H.H Kyebje Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche

INTERNATIONAL GANG IN LUMBINI IN 2006

THIS IS CATALINA

SWEET AND HAPPY FAMILY

CATALINA + SOPHIE WITH THEIR MOM AND SISTER.......

MY ELDER BROTHER, KUNZANG GYELTSHEN

THIS IS MY BROTHER, HE IS TWO YEARS ELDER THAN ME. HE THANKFULLY GUIDED ME TO ART SCHOOL IN NEPAL FOUR YEARS BEFORE.WHAT EVER RIGHT NOW I AM, ITS ALL BECAUSE OF HIM! OTHERWISE I AM NO WHERE LIKE ...........?

THE FACE OF KHENCHEN VIMALAMITRA

MY ART WORK {KHENCHEN VIMALAMITRA }

ME AT MY WORK

ME AT ART SCHOOL SHOP

Dragon Verses Phallus

A lot of Bhutanese people attribute the phallic symbolism to the legacies of the popular Bhutanese saint, Lam Drukpa Kinley (commonly called the Divine Madman for his unrestrained sexual practices and rebellion against the dogmatic religious institutions).
Bhutanese scholars strongly opposed this ‘common misconception’. “No phallic symbol was ever directly ascribed to the saint, though there were some associations,” “Although the association enriches and enhances the fascination of the phallus, Drukpa Kinley used the phallus as a ‘medium’ to tame the demons and demonesses and other malevolent spirits, and in his sexual practices to overcome the social inhibitions set by the socially established values.”In fact, a popular story illustrates how the saint tamed a demoness in Helela. Drukpa Kinley is believed to have copulated with the demoness and overwhelmed her with his sizeable organ. Today Chimmi Lhakhang in Lobesa, Thimphu, is dedicated to the saint and the people visiting the temple are blessed with a phallus, symbolising fertility.
The use of the phallus by the saint to subdue and tame malevolent spirits is linked to the popular Bhutanese belief that phallic symbols ward-off evil spirits.
“Human prosperity is supposed to arouse ill feellings,"
“People’s method of defense was to strike back through a human agency represented by the phallus. Thus the belief of protection against the evil eye.”

RINKEY DHAKAL, ONE OF MY FRIEND IN NEPAL.

Shelter for homeless kids

Twin calves spawn superstitious fears

24 August, 2009 - The birth of identical twin calves has stirred concerns and superstitions in a small hamlet of Rongthong under Kanglung gewog. The anxious owner has decided to consult the local priest (tshampa). “I’m troubled as we have a belief that it could bring ken (misfortune) to the owner and the community if the calves survive,” said Sonam Choden, the owner of the calves. “If anything happens in the village, fingers will be pointed.”
She has not even started to milk the cross-breed jersey cow. The twin calves were born on the morning of Thursday, August 20.
Some villagers believe that the twin will bring either too much good or bad luck. Others say misfortune will befall the owner.
“I hope the calves will die and the community and my family remain unaffected,” Sonam Choden said, adding that the pain of losing the two animals would not go away easily.
“We’ve seen people give birth to twins but never cows,” said an apprehensive Rongthong shopkeeper. “We hope it won’t bring us any harm.” As in most other parts of the country Rongthong villagers are deeply rooted in orthodox beliefs. Most villagers are illiterate and live on agriculture and rear cattle.
Several years ago, the village was struck with the same fear when Sonam’s neighbour got twin female calves. However, both died within weeks. Some villagers said that the misfortune killed the calves instead of the owner.
Livestock officials disagree.
Dr Tshering Dorji, Trashigang livestock officer, said that the birth of twin calves is rare but it happens. “The calves could survive like the single births, provided they don’t have any abnormalities,” he said.
The survival of the twins will depend on the care and management by the owner,” said Pema Jamtsho, a livestock official. “Usually, the calves die because they don’t get proper care.”
Sonam Choden and the villagers are anxious to hear what the local priest might have to say.

Beloved king

CANDLE LIGHT DINNER

FIRST CANDLE LIGHT DINNER WITH MY YOGA TEACHER IN HEAVENLY VIEW RESTAURANT AROUND BOUDHA AT AROUND 8.PM, HEEE...HEE

AT MY WORK DURING DRUPCHEN CREATING SAND MANDALA

MY YOGA TEACHER

THIS IS ADRIANA, SHE IS MY YOGA TEACHER

DURING MY WORK.

