Sunapati Thangka School
The Importance of Our Heritage: Changu Narayan Nepal 2020 Campaign
Many people visiting our village walk happily along the small old streets around the ancient decorated buildings, the forest, the temples and shrines and houses, some still damaged like our art school, but the reconstruction works continues and we hope they will be finished soon.
We sometimes forget the importance and the value behind the beauty that we are surrounded with during our daily life but we know, as most of the people coming to visit our village realize, that we live in a very special place.
In fact behind the history of the first rocks that were posed in Changu Narayan there are beautiful Hindu and Buddhist stories and legends that belongs to the whole humanity.
Nepal 2020
Nepal is preparing to host an important international EXPO in 2020. An event about the importance of the world cultural heritage. As Nepali we feel like we are all part of it as we all have worked hard to support our communities recovering since the earthquakes of 2015.
The struggle and the effort that the people of Nepal with the contribution of many coming from all around the world, working together to rebuild our small and slowly developing country, will be finally rewarded.
Our team and community of artists did what we could with the little we had, collaborated and worked together with our villagers and organizations like Kay Garnay for Nepal and other like minded businesses like Changu Farm House and many many people coming from all around the world, visiting our beautiful place.
Together we financed and co-managed projects to build shelters, provide warm clothes to rural villagers, organized cleanups and several other activities to improve the quality of life of our lovely community, and showed to the world the little explored beauties and treasures that our unique heritage temple village has to offer.
Traditional Art of Nepal
Six years ago, we started this website with the intend to open the doors of our thangka art school and workshops to the digital world.
At the time we were already hosting and providing meals to 12 young artists coming from remote villages of Kavre and Sindhupalchok. Sixteen all together living and practicing in the thangka painting school and gallery so people walking by could admire both the artworks and the artists.
To understand what was our starting point please watch this beautiful video that Crystal Bell realized after visiting our art school.
Thangka: A Journey of Discovery
When the website was online we were a little concerned also because our English was not good but we had many great people helping and we were so exited even to receive and read a message coming from a visitor admiring our art on the screen of their computer.
When the first order arrived we were full of joy.
After two years the website started growing in traffic as we received more and more orders. It was very challenging but we where doing our best and thanks to the success we were able to host 6 young students more.
The Earthquakes of 2015
It is difficult to describe how deep was the shock that the earthquakes of 2015 provoked in all of us. The magnitude of this event is present in our lives still today.
It was Saturday morning, the rest day of the week in Nepal so most of the people were outside or doing puja and school is off as well.
In the drama we were lucky somehow. The death toll could have been worse.
Sadly we had few deaths in our village but way less than other villages nearby like Sankhu, or Bhaktapur the main city at the foothill of Changunarayan.
After dealing with the emergency and the confusion and fears of the first days we slowly adapted to the new reality.
It took us almost 6 weeks to be back online.
During this time we collaborated with many people helping of our community and villages around and thanks to volunteers and even friends that sent their messages through the website we also co-funded a local NGO.
However there were no tourists anymore and selling online was our last resource, also to gather money to finance the volunteering projects.
Plus the art school partially collapsed and the rest of the structure was severely damaged. The owner of the building had his house damaged as well so he could only afford to fix his own house. Also our families had damages or loss of structures so we were living in a difficult condition while the tremors of the aftershocks accompanied our daily life for more than one year since that Saturday.
During the monsoon season we placed few good orders so managed to find accommodation for the artists and helped building shelters for homeless families and elders.
The Long Winter
While the cold season was approaching we started collecting warm clothes and other donations in form of stationary items for school kids, water filters and whatever could help.
After the first few deliveries to Sindhupalchok the news came out that the import of all good coming from India where blocked at the border. We don’t want to enter in the political merit of the blockade but the consequences of this block were suddenly evident.
No gasoline, no cooking gas, even less electricity and higher prices basically for everything.
That winter was one of the longest winter we ever felt.
