Terris Nguyen Temple, born in Bakersfield, California, May 5, 1944 [1] , studied the art of Tibetan thangka painting in Nepal during the years 1966 to 1975. For the past twenty five years, the Nguyen Temples have been the official artists to Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, and Tsurphu Monastery, Tibet.
Terris' first teacher was the State Artist of Tibet, the late Master Jampa Tsedan, the Dalai Lama's artist. Later Terris studied with the late Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche - Simla, India; the late Sherpa artist Pargyaltsen (Kapa Ngawong Damcho) - Nepal; the late Dolpo artist Pema Wangyal, and the late Newar artist Siddhimuni Shakya - Kathmandu. In 1969 Terris became one Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa's original Western disciples. In 1974 at the invitation of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Terris taught thangka painting at the then Naropa Institute in Boulder Colorado, now Naropa University. This was the opening year of the Institute.
1992–1997 Terris and fellow artist Leslie Nguyen created two giant silk appliques for Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet. [2]
Tsurphu Monastery is the Karmapa's main seat in Tibet and was established in 1187 by the 1st Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa. The Karma Gadri Applique (gos-sku chen-mo, 108 ft x 76 ft, 35m x 23m). The Mahakala Goku (applique, gos-sku chen-mo, 30 ft x 30 ft, 10m x 10 m).
The originals had been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in the mid 1960s, and no photographic records existed. The Abbot of Tsurphu, Drupon Dechen Rinpoche gave the artists oral instructions.
Two ceremonial banners, as companion pieces for the two giant appliques were requested by Tsurphu in 1997. These works are shown annually during major cultural festivals at Tsurphu, attended by devotees from all over Tibet, a tradition that began at the monastery in 1590. During Saga Dawa, the festival honoring the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and Parnirvana, the Karma Gadri Goku is shown. It takes a minimum of sixty strong people to carry the Karma Gadri thangka out of the Temple for display on the Mountain.
The Tsechur Drabje (40m x 2m, 120 ft x 7 ft) which is the ceremonial companion piece, is being made now in India by the 17th Karmapa. Upon completion the two artists will take it to Tsurphu. The Mahakala Goku (completed in 1997), and its companion the Gutor (Norbu) Drabje appliqué (completed in 2007). They are both 120 ft × 8 ft (37 m × 2.4 m) and are used during the Gutor Festival to purify the Tibetan Lunar New Year. The Tsechur Drobje drawings were presented in 2016 to the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje. [3] The sewing work is expected to be completed in 2019 and will also be given to Tsurphu Monastery.
Ogyen Trinley Dorje is the supreme head of the 900 year old Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism. Terris and Leslie are involved with the Karmapa's Koryug Organization, doing environment projects in the Himalayas.
Terris is also the Executive Director of Liberation Arts, [4] a registered USA non profit organization, relating to art, culture and the environment. Liberation Arts was created with advice from the 17th Karmapa in 2010.
Presently Terris is executive producer in a feature documentary "Thongdrol" [5] on the subject of Tibetan art especially the lineage style Karma Gadri with the Karmapa. [6] He is also completing a documentary "Tsurphu, the Giant Appliques", using the archival footage of the giant appliqués created for Tsurphu, 1992–2017. [7]
In Maui Hawaii 1976, the 16th Karmapa advised Terris to do flower and bird painting in addition to thangkas, which Terris only produces by commission. These bird and flower paintings are created using mineral and botanical pigments with the techniques of traditional Tibetan painting. A few are graced with the 17th Karmapa's calligraphy at the ages of 8 and 14 years old.
The natural palette consists of cinnabar, orpiment, realgar, malachite, azurite, red lead, mineral whites and the earth minerals delicately lined and shaded with lac, cochineal, indigo, safflower and a Himalayan leaf known as 'shung kan'.
These colors are natural pigments used before aniline dyes took the market in the 1860s and Terris has used them since the 1960s. The silks used are from China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. Many of these paintings are of extinct and endangered species as Terris is passionate on the preservation of our environment for future generations.
Terris and Leslie continue making contributions to Tibetan Art. [8]
The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyu, itself one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Karmapa was Tibet's first consciously incarnating lama.
The Shamarpa, also known as Shamar Rinpoche, or more formally Künzig Shamar Rinpoche, is a lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and is regarded to be the mind manifestation of Amitābha. He is traditionally associated with Yangpachen Monastery near Lhasa.
Rumtek Monastery, also called the Dharmachakra Centre, is a gompa located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital Gangtok. It is a focal point for the sectarian tensions within the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism that characterize the Karmapa controversy.
