The Temple

The outside of the temple looks so simple that it is a surprise to discover all the beauty that can be found in this small sacred space.

The Wall Cabinet – Writings & Buddhas

This beautiful multi-colored carved wall cabinet was made far away in Tibet. In the central area of this picture you can see many different statues of the Buddha. The brightly coloured flaps of material visible in the niches to the right and left of the Buddhas contain the sacred writings of Buddhism. Some Buddhas may appear fat or thin, starving or athletic. Artists used these different images of the Buddha to express different Buddhist ideals, or philosophies. The one who sculpted the statues would also have been influenced by the time and the era of his particular culture and country.At the front and center of the cabinet, there are twelve bowls of water along a shelf. These are offerings to the Buddha. The man in the picture is Lama Yeshi. He is a Buddhist monk.

Detail of a Carving

In this picture you can appreciate a sample of the colorful carving on the wall cabinet. The figure biting the snake represents wisdom defeating anger.

Tibetan Buddhism Wheel Detail

This is a beautiful wall hanging of the Buddhist wheel. The pictures and symbols are intricate.The wheel is an important symbol to Buddhists, for they see life as a circular and recurring event. It can suggest the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation. Whether a season, a plant, an animal, or a human being, each begins, grows, reaches maturity, flowers, diminishes, and dies; before the process begins again.

The Writings of the Buddha

Look at the wall cabinet just in front of Lama Yeshi, you can see the decorated edge of the sacred writings, each in its own carved niche. It was quite a surprise to see how long they were when the Lama took them out and unfolded them! They were wrapped around and around with long pieces of cloth. Each page is almost a meter long by 4 cm wide. The pages are not attached together as they would be in a book; each is separate from the other. Note: The sacred writings of each tradition are unique. For example, the Sikhs have a book that is considered a living person, and the Jews have scrolls made of goatskin.

The Drum

The Drum is used to call people to the temple as well as being used in ceremonies and celebrations.The Buddhists also have smaller two-sided drums each with two knockers that are on strings and hit each side as they are jiggled about. Along with other musical instruments, they bring vibrancy, intensity and a call to an attentive presence during a celebration.

Musical Calls to Prayer

On the far left is the singing bowl. One moves a stick around the outside of the bowl and it begins to emit a high tone.Lama Yeshi is about to use the cymbals as a call to begin meditating.On the far right is a bell that may also be used to signal the beginning or ending of meditation.

Horn – Call to Meditation

This horn and a much longer one, not shown here, are used by the monks in the mountain regions of Tibet to signal that the time to meditate is approaching and it is time to come to the temple.

Artifacts

On the left, the multi-tiered painted cone is another way of expressing the wheel of Life. Each layer represents one stage of life.The candles and offerings of bowls of water are usually set out in groups of twelve at a time. Candles, flowers and incense are the three traditional offerings.