Time Travel by ThangkaOr, A Tale of Two Cities’ Thangkas

The Buddhist lama Tashipel, 2013.19

1210-1273Tibet, Taklung Monastery

Colors on cotton28 x 21.6 cm.

Padmasambhava as Drakpochey, 1992.344

Approx. 1550Tibet, Riwoche Monastery

Colors on cotton10x5.5

Riwoche MonasteryEastern Tibet

Ruins of Taklung MonasteryCentral Tibet

4/23/13 2

“Oral Tradition” (kagyu) Paintings from Taklung and Riwoche

Monasteries 1 Tashipel

3 Sangye Yarjon2 Kuyalwa

4 Onpo

Stuart Carey Welch

0 Phagmodrupa

Sharri

Beri

The cosmic Buddha Vairochana, 1992.58Approx. 1100

TibetColors on cotton

39x28

The cosmic Buddha Vairochana, 1991.1Approx. 1300

TibetColors on cotton

33x26.

Elements of the Taklung

Style

Jewel-Staff Mountains

Gold Throne with Turquoise

and CoralGlowing Rock Foundation

Elaborately Scrolled Cushion and Halo

Rainbow Nimbus

Taklung Elements Articulate Visionary

Spaces

Green Swirled Throne Cushion

Jeweled Shrine as Throne

Rainbow of Appearance

Mysterious Arched Structure

Overlapping Crystal Rocks

Blue of Empty Mountain Cave

Vajrayogini

Avalokiteshvara

Chakrasamvara

Shakyamuni and Disciples

Visionary Spaces for Visionary Experiences

11

Vision Meets History in the Reed Shrine at Taklung

The Reed Shrine at Taklung Monastery:Physical Site of Tashipel’s Visionary Experience

The Directional Guardians mark the

Center of the Cosmos

3 OM AH HUM SEALS visualized

being into the painting

1 Consecrating Lama VISUALIZES the Central Figure…

2 Visualized Image ENTERS the Painted Image

Sealing a Sacred Presence in a Stupa in Three Steps

The “Ye Dharma…” Formula:1 Equals fundamental content of the Buddha’s Mind2 Transforms an Art Object into a Virtual Stupa

“The Buddha has declared the causes of those things which have a cause, as well as their termination…”

B60S598 B60S571

11

3 Sangye Yarjon22 Kuyalwa

A Stupa in a Stupa(mchod rten)

13

123 7 4 5 6

The Trasmission to Tashipel

Lineage of Kagyu (“Oral Tradition”) Masters

Taklung

1: Tashipel founds Taklung Monastery

1 Tashipel

3 Sangye Yarjon2 Kuyalwa

Tashipel Thangka at Taklung Monastery

Phagmodrupa

10

2: Onpo Lama takes sacred objects from Taklung to Riwoche…

Riwoche before wartime destruction of monastery in 1950

Taklung

Riwoche

Thangka of Onpo LamaPrivate Collection

3 Onpo Reconsecrates Tashipel Painting at Riwoche

First consecration of deities with OM AH HUM formula, ca. 1210

Onpo’s Later Reconsecration ca. 1273

Tashipel the Taklung Time Traveler?

Lineage of Taklung

Kagyu Lamas

Lineage of Indian Great Adepts

Luyipa:Siddha who Eats Fish Guts

The Great Adept Jnanatapa: Previous Reincarnation of Onpo ca 1350Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Nyingma and Kagyu Fusion at

RiwocheKagyu Lamas

Padmasambhava

Pema Lingpa’s Successor as a Nyingma Treasure Finder

Gold-on-Red Riwoche Stupa on Reverse

Tai Situ Choku Gocha of RiwochePrivate Collection

17

Taklung Kagyu and Nyingma

Together

*Padmasambhava!

4 Onpo

3 Sangye Yarjon2 Kuyal

Phagmo Drupa 1 Tashipel

Rainbow Nimbus Simplified

Crystal Towers Wider

Cushion Now 2-tone

Later Riwoche Painting Series:

Simplified and Intentional Archaism in the 17th Century

Jig ten wangchuk of RiwochePrivate Collection

Red Stupa with Gold Lettering on

Small Format Painting:

A Key Riwoche Diagnostic

Reverse of the Pema Totreng

Thangka

Glowing Rock Foundation

Gold-Flecked Halo for Fierce Deities

Padmasambhava asGuru Drakpochey =

“Lotus Skull Garland”

Padmasambhava, 8th C

Pema Lingpa, 16th CTerma Treasure = Drakpo Metreng

= “Fierce Garland of Fire”

A Color-Coded Skull Garland:The “Five Families of Totreng”

Vision

Pema Totreng = “Lotus Skull Garland” = Guru Drakpochey

Drakpochey’s Right Side

Staff with Three Decomposing Heads(khatvanga)

Pointed Wings with Flaming Gems

Scorpion Eats a Human Head-First

Drakpochey’s Left Side Vajra / Dorje

Pointed Wings with Gold Vajras

Gold Cape

Flayed Elephant with Bloody Trunk

Flayed Human with Missing Head

Symbolism of the Central

Image

Experience of Union of

Opposites that is Vajrayana Buddhist

Enlightenment

Naga-like Figures in Supplication

Red-Robed Historical Figure (?)Bonpo Priest (?)

The Power of the Padma:

Overcoming Obstacles

Treasure Guardian

Dakini Treasure Guardian

Insulating and Transmitting

the Power

Dakini Script (khandro): Coded Language of the Terma

30

SimhavaktraDakini

“sky-walker”

Padmasambhava

Ratna Lingpa“treasure-

finder”(terton)

Padmasamhava, the Terton Ratna

Lingpa, and Simhavaktra Dakini

31

A Partial Treasure Cycle in Card

Form from Riwoche

A Mandala of TsakaliHimalayan Galleries

Metropolitan Museum of Art

33

Lineages of Reincarnating

Lamasin the 17th

century:Further Conscious

Archaism

Sacred Environments in 14th Century

Taklung and Riwoche Styles:

Jewel Staves and Continuous Lineages

16Archaic Motifs at 16th century Riwoche

*Nyingma and Kagyu Fusion*Transmission of Terma by

Art

Taklung Artwork as a Means of Transmitting Sacred Power Across Time and Space