The recognition of the Seventeenth Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, has been the subject of controversy. Since the death of the sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, in 1981, two candidates have been put forward: Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Trinley Thaye Dorje. Both have already been enthroned as 17th Karmapa, and both independently have been performing ceremonial duties in the role of a Karmapa. Geoffrey Samuel, an academic expert in the field testified in court, while the recognition of Ogyen Trinley "appears to have been accepted by a majority of Karma Kagyu monasteries and lamas, there remains a substantial minority of monasteries and lamas who have not accepted Ogyen Trinley as Karmapa. In particular, these include the Shamar Rinpoche, who historically has been the person most directly involved in the process of recognition." It is difficult to produce an objective description of the events because the most important developments are known only from conflicting accounts by those involved.
Tai Situpa is one of the oldest lineages of tulkus in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism In Tibetan Buddhism tradition, Kenting Tai Situpa is considered as emanation of Bodhisattva Maitreya and Guru Padmasambhava and who has been incarnated numerous times as Indian and Tibetan yogis since the time of the historical Buddha.
Düsum Khyenpa was the 1st Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Ogyen Trinley Dorje, also written as Urgyen Trinley Dorje ; is a claimant to the title of 17th Karmapa Lama.
Trinley Thaye Dorje is a claimant to the title of 17th Karmapa.
The sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje was the spiritual leader of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and part of the oldest line of reincarnate lamas in Vajrayana Buddhism known as the Karmapas whose coming was predicted by the Buddha in the Samadhiraja Sutra. The 16th Karmapa was considered to be a "living Buddha" and was deeply involved in the transmission of the Vajrayana Buddhism to Europe and North America following the Chinese invasion of Tibet. He had many monikers, including “King of the Yogis”, and is the subject of numerous books and films.
Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé, also known as Jamgön Kongtrül the Great, was a Tibetan Buddhist scholar, poet, artist, physician, tertön and polymath. He was one of the most prominent Tibetan Buddhists of the 19th century and he is credited as one of the founders of the Rimé movement (non-sectarian), compiling what is known as the "Five Great Treasuries". He achieved great renown as a scholar and writer, especially among the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages and composed over 90 volumes of Buddhist writing, including his magnum opus, The Treasury of Knowledge.
Khakhyap Dorjé, 15th Karmapa Lama was born in Sheikor village in Tsang, Tibet. It is said at the age of five he was able to read the scriptures and at six he was recognized as the Karmapa reincarnation and enthroned by the ninth Kyabgon Drukchen. Khakhyap Dorjé received the Kagyu transmission from Jamgon Kongtrul, including the instructions of the Five Treasures that Kongtrul had compiled in over one hundred volumes, teachings and practices from the Rimé perspective. Trashi Özer and other masters completed his education. He was enthroned as the 15th Karmapa at Tsurphu Monastery when he was six years old. He went on to teach and give empowerments throughout Tibet and preserved many rare texts by having them reprinted.
Mipham Chokyi Lodro, also known as Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, was the 14th Shamarpa of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Shamarpa is the second most important teacher of the Karma Kagyu school after the Karmapa. The Karmapas are sometimes referred to as the Black Hat Lamas, referring to their Black Crown.
Tsurphu Monastery (Tibetan: མཚུར་ཕུ་དགོན་པ or Tölung Tsurphu is a gompa which serves as the traditional seat of the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in Gurum in Doilungdêqên District, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, 70 kilometres from Lhasa.
Sherab Palden Beru was an exiled Tibetan thangka artist who played a key role in preserving the art-form through the training of western students over a period of more than four decades.
Nenang Pawo is one of the highest lamas of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Pawos form a lineage of tulkus, of which the first was born in 1440. They were traditionally the heads of Nenang Monastery in Ü-Tsang.
Palpung Monastery is the name of the congregation of monasteries and centers of the Tai Situpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the name of the Tai Situ's monastic seat in Derge, Kham. Palpung means "glorious union of study and practice". It originated in the 12th century and wielded considerable religious and political influence over the centuries.
Khenpo Karma Tharchin Rinpoche, widely known by his abbreviated name Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, was a senior lama of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Before his death he served as abbot of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) Monastery in Woodstock, New York.
Pema Dönyö Nyinje Wylie: pad+ma don yod nyin byed , born 1954 is the 12th Tai Situpa, a tulku in Tibetan Buddhism, and one of the leading figures of the Karma Kagyu school. He is the head of Palpung Monastery.
Situ Panchen (1700–1774), also known as the 8th Tai Situ Rinpoche, was an influential Tibetan painter, writer and medical innovator as well as a notable figure in the histories of Karma Kagyu and the Kingdom of Dêgê, where he served as senior court chaplain.
The name Karma Chagme refers to a 17th-century Tibetan Buddhist (Vajrayāna) lama and to the tülku lineage which he initiated. Including the first, seven Karma Chagme tülkus have been recognized. The Neydo Kagyu sub-school of the Karma Kagyu was established by the first Karma Chagme, Rāga Asya.
