Arizona Friends of Tibet sponsored the creation of this mandala along with the University of Arizona Bookstore. The sand painting was created by the Venerable Losang Samten, a former Namgyal monk and attendant to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I tried to visit the mandala at least once a week over the four weeks it was being constructed. Here are some of the photos I got over five visits, including the very moving dissolution service held Sunday, March 15th.
“The dismantling of such an exquisite work of devotion and purification of obstacles is a special ritual considered to be supreme offering for WORLD PEACE rather than just the simple destruction of an art installation. After the dissolution, the colored sand from the Kalachakra Mandala will be offered to the water…In the Tibetan tradition it is believed that through the medium of all penetrating water, the power of peace, love and kindness which is bestowed in the blessed sand of the Kalachakra Celestial Palace, will reach innumerable beings all over the world.
In the basement and driveway of a humble Malden house, the carpenters are building a throne.
Across town, in Medford, a lab technician spends his nights sewing embroidered silk for the drapery.
Three Tibetan-American men, two of them former monks, have devoted much of the last month to constructing the 9-foot high chair on which a cross-legged Dalai Lama will sit for a pair of lectures at Gillette Stadium next month.
The resulting throne is the most visible manifestation of the efforts by Boston’s small Tibetan community to prepare for the Dalai Lama’s four-day visit to the region, which begins April 29. But the throne also sheds light on the unusual backstories of local Tibetans, many of whom escaped difficult lives in Tibet or lived in exile in India before arriving in the United States.
The needleworker, Kunga Namgyal, leads the ordinary life of a research scientist at Shire, a biopharmaceutical company. But Namgyal is also the son and grandson of famed Tibetan tailors - his father was a tailor for the Dalai Lama - and now, at night, when he can steal time from playing with his son and dining with his wife, he sits on the floor by a china cabinet filled with Buddha statues and tries to remember what his own dad taught him about sewing.
One gem: While conventional sewing often involves pointing a needle away from the artisan, Tibetan Buddhists sew with the needle pointing toward themselves, to symbolize compassion for others who won’t get poked.
The financial backer of the $5,000 throne, Lobsang Paljor, was a farmer and nomad in Tibet who in 1985 became a monk there; he fled to India in 1987 and in 1991 moved to the United States. After six years selling carpets, he started Tibet Construction Inc. in 2000.
The carpenter, Kunga Lhatse, plied his trade in Lhasa before escaping to India and then moving in 2002 to the United States. He now is a member of Paljor’s 12-man crew.
“For me, his holiness, the Dalai Lama, represents Tibet,” Lhatse said, via a translator. “He is like a teacher or a parent.”
The Dalai Lama, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhists and leads a government in exile from Dharamshala, India. Also called Tenzin Gyatso, the 73-year-old lama is believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be a reincarnation of previous Dalai Lamas; he is the 14th man to hold the title.
The throne is a conventional element of the stages from which the Dalai Lama teaches about Buddhism to large crowds. When he gives a more conventional lecture or meets with scholars, as he will do at several events in Boston and Cambridge before the Foxborough sessions, he sits in a chair.
“In our religious tradition, you show respect to your teacher, and that’s why he is put on the highest pedestal,” said Lobsang Sangay, coordinator of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Boston and also a research fellow at the East Asian Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School.
Often institutions hosting the Dalai Lama borrow a throne from another community, but the Boston-area Tibetan community, now thought to number about 600, saw itself as mature enough this year to construct a throne. After the Dalai Lama’s visit, the chair is intended to be a central element of a local Tibetan heritage center that the community hopes to construct in the area.
The throne is made of hand-carved teak - there is a single gold throne, in Lhasa - and the one built for Boston has carved into it the eight “auspicious symbols” of Buddhism: images of a parasol, fish, vase, lotus, conch, knot, wheel, and victory banner. The silk drapery features an image of a dorje, a small scepter traditionally associated with Tibetan Buddhist lamas.
“The Dalai Lama has been to Massachusetts several times, but this is the first time the Tibetan Association of Massachusetts is hosting it, and that reflects that we are now more organized and capable,” Sangay said.
The six previous visits have been hosted by local universities and interest groups, he said. “For many of us, it is like a lifelong dream coming true, to be able to host your spiritual and temporal leader.”
