The Movies

His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa is one of the most important spiritual figures in Tibetan Buddhism. He is the titular head of the Karma Kagyudpa Order, which was founded by the Indian Mahasiddha Tilopa who in turn transmitted the essential element of enlightened practice to his principle disciple Naropa. The transmission was continued through Marpa the Translator whose principle student Milarepa is the one of the major patron saints of Tibet and in fact of Buddhism worldwide.

The first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa began the reincarnate Lama tradition in Tibet. Following detailed instructions left during his last incarnation this Karmapa was rediscovered in 1992 and was recognized by his friend and Regent Tai Situ Rinpoche, as well as His Holiness The Dalai Lama and the Government of the People Republic of China. The discovery of Karmapa's 17th incarnation brought a renewed vitality to the restoration of Tsurphu Monastery, which has been His principal seat in Tibet for over 800 years.

Starting in 1590 the ninth incarnation of the Gyalwa Karmapa established a tradition at Tsurphu of first creating and then publicly unfurling a Giant silk appliqué thangka of Lord Buddha for the viewing of the thousands of devotees. Such sacred art invokes a true feeling sense of the enlightened mind or bodhicitta in the viewer. This became a major religious festival and pilgrimage event on the Tibetan Buddhist liturgical calendar. Such events were an essential element of the vitality of Tibetan Buddhism.

  In 1994  Terris Nguyen Temple, a close spiritual friend of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, along with his wife Leslie Nguyen Temple re-established this great thangka tradition by creating an exquisite 108 foot by 76 foot silk appliqué Thangka of Lord Buddha, and nine surrounding figures, which was unfurled to the delight of thousands of participants.       

This marked a very important turning point in the revival of Tibetan Buddhist culture and reestablished this annual event. During this process of creating this Giant Thangka and the unfurling event itself copious footage was shot. This footage is in the process of being distilled into a documentary film, which will provide rare insights into the fascinating process. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Government as well as the essential participation of two westerners,with the remarkable cooperation of the White Conch Factory, Lhasa, marked an achievement of unexcelled co-operation.

Terris is the first westerner to have studied the theory and practice of making traditional Tibetan thangkas (the religious scroll paintings of Tibet). This study took place in Nepal from 1966 to 1975, under the tutelage of various Tibetan Master painters, beginning with the State Artist of Tibet, Kapa Jampa Tsedan. Since 1974, he has taught this art form at Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colorado, as well as at Buddhist centers throughout Hawaii and Karma Thegsum Chöling Phoenix Arizona.

 Leslie Nguyen Temple is a psychology graduate, and art therapist, as well as trained in Tibetan art. As the late renowned Master Tibetan Artist Amdo Jampa remarked, she is the first woman to create a huge religious image ever in Tibetan history.

 Now funding is needed for final editing of this footage and to secure new footage of this year's celebration unfurling of the Giant Thangka with interviews of the Tibetan people who participated with Terris and Leslie in its creation. The interviews will include anecdotes regarding the changes in the practical dimensions of Tibetan Buddhist practice in Tibet since the 1994 event. The main thing is to edify the viewer regarding the cultural importance of this process as a catalytic series of events. Anything that strengthens the confidence of the Tibetan people as regards their faith is important to all Buddhists. The main point is about empowerment. This was and continues to be an empowering annual event.

Extremely rare footage will be presented of the late Abbott of Tsurphu, the Ven. Drupon Dechen Rimpoche who returned to Tibet from exile in order to reconstruct Tsurphu after the Cultural Revolution. In this footage he describes the Tsurphu Mandala itself and its cultural and historical significance.

There is also recent film of His Holiness the Karmapa, along with other high lamas in His lineage explaining the significance of this thangka and film. This footage was shot in December, 2005 as a part of the ongoing production.

The June 2006 showing of the thangka was filmed as a part of the final production.  

Our goal is to make a film that reveals the artistic creation and cultural ceremony involved in this ancient Tibetan tradition. In total there will be 35 hrs of original footage, including shots of beautifully costumed Lama dancing, which is a part of this pageant. These events will be incorporated along with recent updated interviews of the Tibetan sewing team along with our flashbacks of that work in progress.

