Powerful Protection

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”

—G.K. Chesterton

Just as soldiers in the military must fight to protect the ideals of our country, many of the deities depicted in Himalayan art must fight to protect the pathway to enlightenment. Some deities therefore have both wrathful and compassionate aspects, in order to combat ignorance, greed, and other forces that keep humanity trapped in the cycle of attachment and suffering.

Join us for an exploration of the concept of protection on a special gallery tour led by a former US Marine Corps officer. Discover how this mission-critical concept is expressed through peaceful and fierce paintings, sculptures, and narrative traditions in Himalayan culture.

About the Docent

Reggie Gibbs is currently an executive at an insurance and financial services firm in New York City.

Previously he served in a variety of positions in Washington, D.C., including the Director of International Programs for Business Executives for National Security (BENS) and as a Program Officer at the Pentagon in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Eurasian Affairs). Mr. Gibbs began his career as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, during which time he completed four overseas deployments to Southeast Asia and the Middle East with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, eventually serving in Iraq as the head of the Babil Province Iraqi police force in 2003.

Mr. Gibbs holds degrees from Georgetown University, the University of Kentucky, and The Citadel. He has also worked and traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia, including trips through Tibet, Nepal, India (Ladakh), China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and North Korea.