Dressed in dark jeans and jacket, Dizi Btissam fingers a motorcycle helmet as she listens to a young man with thick eyelashes and wavy hair. Behind them, a gilded statue of Buddha looks benignly down at a row of poinsettias.
“He is not a god,” Ivan Baez explains, as a low tremolo of chants filters through the sound system. “For us he represents the natural qualities that we all possess but that are obscured by our emotions, personalities…”
He is interrupted by the jingle of a cellphone from Ms. Btissam’s pocket. She dashes outside to answer. Mr. Baez smiles. He wears a collarless cotton shirt dyed the deep red of uncooked saffron, and he gives the impression that life is equally good whether or not Btissam returns. She does come back, though, minutes later, to listen without further interruption as Baez speaks about enlightenment, about “resting fully in what is” and experiencing “our highest potential.”
Buddhism is not what I expected to learn about in Spain. As I drove along the coast south of Malaga, my mind filled with the sound of lapping waves and the imagined clack of castanets. I pictured the rhythmic arches of Cordoba’s mosque and the intricate floral carvings of the Alhambra. The last thing I expected to see, rising above the guardrail, was the gold spire of a stupa, a moundlike monument that commemorates Buddha. And it was huge, soaring 108 feet high and stretching 82 feet across at the base – the largest stupa in the West.
Granted, this is Andalucia, a region known for its history of religious diversity. In many towns, the church bell tower encases an older minaret. In Cordoba and Toledo, 14th-century synagogues feature intricate Moorish carvings. And ensconced among Cordoba’s grand 10th-century mosque is a Roman Catholic cathedral. These are the legacies of La Convivencia, the time between 711 and 1492 when Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived peaceably together in lively intellectual and artistic exchange.
Early Tibetan Buddhist art was used to depict the life of Gautama Buddha in the Indian subcontinent in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE. Throughout Asia, Buddhism spread widely and with it its influence over Tibetan art and culture in Asia. The first traditions of Tibetan Buddhist art followed the practices of aniconic artwork, meaning that the use of Buddhist symbols and emblems to represent the Buddha and his travels and teachings without actually using a human form to represent the Buddha himself. This was the typical way that Tibetan Buddhist art was made until the first century CE, when the Buddha was finally represented in human appearance, which is still followed to this day. In every new country or region in Asia, where Buddhism went, Buddhist art followed its worshipers and artists as the faith developed in many different ways.
Tibetan Buddhist art is considered sacred and religious in nature, or was always thought of as religious in Asiatic cultures throughout the continent and in ancient Himalayan kingdoms such as Ladakh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
The Tibetan Buddhist art that was created previous to the middle of the twentieth century was steeped in traditional techniques and devoted to the vision of sacred iconography. Not only are the works of these early Tibetan Buddhist artists festooned with the central topics of philosophy and spirituality, they were also dedicated in showing the energy of the aesthetics that Tibetan Buddhist art was known for as it came into eminence during the growth of the various schools of Buddhism all over Asia and the regions it influenced with its presence over the years.
The main influence of Buddhism in the fourth century was the Mahayana influence, which was known for its emphasis on the denial of Nirvana in order to better help others in need. Chenrezig is the chief deity depicted in the Tibetan Buddhist art of this time period of Mahayana influence. He is most often as a god with a thousand arms and in each hand is an eye.
Another great influence in Tibetan Buddhist art is the Tantric influence, its main symbol being the diamond thunderbolt. Tantric influence art is most often depicted as having many gods with angry faces that actually represent guardians of those who are dedicated to the practice and teaching of Tantric Buddhism and the purging of negative thoughts.
In the Himalayas, a shamanistic tradition known as Bon is considered another great influence of Buddhism and Buddhist art. In this shamanistic practice, many local deities are depicted in Buddhist temples as being with the Buddha as their conqueror and are considered to serve him by keeping mischief and evil away from the people.
A great variety of techniques are used in Buddhist meditation in order to achieve mindfulness, concentration and the promotion of well being. Ancient texts were set down by priests and other practitioners of Buddhism to preserve the core techniques that are passed between teachers and pupils.
Tibetan Buddhist art also greatly influenced Hindu art, but in the tenth century, Buddhism was all but gone from the Indian subcontinent by the rise of popularity in Islam along with Hinduism.
