Meditation Session Focuses on Tibetan Buddhist Deity Makzor Gyelmo at Rubin Museum

The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art hosted a meditation session led by Reverend Doyeon Park with the theme of Fierce Compassion. The event centered on the Tibetan Buddhist deity Makzor Gyelmo, also known as the Queen Who Repels Armies. This figure represents a form of Palden Lhamo, a significant female protector in Tibetan Buddhism, and is associated with safeguarding the Dalai Lama. The artwork depicting Makzor Gyelmo is a 19th-century pigment on cloth piece from the Amdo region of Eastern Tibet, part of the Rubin Museum's collection. Reverend Doyeon Park, a Won Buddhist minister based in Manhattan, guided participants through the meditation. She holds multiple leadership roles including serving as the Buddhist spiritual advisor at Columbia University and New York University, president of the Buddhist Council of New York, and co-chair of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations. The session aimed to explore the concept of using formidable energy for compassionate purposes, drawing inspiration from the deity's protective symbolism in Buddhist tradition.