MY DRAWING ON BOARD IN BASIC CLASS

jachung the garuda

This painting was painted by one of the Bhutanese artist

{OFFERINGS} The Art Of Pema Namdol Thaye

Penor Rinpoche passes awayPosted on Wednesday,
2 April, 2009 - His Holiness Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche, 77, one of the most profound Buddhist spiritual teachers, passed away on March 27 in India following a chronic illness. Rinpoche was the third Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche, the eleventh throne-holder of the Palyul lineage and a former supreme head of the Nyingma school in Mysore, India. He was born in 1932 in the Powo region of Kham in Tibet.
Ugyen Wangchuk, a Bhutanese monk in Mysore, via a telephone interview, said that all the trulkus, khenpos and sangha of Namdroling monastery were mourning the loss of a great teacher, who guided and nurtured all monks like his own children.
He said that, at present, Rinpoche’s body was in a meditative state and might be displayed for public blessing on the 10th and 15th day of the 2nd month in the lunar calendar. He also said that his followers worldwide are performing prayers. Rinpoche has thousands of devotees in India, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and in the west.
Before Rinpoche’s demise, Bhutan’s Ambassador to India, V Namgyal, represented His Majesty the King, the government and the people of Bhutan at a special prayer ceremony on March 21. Ugyen Wangchuk added that the devotees had actually arranged the ceremonial prayer for Rinpoche’s long life.
The gathering at Sogyal Rinpoche’s teaching in Thimphu on March 28 also dedicated a moment of thought for late Penor Rinpoche. Meanwhile, special prayer ceremonies are being conducted across Bhutan.
The prime minister, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley, told media that Bhutan would always remember Penor Rinpoche as a great master and teacher. He said that Rinpoche had made special contributions to the promotion and advancement of Buddhadharma in Bhutan.

Master Artist-Pema Namdol thaye

Pema Namdol Thaye is one of those rare individuals possessing the ability to master every artistic medium he explores. He is fully accomplished in traditional Buddhist icon painting, sculpting, traditional wood carving, architectural design and three-dimensional celestial model (mandala) construction. Put simply, he is an artistic genius and as acknowledgement of this was the recipient of “Alien of Extraordinary Ability in his Field of Expertise” by the U.S. Government in December 2008. Something he sees as a great honor for his years of dedication.

Greater love has no woman …Indigent mother and ‘demonic’ daughter at the mercy of a mix of superstition and compassi[Copied from Bhutanese news Paper]

13 February,2009-People are scared of her.
Some say she is a witch. Others that she’s unnatural.
Tall and emaciated, her hair hanging loose, kira worn rough and ready, Tshering Lhadon is generally seen chasing away children, often boxing their ears when she catches them, and throwing stones at passers-by her house. They say she haunts the village’s ‘ngep’ (local guardian) - a dark rock fast by an old chorten - at night. Tshering Lhadon has been ostracised by her village since she was 16. She is 41 years old today. The onus of looking after her is shouldered by her 66-year-old mother, Pema Yuden. Her father had died five years ago. They live in Korphu, in Trongsa dzongkhag. No matter what people say about her daughter, Pema Yuden’s love for her only child is unconditional. She breaks into tears whenever she talks about her daughter. The grief has grown into a deep concern now that Pema Yuden is very old.
Things weren’t always like this. When Pema Yuden gave birth to her daughter, the parents, who were in their 20s, derived “immense happiness watching our child grow into a young, beautiful woman”. Her daughter’s pleasing personality was enhanced by her mellifluous singing voice and dancing skills. Indeed, the girl was the toast of her village. She was her parent’s pride and joy.
When Tshering Lhadon turned 16, she suddenly became ill. She has not recovered since. Prayers and rituals did not work. “She sometimes cried then laughed at others, or did both at once,” the mother said. After the father died, Tshering Lhadon started assaulting her mother, sometimes biting her, at other times pulling her hair. “But that’s all right, Pema Yuden said, she’s sick.
To support her daughter and herself, Pema Yuden works and begs from her neighbours. She has a small plot of land, about an hour’s walk from the village, where she grows rice, which lasts about three months. The rest of the years she works in other people’s fields in return for basic essentials like oil and salt.
A resident of Korphu village, Tshewang, 58, told Kuensel that they employed Pema Yuden out of sympathy. “Because of her age her productivity is less than what we pay her, but we employ her anyway so that she and her daughter do not go hungry.”
Pema Yuden is not happy at the way the village have treated her and her daughter for so many years. Looking at a picture Kuensel took of her daughter, she said: “Does she look like a witch? You tell me.” Their house also bears the marks of stones flung at them by villagers. Some farmers even connect the death of a cow or horse in the village to the presence of Tshering Lhadon.
But Pema Yuden’s biggest worry is that,with her old age, no one will want her labour and that she and her daughter will have to go hungry one day.
“I sleep every night worrying what tomorrow has in store for me and my daughter,” said Pema Yuden. Their only close relative is her 80-year-old brother, who is too old to help. Pema Yuden has also transferred her land to her cousin’s name after he promised to take care of her and her daughter. Nobody knows for sure if the cousin is keeping his promise
. Pema Yuden would not say. Korphu gup Wangda told Kuensel that Pema Yuden could not be listed as a kidu recipient because she gave away her land to her cousin, who promised to look after her. “She should surrender her land to the government if she wants to be listed as a kidu recipient,” he said. He added that Pema Yuden should make a personal complaint for the gewog to intervene.
Pema Yuden not only worries about where their next meal will come from but also for the safety of her daughter and who will look after her once she dies.
Korphu resident Karma, 28, said Tshering Lhadon could not live without her mother. “She’ll cry and shout and look for her mother.”
By Tashi Dema t_dyel@kuensel.com.bt