Serenity
Enshrined: Tibetan Master Artist
TINLEY CHOJOR
by Ross Rice
We trudge over to the main building, enter and take off
our boots and jackets in the foyer. Tinley leads the way as
we pad through the austere lobby to the shrine room. Where
we enter and. . . just have to. . . stop. . . . . everything.
It’s a microcosm of powerful beauty and serenity,
both uplifting and relaxing. Front and center is an eleven
foot tall golden Buddha Shakyamuni, with four-foot statues
of Guru Rinpoche, White Tara, Manjushri, and Vajrasattva,
as well as a statue of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa
(Rangjung Rigpe Dorje), who founded KTD in New York City in
1976, and moved it to this location in 1978. A large stupa
stands with relics of the 16th Karmapa, a complete collection
of Buddhist scriptures in Tibetan, next to rows of candles
and new calligraphies by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa. Multi-colored
silk brocade appliqués adorn posts and circumvent the
central skylight, the fabric work a sacred art unto itself.
The silk comes from Benares, the ancient Indian city where
Buddha taught long ago (these amazing decorations are made
by sacred art master Gyaltsen Chopel). “Legacy”
thangka paintings line the upper part of the walls, depicting
the images of numerous illustrious masters who, over hundreds
of years, have sought to ease the suffering of mankind, leading
all the way back in time to the blue-tinted primordial Buddha,
Vajradhara.
But after sitting in contemplation, you become aware of
the intricate images that occupy the space between, symmetrical
and repeating patterns: sometimes geometric and straight-lined,
like molecular structures; sometimes sinuous and natural,
with vines, leaves and flowers....
CONTINUE... |
