Thangkas: A Resource Guide

      Thangka of Guru Rinpoche, hand-painted on
      cloth by Nepali-Tibetan artists in Kathmandu,
      Nepal.Thangkas are painted or appliquéd depictions of deities, venerated spiritual figures, or common religious symbols, usually framed by colorful brocade.

About holy objects, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said, "You may think that a statue or thangka is just a statue or thangka, but it is the transcendental wisdom of dharmakaya, which understands and directly sees absolute truth, as well as conventional truth."

Thangka Events

• Beginning June 2013, Chenrezig Institute, AUS, will be hosting an annual Chenrezig Festival on the anniversay of His Holiness' visit to the center. At this event they will unfurl their large 1,000-Arm Chenrezig thangka, make oifferings, engage in Chenrezig practice and collectively watch a teaching from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
• Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, has a large Maitreya thangka which they show during Buddha multiplying days (weather permitting) and during any great occasions at the center.
• Land of Medicine Buddha in California, USA, holds two large thangka events annually: Medicine Buddha Festival Day and Ksitigarbha Day.
• Lama Zopa Rinpoche was recently offered a large Medicine Buddha thangka from Mongolia, and it came out most beneficial in Rinpoche's observation to offer it to Losang Dragpa Centre (LDC), Malaysia. LDC unveiled the thangka as part of their 1,000 Offerings Event, with Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi presiding.