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Tibetans are often cited as the most religious people in
the world. Buddhist beliefs have inspired Tibetans, over
the centuries, to construct immense and spectacular monasteries,
which rank among the most important architectural achievements
in Asia. The buildings are focal points for a faith that
teaches peace, compassion, and wisdom, and are inhabited
by monks who make the study of these tenets a lifelong occupation.
Art in Tibet served both as the focus of meditation visualizations
for many generations of Buddhist adept, as well as educational
illustrations for ordinary Tibetan people.
Since the Chinese occupation began in 1949, thousands of
monasteries with great splendor of architecture and wall
paintings and magnificent sculptures have been totally destroyed.
TCCW strives to preserve Tibetan Arts and Architecture through
the works of Arjia Rinpoche himself and other endeavors.
Rinpoche is adept in Tibetan Buddhist arts and architecture.
In Tibet Rinpoche promoted and taught traditional arts such
as Mandala design, Thangka painting, butter sculpturing,
and Buddhist embroidery. He developed museum exhibitions
in cities throughout China and his book "Tibetan Buddhist
Art" received 1988 Chinese Best Book Of The Year Award.
Kumbum Monastery Restoration
With the lifting of the total ban on religion, in 1990
Rinpoche returned to Kumbum monastery and began the work
of restoring Kumbum to its former glory. Rinpoche raised
27 million Yuan (3.2 million dollars) and further 3 million
Yuan from Hong Kong benefactors. In the process of renovation
Rinpoche employed his expertise in Tibetan Buddhist art
and architecture.
Tens of thousands of visitors came to admire the elaborate
new gates, the walls around the ground, eight stupas, temples,
shrines and living quarters.
Three-dimensional Mandala
At Kumbum Rinpoche designed and help built the largest
three-dimensional Kalachakra Mandala in the world measuring
80x40 feet.
In 2000 Rinpoche with his assistants built another smaller
3-D Kalachakra Mandala and was displayed at Smithsonian
Annual Folklife Festival and Exhibition. That Mandala was
subsequently presented to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Model for the temple of Land Of Medicine Buddha
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Director of Land Of Medicine Buddha
in Santa Cruz contracted Arjia Rinpoche to build a model
for the temple.
(See picture at right)
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