the 17th Karmapa on The Power of Compassion 1/4

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Get involved in Digital Thangka painting

DIGITAL THANGKA·SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2018

I have always regarded my thangkas bigger than myself

I am not an artist, I am an artisan: I create dharma products for use in Buddhist teachings and practices. This deeply-felt conviction is the origin of my mission: “to offer the global community thangka images, firmly rooted in Tibetan painting traditions but with the perfection of the digital age.”

In 2017 I took a big leap of faith: I quit my job, sold my house and possessions, to become a fulltime thangka painter. I had some unemployment benefit and hoped I could muster enough sales and donations to live from. In the beginning of 2018 I took a next step: offering my digital thangkas for free, and try to live solely from donations. In this way everyone could enjoy and use my images, regardless of country, wealth or social status.

March 2018 I started a campaign on patreon.com and offered five of my thangkas free to download. At the beginning all went quite well, but after that the rise of my number of patrons slowed down. My monthly recurring pledges on patreon.com are – at the time of writing - $179. So, last year my income consisted mostly from a little unemployment benefit, my patrons’ support and an occasional gift.

But from February 1st, my benefit will stop!

So it is time for a new approach and I need more of you to get involved in Digital Thangka!

I have done some calculations and for a bare minimum of living, I need 364 patrons more (with a monthly donation of $1).

There is one important detail: I only need this for a limited time – from February 1st 2019 to November 1, 2020. So, for a mere $ 21 in total, you will participate in the creation of beautiful thangkas, for all to enjoy and to use in Buddhist practice!

Eight Medicine Buddhas Tower (FPMT version)

But wait, there’s more… Starting last week of September 2018, I will release more of my digital thangkas as a free download. Every first day of the next month I will add more, until at the January 1st, 2019 all my thangkas will be available for free! For me this is another big leap of faith, but I trust there will be 364 patrons out there somewhere.

So get involved in Digital Thangka painting and support me at patreon

If you like to give a one-time donation, you can follow this link to paypal. For other ways to support me please contact me.

Links The original blog post: https://www.digitalthangka.com/blog/ My patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/digitalthangka

Free downloads: https://www.digitalthangka.com/free-downloads/ My portfolio: https://www.digitalthangka.com/portfolio/

My Facebook workshop, where you can follow the creation of my thangkas: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalThangkaArtistPage/ My Facebook gallery with my finished thangkas and some pictures of clients: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalThangkaGallery/

https://www.facebook.com/DigitalThangkaArtistPage/

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56Antony Tantono and 55 others

Lobsang Wondak Chhoyang

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Karina Kristoffersen McKenzie Maybe you could have online courses in digital thanka painting. I would be interested and perhaps others would be aswell 🍀

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Digital Thangka For the (easy) technical stuff for sure, but my courses also consist of guided meditation, lectures on the iconography and the correct usage of Buddhist symbols.
One of the things I like to do with my patrons donations is to support people who cannot attend my courses due to lack of finances. In short my favourite solution would be: "I pay for my own ticket and you give me food and lodging. And then I teach.".

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Digital Thangka I made a counter :)
--- last update 31 October 2018

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Digital Thangka And if you rather like to support me with a one-time donation of € 20 (covering 21 months, mentioned in the note): 
https://www.paypal.me/digitalthangka/20

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PAYPAL.ME

Pay Fred van der Zee using PayPal.Me

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Lhabab Duchen

Lhabab Duchen – The Descending Day of Lord Buddha

This year on October 31st, 2018 it is marked as Lhabab Duchen which is translated as the day when Buddha descended from the Heaven of Thirty-Three gods after he was begged to return to earth by one of his disciples. He is supposed to have climbed down the triple ladders made of gold and gems by Vishwakarma, the god of machines after the instructions from Lord Indira. This day is one of the auspicious days in the Tibetan and Bhutanese calendar and it is believed that any virtues actions or negative actions performed on this day are multiplied by several million times. Hence this day is marked as public holiday in Bhutan to allow people to make pilgrimage to holy places and to make offerings.

The story goes that Shakyamuni Buddha at the age of 41 realised that his mother Maya Devi who had died seven days after giving birth to him was stuck in a place called Lhayul Sumcho Tsasum (Heaven of Thirty Three Gods). So he went there to teach his mother to liberate her from samsara as a way of repaying her kindness and also to benefit the other gods in this realm. He was believed to have been there for about ninety days when one of his closest disciples pleaded him that he return to human realm. After a long debate where it was argued that human cannot get to the heaven of thirty three to see Buddha whilst the gods from there can get to earth due to their celestial power, he finally agreed on the night of the full moon, to return to earth after seven days. Upon hearing this news, it is believed, Lord Indira the ruler of heaven of 33 gods, instructed Vishwakarma, the god of machine to build a triple ladder made of beryl, gold and silver for Buddha to descent from the heaven of thirty three gods to earth.

Buddha Shakyamuni returned to earth a week later on the 22nd day of the lunar month according to Tibetan and Bhutanese calendar. When he descended down the central ladder he was accompanied on both sides by gods carrying beautifully decorated umbrella to protect him from elements and to honour him with full respect and devotion. He is believed to have descended to earth by the summit of Mount Meru before starting his way down to the Udumbara tree outside the city of Sankasya in modern day place Uttar Pradesh which is considered as one of the sacred Buddhist places on earth. This event is considered to be one of the eight great deeds of the Buddha Shakyamuni.

Hope you all have a great day and able to perform acts of virtues nature in body, speech and mind. May your good merits multiplies in millions and benefit all sentient beings from untold sufferings and may all sentient beings attained liberation in this lifetime.

Tayata Om Muni Muni Maha Munaye Soha!

This Friday on November 2nd Dakini Tsok will be held at Yeshe Nyingpo (on 19W 16th St between 5th and 6th avenue) at 6 PM and will be led by Dungsey Namgay Dawa Rinpoche. 


One can contribute to the Tsok by bringing their own Tsok, making an offering in the Temple Tsok box or through www.tersar.org/support-us/support-ocd/ by specifying the purpose of their contribution.


For any further information contact us at thefearlesswisdom@gmail.com, (518) 819-6022 or leave your inquiries in the comments.

Divine feminine

If you’re a woman who longs to be recognized and cherished as a goddess by your lover, you must first find this relationship with yourself. To attract a partner who will be inspired to worship the divine feminine within you, you must worship the divine feminine within you.

Because your soul wants you to know first and foremost that you’re not dependent on anyone outside to give you a gift you already possess. It’s the ultimate treasure.

So honor your body, speak your truth, open your heart to your own flawed perfection, surrender to your mysterious wildness, and burn in the flame of your own fierce passion. You are Shakti."

Akshobhyavajra / Guhyasamaja (tib. Sangwa dupa, mikyo dorje)

https://www.facebook.com/MahakalaPage/photos/a.557959420884077/825115850835098/?type=3&theater

Akshobhyavajra / Guhyasamaja
(tib. Sangwa dupa, mikyo dorje)
http://www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/487.html