Bistari Bistari
Nepal is still today a country with many issues and many people lack basic needs however we have proven to have a strong temperament as we keep smiling at life.
We sincerely hope that the coming EXPO and campaign #VisitNepal2020 will help not only people coming to enjoy the beauty of our country but also to promote projects for a sustainable development of Nepal.
Here a short interview to our master artist Kamal Bhujel realized by an amazing organization called Girls Empowered by Travels that operates in Nepal.
Gratitude
The construction works of the art school started only last year and it should be completed soon.
We again want to thank you all the warm-hearthed people that that kept our hope high and helped us during these difficult years: our amazing customers, all the volunteers, the donors, the photographers and video makers, web designers and people that, bistari bistari (“slowly slowly” in Nepali language), contributed and keep working for what we believe are beautiful and important things in life.
Blessings.
To learn more about the historical importance of Changu Narayan check these beautiful videos:
Changunarayan Heritage Videos
A Walk Around Changunarayan Temple
A video shot in Changu by Chris Love after the Earthquakes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBObGazMihM&list=PLrGWaemn83HVUujaM-XIPWFvIpxh6bOph
Changu Narayan Heritage: Global Treasure Video
A Video of the Oldest Hindu Temple in Nepal with Murchunga (Nepali mouth harp) Music Intro
If you would like to support #VisitChangu2020 please share this post and subscribe to our Youtube Channel.
Namaste.
A Unique Look at Alchi Monastery: Treasure of the Himalayas
Alchi: Treasure of the Himalayas © Peter van Ham 2019 / Hirmer.
Considered one of the best preserved Buddhist monastery and temple complex in the Himalayas, Alchi Dukhan lies at 3,500 metres in Ladakh, India.
The monastery is symbol of the spiritual heritage of Kashmir and Western Tibet with thousands of rare and outstanding paintings, murals and sculptures dating back to 11th century.
Only recently His Holiness the Dalai Lama authorized the publication of the artworks inside the majestic temple.
Working in extremely challenging conditions, particularly in the narrow, almost unreachable second and third stories of the Sumtsek, the photographer Peter van Ham collected images of these time-less masterpieces in a memorable book – Alchi: Treasure of the Himalayas.
Pages of the book Alchi: Treasures of the Himalaya by Peter van Ham and Amy Heller.
This unique photographic book, written in collaboration with Tibetan scholar Amy Heller, contains also a foreword by the Dalai Lama.
Following some of the images that have been released for the pleasure of the eyes of passionate admirers of Tibetan culture and art.
A rare depiction of Buddha Maitreya.
Beautiful Dharmapala protector of Alchi monastery.
Representation of the perils from which Goddess Tara saves and protects – Alchi’s Sumtsek panel painting.
Painting of Buddha Amitayus at Alchi temple complex.
Beautiful 11th century mandala. We increased the brightness of the photo to admire the beautiful details.
“One of the finest art books ever produced.” – David Shulman New York Review Daily.
Click on the book cover to purchase this amazing book.
Namaste.
Milarepa: An Ordinary Man And His Poetry Of Life
Milarepa was a great yogi, and his words provide profound inspiration to all followers of the dharma.
Milarepa achieved Buddhahood in a single lifetime by spending years in mountain caves across southern Tibet, he practiced the stage of generation utpattikrama visualizing himself as a Buddha and his own body as a mandala.
Milarepa and his songs are the most poetic source of spiritual inspiration, a symbol of Tibetan Buddhist culture and appreciated by many for the beauty of his enlightened verses. Here our favorites:
Milarepa on mind
He who avoids misunderstandings,
Amused at the play of his own mind,
Is ever joyful.
fear and doubts have vanished like mist into the distance, never to disturb me again.
Oh, this self-realizing awareness
is beyond words and description!
The mind is not the world of children,
nor is it that of logicians.
Most poetic verses
River, ripples, and waves, these three,
When emerging, arise from the ocean itself.
When disappearing, they disappear into the ocean itself.
