Mindfulness Meditation Podcast · Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art

Mindfulness Meditation with Reverend Doyeon Park 05/08/2025

·28 min·2 clips

Reverend Doyeon reveals how Avalokiteshvara hears the world's cries and responds with skillful compassion.

This episode features a guided meditation on compassion led by Reverend Doyeon Park and hosted by Tashi Chodron from the Rubin Museum. The session draws inspiration from a specific artwork in the museum's collection. Reverend Doyeon Park is a Won Buddhist minister, a United Nations representative, and a university spiritual advisor. The chosen artwork is a 13th-14th century gilded copper alloy sculpture of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, also known as the Lotus Holder or the Lord of All Seeing. Host Tashi Chodron explains that Avalokiteshvara embodies infinite mercy and the vow to remain in rebirth to benefit all beings. She notes that in Tibetan culture, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is considered an emanation of this bodhisattva. Reverend Park selected this piece because Avalokiteshvara, whose name means "one who hears the cry of the world," represents the ideal of listening and responding to suffering. She contrasts this Himalayan depiction with the multi-armed, peaceful female forms more common in Korean and Chinese traditions. Reverend Park connects the practice to a handmade paper lotus flower, symbolizing beauty emerging from muddy water, akin to compassion arising amid life's struggles. She emphasizes that compassion is not found externally but is a seed within each person. The guided meditation begins by directing awareness to the heart space, linking the inhale to listening and the exhale to offering compassion. Participants are invited to visualize Avalokiteshvara as a reflection of their own potential for care. The meditation uses silent phrases like "May I listen with a compassionate heart" and "May I meet this moment with love" to anchor awareness. The practice expands to include offering well-wishes to others, from loved ones to those who are challenging or suffering. Reverend Park concludes by having participants bow inwardly to honor their own presence and practice. The episode is part of the museum's monthly theme exploring compassion, prompted by global uncertainty and chaos. The tone is instructional, serene, and deeply reverent, blending art historical context with spiritual guidance. The style is a structured, educational dialogue followed by a participatory guided meditation. Listeners interested in Buddhist art, compassion practices, or a calm, guided meditation led by an interfaith leader would appreciate this episode. Those seeking a secular, purely scientific, or fast-paced discussion on mindfulness might find it less aligned with their interests.

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