This year I attended Thrangu Rinpoche's teachings in Richmond BC and went on a tour of the monastery that the Vancouver Vajra Vidhya Assocation is building. This amazing complex is scheduled to be completed summer of 2010. Located on Temple Row it will be an example of Tibetan temple architecture and also the devotion of Thrangu Rinpoche's students here in North America.
The Monastery floor plan follows traditional Tibetan design. Arranged for large gatherings it will also provide housing for monks and retreat-ants. As the building is completed Lamas continue their work painting the hair and faces of hundreds of buddha statues while the sangha works on finishing the interior painting.
Very little of the imagery in a Buddhist temple is purely for decoration. The
well defined iconography of Tibetan Buddhism art illustrate aspects of
enlightenment. Artists employ symbols and visual aspects of the Buddha
and other enlighten beings to create archetypal images which aid in
contemplation and act as a support to stabilize one's meditation.
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