Two sets of photos of Sand Mandalas by MettaMomma (Louise Ritchie)
Tibetan Monks Creating Peace Mandala in Tallahassee, 2007
Taken during the January, 2007, visit of Tibetan monks in Tallahassee. The monks laboriously created the sand mandala by memory over about 5 days, and then ritually destroyed it. Doing this illustrates everything’s impermanence.
Tibetan Monks Creating Peace Mandala, 2009
Tibetan Buddhist monks visited the Mary Brogan Museum in Tallahassee and over seven days meticulously made a peace sand mandala. The next day, they ritually destroyed it, sweeping it up to signifying everything’s impermanence. This is a way of exposing people to the way of relieving suffering: accepting that everything changes and ends; choosing to let go of attachments.
The monk poured sand into the lower tool, and then gently rubbed the upper tool against it, allowing the sand to slowly flow out.
To illustrate the impermanence of all things, a Tibetan monk begins ritually destroying the sand mandala of peace that a group of monks had meticulously made over seven days.
Once when I was taking a picture, my friend John said, “The artist appears and the butterfly spreads its wings.” While he was talking about the literal butterfly that I was photographing, his words were a metaphor for how I have experienced the world since I fell in love with photography after taking a Miksang workshop in Tallahassee in spring, 2007 with Miriam Hall, who’s herspiral on flickr. Prior to that, I thought that I lacked any type of artistic talent, and I almost didn’t dare to take the Miksang workshop.
However, through the weekend that I spent learning Miksang, a contemplative art, I learned to trust my instincts and to see the world with such fresh eyes that literally I now feel as if the whole world is new and beautiful. It’s as if during the rest of my life, I wasn’t truly seeing. I now feel that I am an artist and the whole world is art.
This perspective has encouraged me to also become deeply involved in the arts. The inside cover of the summer, 2008 “Yes” magazine features a full page color picture from my “Wings of Peace” set. I’m now taking acting classes, have been in two local theatrical shows, and am taking ballroom dancing. I also have been trained as a Miksang photography teacher and plan to offer my first workshop in September, 2008.
If you’d like to find out more about Miksang, check out the Miksang group here as well as this link: miksang.org/m/index.html
Warmest appreciation to everyone who has taken the time to comment on and favorite my pictures. You have done a lot to help me improve my skills. Appreciation, too, to the many flickr members including my contacts whose work has inspired me to try new things and to see even more of the world’s beauty. From you, I’ve learned about the wonder of macros, waterdrops, lighting, and the evocative beauty of rain.
If you like my site, view it as inspiration to open yourself to the possibilities in your own life.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
P.S. I am an Obama Momma. Yes we can be the change that we dream of!
A rare opportunity to view the Buddhist arts of the mystical kingdom of Bhutan – “The Last Shangri-La”.
At the Asian Art Museum through May 10th.
Located in the Himalayas to the east of Mount Everest and Nepal, Bhutan is unique as a sovereign nation that has maintained its culture, arts, and religious and political traditions intact. Bhutan is one of the few countries in Asia that was never colonized by its neighbors or Western powers. The exhibition provides an exceptionally rare opportunity to view some of the most sacred and beloved Buddhist arts of Bhutan. Many of the objects remain in ritual use in temples and monasteries and have never before been accessible to a Western audience. In an unprecedented effort, the exhibition also documents ritual Buddhist dance forms through video footage that will be shown on monitors situated in the galleries. The exhibition comprises more than 100 works of art dating from the eighth to the twentieth centuries, including thangkas (paintings on cloth), gilt bronze sculptures, and ritual objects. Bhutanese monks will remain in residence at the Asian Art Museum for the duration of the exhibition, performing daily ritual observances for the sacred artworks.
“The recent coronation of Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, Bhutan’s first democratic king, introduced many to this remote Himalayan nation steeped in tradition,” says Jay Xu, director of the Asian Art Museum. “The Asian Art Museum is pleased to bring to San Francisco the remarkable exhibition under royal patronage The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan, which provides an unprecedented view of Bhutan’s spiritual and artistic traditions that are so inextricably woven into its culture. The unprecedented access granted to the organizers and the resulting exhibition are a gift from Bhutan to the world.”