We want this film to deal with the positive aspects of that time, to convey the joys of the Tibetan pilgrims when they see this Thangka and participate in this cultural event.  

The worldwide interest in Tibet, as well as the growing fame of the now 21-year-old Karmapa supports the appropriateness to make this documentary. The incredible spirit of the Tibetan people during the time of the arrival of the then new Karmapa, and the teamwork rebuilding of this magnificent piece of artwork orchestrated by two westerners during a sensitive time in Tibetan history, underscore the importance and universality of this project.

 Most of the Tsurphu Monastery complex was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in the mid 1960's, along with many of its historical sacred treasures. Of special importance to the lineage were the two giant silk brocade appliqué thangkas. The first, completed in 1590, was of the Buddha accompanied by nine other religious figures, This monumental work was shown once a year for a few hours in the morning amidst a colorful festival attended by thousands of devotees to mark the anniversary of the Buddha's birth and enlightenment. This image is the focus of the documentary.

The story begins in 1992 when now late Abbott of Tsurphu Monastery, the Ven. Drupon Dechen Rinpoche, requested Leslie and Terris, to create a new 108 ft. by 75 ft. image to replace the giant Buddha thangka that was lost in the destruction.

They accepted the challenge and that year the work began. No photographic record existed of the previous image, so this image had to be designed anew. The first task was a design consisting of 700 square meters of precise scale drawings, based on the Buddhist system of iconography. The project also entailed other activities such as fund-raising, locating, purchasing and dyeing of 2000 meters of silks, brocades and backing materials. Then they identified a suitable team of tailors, consisting of six Tibetan women, who work with the White Conch Factory, a traditional festival tent workshop in Lhasa. This was an essential part of the project.

During the course of this project the artists documented the entire making of the image and in May 1994 its display was recorded. The completed thangka now literally weighs a ton and it takes 70 lamas to carry it to its display area across the river from Tsurphu Monastery at 14,600 ft.

Upon its completion the Abbott immediately requested that we make another huge image to complete the set of two which in the past were the great treasures belonging to Tsurphu. This is the protector image Mahakala referred to above. Together they represent a great heritage treasure belonging to Tsurphu and the Kagyu Lineage

Using a small portion of the large collection of existing video footage, Terris and Leslie produced a 27-minute documentary video on the making and displaying of this creation. This was done as part of an effort to raise funds for the second thangka project for the Monastery. This video has been extremely well received wherever it has been shown. 

Three quarters of the funds, for the second giant-thangka project, were raised by showing this video to Chinese Buddhist groups in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Thanks to the support of the Sangha, the second project was completed in 1997.

The artists had been the only foreigners allowed to work on religious projects in Tibet. The Chinese Government had actively discouraged such work over the years. However, they were miraculously granted six years of residency permits for Tibet. Beyond that they had a good working relationship with the government and wonderful cooperation from the Tibetan people. At the time His Holiness the Karmapa left Tibet for India, we were beginning a third work in Tibet for Him. This project was put on hold, but now as of June 2006 is in progress.

Traditionally, Tibetan Thangka art depicts animals in the background of the composition.  For both thangka projects for Tsurphu, Dr. George Schaller, the prominent wildlife conservationist, was consulted on which endangered animals to be represented for utmost protection in the images. An ecological message on his part will be a welcome addition to the film, and will bring an environmental awareness within the context of this religious image. Keith Dowman the Tibetan scholar and author of many books on Tibetan Buddhism will also be interviewed. The Physicist Adam Trombly will narrate the film.

An important objective of this film is to make this work accessible to the general public. Venues such as television, libraries and educational institutions will be approached.

On a secondary level, it is planned to submit the resulting work to film festivals and then distribute it through various documentary organizations in view of educating as many people as possible to this unique cultural art form.

 Phoenix Karma Thegsum Chöling (KTC), a non-profit organization affiliated to Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD), the official North American seat of HH Karmapa, is sponsoring this project. Contributions made to Phoenix KTC for this project are tax-deductible. Erma Pounds, spiritual director of Phoenix KTC, has led spiritual discussions and meditation in the Phoenix area since 1951 in the spirit of non-sectarianism.