A room of my own: Ngakpa Chogyam

The Observer published a two-page full-color article on Ngakpa Chögyam (Ngak’chang Rinpoche) with a detailed description of his shrine room, on the 14th of April, 1985, pp. 52-53. The article was written by Ena Kendal and the photography was by David White.

Excerpts:

He now lives in an Edwardian terraced house in Cardiff. Here he imparts his teachings to about 100 students who travel from different parts of Britain to see him. What was once a conventional Welsh sitting room is now a shrine, physically spartan yet full of color and laden with the symbolism of his chosen path.

The conch horn from western Tibet, the cymbals on the stand behind him, and the handbell on the table, emphasize the importance of sound in Tibetan rites. ‘They are used to invoke energy in the spheres of light and sound,’ Chögyam said. ‘The drum is male and represents active compassion, the bell female and stands for emptiness and wisdom.’

The peacock feathers are symbols of the Tantric path of transmutation because the peacock is said to drink poison and transform it into beauty.