Mindfulness Meditation · Fierce Compassion
This week’s meditation session is led by Reverend Doyeon Park and the theme is Fierce Compassion. The guided meditation begins at 13:22.
Makzor Gyelmo, Queen Who Repels Armies; Amdo Region, Eastern Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; silk brocade; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2009.7
Makzor Gyelmo, the Queen Who Repels Armies embodies the notion of fierce compassion. In Tibetan, the word mak means “army,” zor refers to a magical weapon that can be thrust at enemies of the dharma, and gyelmo means “queen.” Therefore, she is literally the Queen of the Army Defeating Weapon.
Makzor Gyelmo is a form of Palden Lhamo, one of the most significant female protector deities in Tibetan Buddhist traditions. In Sanskrit, she is known as Shri Devi, meaning “glorious goddess.”
Makzor Gyelmo’s appears both wrathful and regal, wearing a crown made of skulls and a garland of severed heads beneath a canopy of peacock feathers. She wields a club menacingly in her right hand and holds a skull cup in her left, while sitting astride a mule wearing a bridle made of snakes. This vivid imagery denotes her role as a protector of Buddhism and a guardian in times of military conflict.
For centuries Makzor Gyelmo 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. You can discover more about Makzor Gyelmo by watching this video from the Rubin’s Himalayan Art Up Close series.
Reverend Doyeon Park is a gyomunim, a title in the Won Buddhist tradition that means “one who devotes oneself to teaching the Dharma.” Since 2008 she has served as a minister at the Manhattan Won Buddhist Temple and as the Won 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 the Buddhist Council of New York, and cochair of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations.
Inspired by the Buddhist path of inner freedom and happiness, Reverend Doyeon began her monastic training in 1998. She earned her BA from the Department of Won Buddhism at Wonkwang University in Iksan, South Korea, and completed her MA in Won Buddhist Studies at the Won Institute of Graduate Studies in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She received full ordination in 2007.
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