“In the eyes of the Bhutanese, these objects are not ‘art’ in the conventional sense, but are sacred images, supporting Buddhist practices,” says Terese Tse Bartholomew, curator emeritus of Himalayan art at the Asian Art Museum and guest curator of The Dragon’s Gift. “The daily veneration of the objects by the monks who will remain in residence at the Asian Art Museum throughout the exhibition testifies to their spiritual significance. Even in the temples in Bhutan, these sacred works are rarely seen. Perhaps one object at a time might be brought out for ritual use. I cannot stress enough what a remarkable opportunity it is for Western audiences to see these works. The phrase ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ is overused, but in this case it most certainly applies.”
Bhutan has a population of roughly 700,000, comparable to San Francisco, yet its geographic range is similar to that of Switzerland. Located in the Himalayas to the east of Mount Everest and Nepal, Bhutan is known as “Drukyul, the land of the Thunder Dragon,” by speakers of Dzongkha, its official language. Bhutan has the distinction of being one of the few countries in Asia that was never colonized. It also has the distinction of adopting an uncommon official policy of defining the quality of life through Gross National Happiness, emphasizing mental and spiritual well being over material prosperity. Bhutan is the only existing Vajrayana (“Tantric” or “Esoteric”) Buddhist kingdom in the world, and the Drukpa lineage is the dominant school and state religion. The country is well known for its vigorous efforts to preserve its Buddhist heritage and traditional culture, which remain vibrant and active today. Since the 1960s the country has embarked on deliberately slow-paced reforms with the intention to preserve its own identity. Foreign dignitaries and the media were allowed into Bhutan for the first time during the coronation of the last king in 1974. Foreigners to this day are still restricted with only 20,000 tourists allowed access each year on heavily supervised trips.(…) Read the rest of The Dragon’s Gift Tour: Now in San Francisco (239 words)
For over five years, the Honolulu Academy of Arts has conducted ambitious fieldwork and research in Bhutan. Enjoying a close working relationship with the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Honolulu Academy of Arts research teams have been given unprecedented access to the nation’s treasuries of sacred art and dance.
The Dragon’s Gift offers a rare opportunity to introduce some of the most sacred Buddhist images of Bhutan to the wider international audience. From the wealth of material surveyed, the organizers of the exhibition have selected over one hundred objects of superior aesthetic achievement and deep religious significance, the vast majority of which have never before been seen in the West. Nearly all of the works of art presented in this book are from active temples and monasteries and remain in ritual use. Most of the items are either painted or textile thangkas, or gilt bronze sculptures, which date primarily from the 17th to 19th centuries — a golden age in the Buddhist arts of Bhutan.
Ranging from depictions of Tantric deities to individual portraits of Buddhist masters, the exhibition and catalogue represent outstanding works of art with a wide iconographic scope. Local Bhutanese experts and accomplished monks were consulted throughout the research process, representing the important indigenous perspective on these sacred works. For the Buddhist people of Bhutan, these sacred items are conceived as supports along the journey to enlightenment, and are of vital spiritual significance.
Complementing the sacred works of art is the documentation of the ancient Cham dances of Bhutan, which the dance preservation team had the privilege of observing. Having documented over three hundred hours of sacred and secular dances, they have compiled a first collection of the few surviving treasures of the trans-Himalayan movement tradition. These different approaches to the visual and moving arts provide further insight into the unique experience of Buddhism in Bhutan. A brief sampling of the variety of dance lineages, some many centuries old, is included on the DVD included with this book.
Beautifully illustrated, this catalog also includes curatorial notes and photos, close-up details, photos of gatherings and monasteries, as well as 12 essays contributed by leading Bhutanese and Western scholars.
Beautifully illustrated, with high quality full color reproductions on gloss paper. Very helpful is the mapping of surrounding deities in many of the thangkas.
The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan
by Honolulu Academy of Arts
Edited by Terese Tse Bartholomew and John Johnston
Cloth, 9.5” x 12”, 390 pp. Includes DVD.
Wallpainting in Punakha Dzong, Bhutan. The cosmology according to the Kalachakra-Tantra, on which the Kagyu-Astrology is based since the 3rd Karmapa, is depicted here.
