Guru Rinpoche Statue for World Peace

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phantom59
Posts: 1485
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:30 am

Guru Rinpoche Statue for World Peace

Post by phantom59 »

This era is called an age of degeneration--on a global scale, sickness, famine,
war and conflict continue to intensify, while individually our well-being and
contentment diminish. In a well-known prayer of supplication, Padmasambhava is
called the "Precious, supreme protector in these degenerate times." Through the
strength of his loving kindness, paintings, statues and other images of this
"supreme protector" are a source of calm and harmony wherever they are placed.
By participating in their construction, individuals directly bring global
benefit as well as making a personal connection to these blessings.
Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche's address at the opening of the temple of Zandog Palri
in Mysore, India.
http://www.padmaworldpeace.org/resource ... ysore.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Bhutan, Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck, helped
Khenpo Rinpoche plant the first seed by assisting in the process of building a
master copy of a Padmasambhava statue in the traditional likeness of the "Lotus
Born." The model was first made with clay, which proved to be too brittle and
had to be reworked in brass for durability. When the model was finally completed
and a mold was taken from it, however, casts from this mold produced identical,
richly detailed, thirteen-foot tall brass statues weighing 1,100 kilograms
apiece.

Letter from Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Bhutan, Ashi Kesang Choden
http://www.padmaworldpeace.org/images/Q ... an-ltr.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Seven of these exquisite statues have been finished: one has been sent to Nepal;
one to California, America; four to India: Sikkim, Bodhgaya, Manali and
Namdroling Monastery in Mysore each received one; and the most recent was given
to one of the eight locations or LINGS established by Longchenpa in Bhutan which
was in ruins, and under reconstruction at present. Through Ven. Khenpo Namdrol's
Padmasambhava Global Project for World Peace, statues are constantly being cast
from the original mold and are intended for further distribution in Europe, Asia
and around the globe.

Khenpo Namdrol's aspiration to dispel negativity is being realized by the
placement of the powerful Guru Rinpoche statues throughout the world. Through
Khenpo's kindness and with his blessings of the Padmasambhava Global Project for
World Peace, statues are constantly being cast from the original mold and are
intended for further distribution around the globe.
http://www.padmaworldpeace.org/locations.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Visiting the Delhi Statue Shop

In Nov 2005, Khenpo Namdrol and David Lunsford visited the manufacturing shop
for the large Guru Rinpoche statues in Delhi, India. They reviewed the work and
met with the team of metal workers who cast, braze align and polish the many
pieces that make up a single statue, and watched the final touches being put on
the 10th and 11th statue. David described the process: "In one room of the small
shop two workers were casting molten bronze into sand castings making many
copies of one of the parts. These were released from the sand when they were
still red hot and then they were stacked for brushing." These small pieces are
all cast separately and them brought together and assembled into the main
pieces. "When they start building the body, each piece is individually brazed
into place with a torch and brazing rod. After a while the many pieces (each
about 1 foot square) begin to form the pattern of the body. Each statue is made
up of hundreds if not thousands of these individually cast pieces." By now the
statue body weighs over 1500 pounds and needs to be moved to and fro with a
block and tackle and the stabilizing efforts of 6 or so men.

Because the statue is so big, it is shipped as four separate pieces. The first
piece is the lotus throne (Pema in Tibetan) which is assembled piece by
interlocking piece, and left hollow in order to be filled with medicines, texts,
images and other specially blessed substances. The heaviest piece is the body
itself which comprises the general shape and robes. The third group is the head
and hands ( cast as high detail pieces) and finally the fourth group is the
trident (khatvanga in Tibetan) which rests in Guru Rinpoches arm, and the Vajra
(Dorje) that is held in Guru Rinpoches right hand in the special mudra we all
recognize.

When completely assembled, a statue will stand over 13 feet tall (20 feet with
throne) and weigh over one ton.

The workshop has been recently expanded with a big work area so it can create 2
of these statues at a time, in about 2 month's cycles. The most recently
completed statues were shipped last winter, one to Bhutan to be placed at one of
the monasteries Longchenpa founded there. The other was sent to Bodhgaya, India
and was installed in the Nyingma Monlam temple there.

http://www.padmaworldpeace.org/news_delhi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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gnegirl
Posts: 386
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:22 pm
Location: Waponi Woo

Re: Guru Rinpoche Statue for World Peace

Post by gnegirl »

Cool!
"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise." --Surangama Sutra

Phenomenon, vast as space, dharmata is your base, arising and falling like ocean tide cycles, why do i cling to your illusion of unceasing changlessness?
pemachophel
Posts: 2229
Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:19 pm
Location: Lafayette, CO

Re: Guru Rinpoche Statue for World Peace

Post by pemachophel »

I'd love to see one of these enshrined in Boulder, CO.
Pema Chophel པདྨ་ཆོས་འཕེལ
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