher knows that real growth often requires effort, honesty, and sometimes difficulty. And we may experience this in our own lives as well. If we see a friend walking down a path that may lead to harm, harm to oneself and to others,

the true compassion may not simply smile and stay silent. Speaking up might feel uncomfortable for them and for us, but if it comes from a place of clarity and genuine care, not from anger or ego, it can become a powerful expression of compassion. So compassion is not only about making people feel comfortable in the moment, sometimes compassion cares more about the long-term well-being than short-term comfort. And what matters most is the intention of the heart, our sincere wish to protect life and help ourselves and others,

and move toward greater freedom and well-being. And this is why the Dharma sometimes speaks of fierce compassion. So fierce compassion arises when wisdom and care. care meet the strength and courage. It is a kind of compassion that is not afraid to act, not afraid to speak the truth, and not afraid to interrupt suffering at its root. And this idea of fierce compassion is also beautifully reflected in the teachings of

Messer Chengsan, the second He-Dharma master of one Buddhism. And there was a student asking Master Zhang San, What is compassionate way to treat someone who continues to act wrongly and refuses to change? And here's the Master Zhang's reply. If a person will not listen to ordinary advice, then using extraordinary means to help reform them can also be compassion. Simply ignoring right and wrong is not true compassion. preventing wrongdoing and the suffering that follows, that is the compassion of a living Buddha. Then he added an important reminder.

Admonition is not compassion if it comes from hatred or the intention to harm. So while reading this passage, I had to really think a lot about ignoring right and wrong is not true compassion. preventing wrongdoing and the suffering that follows that is a compassion about a living Buddha so I guess again the key is the intention behind our actions if we speak harshly because of anger

ego or the desire to win that is not true compassion but if our words or actions come from a sincere wish to reduce suffering even if they are firm or difficult, then they can become an expression of fierce compassion. So I guess fear's compassion is guided by wisdom and supported by courage. It is the willingness to care deeply enough to act, even when it's uncomfortable

while keeping the heart free from hatred. So when we reflect on this fierce compassion, The question is not only about how we respond to others, but also how we practice with our own mind. In our meditation practice, we begin to see our habits, our reactions, and the patterns that sometimes create suffering for ourselves and others. In those moments, we can practice both gentle compassion and fierce compassion. Gentle compassion allows us to accept ourselves without judgment. And here, fierce compassion gives us the courage to see our unwholesome patterns and choose a wiser way forward.

In this way, fierce compassion is not something dramatic or distant. It appears in a small everyday moment. when we pause before reacting, when we speak the truth with care, when we set healthy boundaries, or when we encourage ourselves and others to grow. So I think we can all remember that compassion has more than one expression.

Gentle, soft. And this gentle compassion helps people feel seen, supported and less alone in their suffering. And also we see some strong and courageous, fierce compassion. It may not always feel comfortable, but it arises from the same caring heart, the intention behind our actions. So both are needed. So perhaps the question we can ask ourselves is, when is it helpful to be gentle? and when is it necessary to be formed? How do we respond in a way that truly helps reducing suffering rather than simply avoiding discomfort?

And this is where wisdom becomes so important. Wisdom helps us see the situations clearly, what is needed in this moment, what will truly support growth, healing, and well-being. So when wisdom guides the mind and compassion fills the heart, we gradually learn when to be gentle and when to be firm. And in this balance, compassion becomes more than just a feeling. It becomes a skillful and powerful path for reducing suffering and nurturing awakening for ourselves.

and for all beings. Now we can move into our practice. So for your meditation practice, you can find a comfortable seated position, allow your body to be upright but relaxed. And you may gently close your eyes or keep them softly lowered. Take a slow breath in

and gently breathe out. Again, breathing in and breathing out. Allow the body to settle. Let the shoulders soften. Let the face relax and let the hands rest naturally. And for the next few minutes, we simply arrive here. Bring your attention to the breath and feel the natural rhythm of breathing, the breath coming in and the breath going out.

There is no need to control the breath. Just allow it to flow naturally. If thoughts arise that is perfectly natural, simply notice them and gently return to the breath and breathing in, aware of breathing in. and breathing out, aware of breathing out. Let the mind gradually become calmer and clearer. Now, gently bring your awareness to the heart, and let's remember every human being carries difficulties. Every one of us experiences confusion, pain, and struggle.

We can quietly reflect, just like me, all beings wish to be free from suffering. Just like me, all beings wish to live with peace and dignity. And allow a sense of compassion to rise in the heart. And you may silently repeat, may I be free from suffering? May I meet my life with wisdom and courage. May you be free from suffering. May you meet your life with wisdom and courage. Feel these words settling gently in the heart.

Now we can reflect on the quality of fear's compassion. Compassion is not only social. softness. Compassion also has clarity and strength. Sometimes compassion comforts, sometimes compassion protects, sometimes compassion helps us stop harmful actions, and bring your awareness to your own life. Is there a place where wisdom and compassion are calling you to respond more clear? Perhaps it is a habit that causes harm. Perhaps it is a boundary that needs to be set. Perhaps it is the courage to speak truth with kindness.

Without judgment, simply observe. With each breath, allow the heart to become both, both gentle and strong. And you may quietly repeat, May my compassion be wise. May my kindness be courageous. May I act for the benefit of all beings. Imagine compassion like a steady flame in the heart, warm, bright, and unwavering.

Now bring to mind others in your life. your friends, family, colleagues, people who are also navigating their own challenges. Recognize that everyone is learning, struggling, and growing, and silently offer these wishes. May you be free from suffering? May you find clarity and strength. may compassion guide your life. Now gently extend this wish outward to the wider world.

To people we know and people we don't know to those who are struggling to those who cause harm because they are lost in confusion. May all beings awaken to wisdom. May all beings be guided by compassion. May peace grow in this world. Return to your attention once more to the breath, breathing in and breathing out.

You feel the body sitting here. Feel the calm and clarity that is present. Let us remember that fear's compassion begins. in small moments, in how we see clearly, how we care deeply, and how we act with courage. And when you are ready, gently open your eyes and carry this compassionate strength with you into the rest of your day, thank you. Thank you so much for that, Reverend Duhin. And thank you all for joining. That concludes this week's practice.

If you enjoyed this podcast or are a weekly listener, we invite you to support this series by donating and becoming a friend of the Rubin at Rubin Museum.org slash friends. The Rubin is a non-profit that relies on the generous support of donors like you to create meaningful experiences with Himalayan art around the world. If you are looking for more inspiring content, check out our other podcast, Awaken, which uses art to explore. the dynamic path 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, sign up for our newsletter at Rubinmuseum.org slash newsletter. Thank you for listening. Have a mindful day.