Sangha visit to Tibet’s Secret Temple Exhibition at the Wellcome Trust in London

gö-kar-chang-loi-dé

Earlier this year Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Ngakma Mé-tsal, and Naljorpa Ja’gyür—accompanied by a group of practitioners from Sang-ngak-chö-dzong—went to London to see the exhibition entitled Tibet’s Secret Temple at the Wellcome Trust.

The Wellcome webpage gives the following about the exhibition ‘Tibet’s Secret Temple’ explores Tibetan Buddhist yogic and meditational practice and their connections to physical and mental wellbeing. Inspired by an exquisite series of 17th century murals from a private meditation chamber for Tibet’s Dalai Lamas in Lhasa’s Lhakhang Temple, the exhibition features over 120 objects including scroll paintings, statues, manuscripts, archival and contemporary film, together with a wide range of ethnographic and ritual artefacts. Three of the murals from the temple have been recreated, by photographer Thomas Laird, as life-sized digital artworks that form the centrepiece of the exhibition.

Watch Ian Baker speak about the exhibition Tibet’s Secret Temple: British Museum objects at Wellcome Collection

The Lineage Holders of the Aro gTér—Ngak’chang Chö-ying Gyamtso Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen Tsédrüp Rolpa’i Yeshé—were personally invited by the exhibition’s curator Ian Baker (author of several books on Vajrayana Buddhism) explorer of the Hidden Land in Pemakö and long-time Nyingma practitioner with Lamas such as Kyabjé Chatral Rinpoche.

Chatral Rinpoche (bya ’dral rin po che) wearing the shawl of the gö kar chang lo’i dé (gos dKar lCang lo’i sDe) and sitting—as a Tantric Master—on a tiger skin.

Ian Baker guided Ngak’chang Rinpoche and the sangha around the exhibition and together they discussed many different aspects of Vajrayana. Ngak’chang Rinpoche was able to provide extensive commentaries on many of the fascinating objects in the exhibition. We all shared in Ian Baker’s enthusiasm concerning many aspects of essential Vajrayana as purveyed by the Mahasiddha tradition in India. Ian Baker also told many stories about his relationship with Kyabjé Chatral Rinpoche and meetings with Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche and Jomo Sam’phel Déchen.

img05_ib — Ian Baker enjoyed discussing Vajrayana with us as a group and showed great interest in Ngak’chang Rinpoche’s elucidations on key points concerning the gö kar chang lo’i dé.

img06_yogi — Karma Lhundrüp Dorje demonstrating a yogic exercise from the trul’khor (sPrul ’khor) system.

img07_yogini — A Yogini and gö kar chang lo’i dé practitioner practising Dzogchen long-dé (rDzog chen kLong dDe) in Tibet. The use of the gom-thag (sGom thag – mediation belt) is a key feature of Dzogchen long-dé

img08_sangha — Ngakpa Namgyal and Ngakma Shé-zér discussing the exhibition with a Vajrayana student

img09_mural — Yogis practising trul’khor (sPrul ’khor). Picture from the 5th Dalai Lama’s summer temple in Tibet.

img10_ngakpa — A Ngakpa (gö kar chang lo practitioner) practising gÇod.

img11_ngakma — Ordained Yoginis: members of the gö kar chang lo’i dé in Tibet

img14_restaurant — After the exhibition we all enjoyed a relaxed time together in the museum restaurant.

Sources

Sutra Journal http://www.sutrajournal.com/tibets-secret-temple-image-gallery
Wellcome Trust https://wellcomecollection.org/secrettemple
Aro Encyclopaedia http://aroencyclopaedia.org

The Drala Jong project seeks to create a home for the Aro gTér Lineage. Please see the Appeal page for more information about the Drala Jong project and how to help.

Previous post: