HISTORY
ABOUT Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Shechen Monastery, Rabjam Rinpoche, and the Tsering Art School
About Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
DILGO KHYENTSE RINPOCHE (1910-1991) was one of the most revered Buddhist teachers and luminaries of the 20th century. He was a highly accomplished meditation master, scholar, and poet, and a principal holder of the Nyingma lineage.
A dedicated exponent of the nonsectarian Rime movement, Khyentse Rinpoche was respected by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and taught many eminent teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He tirelessly worked to uphold the Dharma through the publication of texts, the building of monasteries, and by offering teachings to thousands of people throughout the world. His collected writings in Tibetan fill twenty-five volumes. His other books are available in translation. He personally gave instructions on how every aspect of the frescos should be painted.
About Shechen Monastery
SHECHEN MONASTERY, one the six main Nyingma monasteries of Tibet, was destroyed in the late 1950’s during the Cultural Revolution. In exile, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche transplanted the rich traditions of the original Shechen Monastery to a new home near the great Stupa of Boudhnath, Nepal.
The monastery was built in the late 1980s and its statues and paintings make it one of the most beautiful examples of Tibetan art. Now the Shechen complex includes a Philosophical College, a Secondary School, and the Tsering Art School, and is home to over 500 monks and children. For more complete information write to shechen.org
About Shechen rabjam rinpoche
SHECHEN RABJAM RINPOCHE, born in 1967, is the grandson and spiritual heir of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. The second Rabjam Rinpoche founded Shechen Monastery in Kham, eastern Tibet. The present Rabjam Rinpoche is the seventh in the line of the Rabjam succession. At the age of three, he began taking teachings from his revered grandfather and today holds this unbroken lineage.
Since his grandfather’s passing in 1991, Rabjam Rinpoche has been transmitting Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings, and is bringing his vision for the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism and its culture to fruition. He established the Shechen Philosophical College and the Shechen Retreat Center in Nepal, Shechen Monastery in India, and two Shechen Nunneries in Bhutan.
ABOUT TSERING ART SCHOOL
THE SHECHEN INSTITUTE OF TRADITIONAL TIBETAN ART, '“TSERING ART SCHOOL,” was established by Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche in 1996, and is housed on the grounds of Shechen Monastery in Nepal. The aim of the school is to contribute to the preservation and continuation of authentic Himalayan Buddhist Arts.
The school trains young artists in the pure and authentic lineage of Buddhist thangka painting. The student body is drawn from monks, nuns and laymen and women from the local community and abroad.
The dean of the school is the master painter Konchog Lhadrepa. In the 1970’s, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche requested him to study the Karma Gadri style of painting in Rumtek , Sikkim. This painting lineage originated in Eastern Tibet and is known for its spacious landscapes and transparent treatment of color. The students are trained in this style for six years under the guidance some of the school’s graduates.
For further information on studies, the sponsorship program for students, purchasing incense or commissioning a thangka or tormas, please write to tsering.art@shechen.org.