The New Kadampa Tradition is an international association of Mahayana Buddhist meditation centers that follow the Kadampa Buddhist tradition founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
Arts & Culture |
The growing influence of Buddhist artistic expression in contemporary culture |
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Himalayan Buddhist Art 101: Hats in Religious Paintings
Buddhist practice and Buddhist art have been inseparable in the Himalayas ever since Buddhism arrived to the region in the eighth century. But for the casual observer it can be difficult to make sense of the complex iconography. Not to worry—Himalayan art scholar Jeff Watt is here to help. In this "Himalayan Buddhist Art 101" series, Jeff is making sense of this rich artistic tradition by presenting weekly images from the Himalayan Art Resources archives and explaining their roles in the Buddhist tradition. This week Jeff examines the four styles of hats in religious paintings. Himalayan Buddhist Art 101: Hats in Religious Paintings More » -
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Listening to Philip Glass
The problem with listening, of course, is that we don't. There's too much noise going on in our heads, so we never hear anything. The inner conversation simply never stops. It can be our voice or whatever voices we want to supply, but it's a constant racket. In the same way we don't see, and in the same way we don't feel, we don't touch, we don't taste. More » -
Tricycle Talk with Pema Rinzin
I had the great honor to interview Pema Rinzin, whose art is located in Rita Gross's article "Buddhist to Buddhist" in the Spring 2012 issue. We talked for two hours at his Tibetan Art Studio in Brooklyn, New York over a range of topics. He has many important things to say, and his enthusiasm for Tibetan culture and for art is inspiring to hear. As soon as he began speaking, I was immediately engaged and couldn't set up my recording gear fast enough. Pema mentioned frequently that in Tibet, talking about art and actually finding books on art was a 'luxury'. We tend to forget how important books are (and how far away art is from day-to-day necessity), especially when so many of us are reading solely on electronic devices. More » -
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Zen and the Art
For better or worse, “Zen and the Art of…” has become a phrase that, like “Catch-22,” gets bandied about in all kinds of contexts. Zen and the Art of Changing Diapers, Zen and the Art of Casino Gaming, Zen and the Art of Faking It—there are now literally hundreds of books with “Zen and the Art of…” in the title, all presumably taking their cue from Robert Pirsig’s huge 1970s bestseller, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Likewise, hundreds of articles—even scholarly ones—appear under the same banner: “Zen and the Art of Medical Image Registration,” “Zen and the Art of Policy Analysis,” and so on. More » -
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The Taliban's Least Favorite Buddhist Art, Now on View in New York
Jed Perl at the New Republic, on the Asia Society's ongoing exhibition, The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara, More » -
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True Dharma Eye
According to the calendar spring is just 10 days away, but winter still has its icy grip on Montreal, Canada. Wearing an oversized parka and a borrowed pair of boots, Kazuaki Tanahashi carefully picks his way down a slush-encrusted sidewalk while I hover protectively, worried that he will lose his footing. “I’m all right,” he insists, but I’ll have some explaining to do if something happens to a national treasure on my watch. More »