The voice of the cuckoo is so moving,
And so tuneful is the lark’s sweet singing,
That when I hear them I cannot help but listen —
When I listen to them,
I cannot help but shed tears.
Milarepa on Money
Because of the fear of poverty, I sought for riches;
The riches I found are the inexhaustible Seven Holy Jewels.
Now I have no fear of poverty.
Milarepa on songs
However beautiful a song may be,
it is just a tune to those
who do not understand its meaning.
Milarepa on Meditation
When meditation is clear light river flow
There is no need to confine it to sessions and breaks
Meditator and object refined until they’re gone
This heart bone of meditation, it beats quite well.
Rest like a small child.
Rest like an ocean without waves.
Rest like does the candle flame.
Rest without concerns.
Rest still like a mountain.
Milarepa was a poet and a saint but most of all an ordinary man who explored with his verses his spiritual path of redemption through discipline and perseverance, and achieved enlightenment. These beautiful verses are taken from the following books:
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa Kindle Version
Milarepa: Lessons from the Life and Songs of Tibet’s Great Yogi
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa: The Life-Story and Teaching of the Greatest Poet-Saint Ever to Appear in the History of Buddhism
Best Five Books Written By The Dalai Lama on Buddhism
Most people living in Asia are knowledgeable of the most important principles of Buddhist doctrine. Many visitors of our website are very fascinated by our works of art and quite often we receive messages from people asking about the meaning behind symbols and sometimes it’s difficult for us to provide a simple answer.
Buddhism is a very complex system of belief that focuses on personal spiritual development. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is undoubtedly the “authority” on the matter and his books offer a clear vision of the Buddhist path.
The mission of the Dalai Lama as bodhisattva focuses on helping human beings to achieve enlightenment and as author he wrote dozens of books aimed to reach his goal.
We selected the best 5 books written by the Dalai Lama aimed to people that are interested in learning Buddhism.
Approaching the Buddhist Path
This book is the first of a trilogy where His Holiness illustrates and explain every step of the path to enlightenment, compiled and coauthored the American Buddhist nun Thubten Chodron.
This first volume provides basic notions on Buddhist history and offers an ample introduction to the fundamentals of Buddhism accompanied by the Dalai Lama’s own personal experiences. To purchase the book click on the cover.
The Foundation of Buddhist Practice
In this second book his book the Dalai Lama explain the key teachings to start the practice of the Dharma. The book offers a simple description on how to structure a meditation session, the appropriate relationship between the spiritual mentor and the student and a series of chapters on the low of Karma and the concepts of death and birth. To purchase the book click on the cover.
Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature
Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature is the third volume of the trilogy. In this book the Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron give relevant information about the four noble truths. The reader will learn how to improve the personal practice with insightful and easy to apply methods. about the mind’s infinite potential through to the teachings of Dzogchen. To purchase the book click on the cover.
The Art of Happiness
This book is considered a classic and the cornerstone of the field of positive psychology. The Dalai Lama here addresses many issues that we all face in daily life. The desires, the angers and ignorance which prevent us from realizing goodness and happiness. He offers the point of view of a simple Buddhist monks on these issues and teach us how to ease our path to happiness. In this book His Holiness proves his amazing ability to say things that are both simple and profound, and touches everyone. To purchase the book click on the cover.
My Spiritual Journey
This book is composed mainly of three parts; The Dalai Lama as a Human Being, the Dalai Lama as a Buddhist monk, and The Dalai Lama as the Dalai Lama. It consists of excerpts from speeches, interviews, and other books of the Dalai Lama over the years. It is considered the most intimate book of His Holiness and close enough to be considered an autobiography of the spiritual leader. To purchase the book click on the cover.
It is known how Buddhism doesn’t have one holy book only, as many other religions. Several authors and scholars trough history contributed to a vaste library exploring many concepts that can be hard to grasp.
With his books the Dalai Lama makes things simple for us. His examination is eloquent and comprehensive, and lovingly invites each of us to learn a little about Buddhism – and about ourselves.
Happy reading.
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