ARTICLES

Local Tibetans Dedicate Thanka and Celebrate Special Birthday
Jeff Langevin, April 29th, 2009

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Traditional Tibetan thanka hangs on display at the dedication. (Jeff Langevin, ©2009, All rights reserved)

This coming Saturday the Boston area gets a rare treat. A public talk by the Dalai Lama courtesy of the Tibetan Association of Boston. In preparation for the event, craftsmen both near and far have been hard at work.

At a local church hall in Watertown, a thanka dedication ceremony was held this past Saturday in anticipation of the Dalai Lama's upcoming visit. Coming all the way to Massachusetts from Dharamsala, India, the beautiful Tibetan thanka was specially crafted for the event by Tibetans in exile. A thanka (pronounced tahn-ka) is an ornately painted or embroidered tapestry or banner usually adorning the walls of Tibetan monasteries.

The silk brocade thanka for the Dalai Lama's visit was painstakingly hand-embroidered and took months to make. Standing 11 feet high and 5 feet wide, it depicts the Buddha at the center with his two principal disciples. Commissioned with money donated by the local Tibetan community, it will adorn the stage from which His Holiness will speak this weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. After that, it will stay within the community and eventually adorn the walls of a Tibetan Heritage Center which the Tibetan Association of Boston hopes to build with the proceeds from the event.

Many might be surprised to learn that the Dalai Lama does not charge for his appearances. However, in exchange, proceeds are to be used to benefit the local community rather than for anyone's personal profit. Before he leaves, His Holiness will meet with the host organization and require a detailed financial report on exactly how much money was raised and how it will be used. Since this weekend's event will have roughly 15,000 attendees with ticket prices range from $35 to $200, proceeds should be substantial enough to bring the dream of a Tibetan Heritage Center much closer to reality.

Unfortunately, the current reality is somewhat less pleasant. Over 600 Tibetan refugees now call the greater Boston area their home. However, their community does not have space of their own for meetings or classrooms to pass traditions on to their youth. As a result, they use a church in Harvard Square where multiple classes must often share the same basement room.

The new center will act as a meeting and learning place for the local Tibetan community. Due to the high cost of real-estate in the city of Boston, it will likely be located in Cambridge, Somerville or Medford. The center will consist of a traditional Tibetan shrine room, a library, classrooms, office space and a kitchen for events. However, the goal is not to simply have a place for the Tibetan community to meet, but also create a welcoming place for the broader non-Tibetan community of Boston to learn about and interact with Tibetan culture and history. For information on how you can get involved or contribute to the project, contact the project secretary Tenley Palsang at thc@bostontibet.org.

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Tibetan monks lay silk scarves and bow in respect before the Dalai Lama's locally-crafted throne. (Jeff Langevin, ©2009, All rights reserved)

Local artisans have also been hard at work. In traditional Tibetan culture, the teacher is a highly respected individual. As a symbol of that respect, the teacher is usually seated above his audience. This is analogous to the raised area surrounding the altar in Christian religions. In the case of the Dalai Lama, he will be seated on a teak-wood throne donated and constructed by Tibetan Construction Inc. of Malden, MA.

Built by carpenter Kunga Lhatse, a Tibetan Construction Inc. employee, the throne sits 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide and took over a month to build. It is adorned by locally-embroidered, traditional silk tapestries. After the Dalai Lama's visit, it too will become a focal point at the new Heritage Center.

While a throne such as this was neither requested nor expected by the Dalai Lama, this visit is so important to the local Tibetan community that they wanted to demonstrate their utmost respect. Lama Migmar Tseten, Buddhist Chaplain at Harvard, explains, "For all of us His Holiness brings the message of hope, peace, love, compassion and wisdom."

A Hopeful Birthday Celebration

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Tashi Wangmo pays respect on Panchen Lama's 20th birthday. (Jeff Langevin, ©2009, All rights reserved)

April 25th is both a time for happiness and sadness in the local Tibetan community. The date marks the birthday of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, Tibet's Panchen Lama. The Panchen Lama is the second most important religious leader in Tibet - second only to the Dalai Lama himself. This past Saturday marked his 20th birthday.

At the age of six, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama. Days later on May 17th, 1995, Chinese authorities took the boy and his family into custody.

To date, the family's whereabouts and well-being are unknown. The Chinese government claims they are happy, healthy and unharmed, but those claims have not been confirmed by any outside organization.

At the thanka dedication, next to the Dalai Lama's throne, stood a smaller one. This one clearly constructed for a smaller person. On it lay a photo of the young boy taken just prior to his disappearance. In fact, the only photo ever taken of him. "No one knows where he is," Tashi Wangmo explained through tears after bowing with respect before his throne. "No one knows if he's even alive."

A problematic situation arises from how Lama's are recognized in traditional Tibetan culture. While the Dalai Lama must recognize the next incarnation of the Panchen Lama, so must the Panchen Lama recognize the next Dalai Lama.

Tenzin Gyatso, the current and 14th Dalai Lama is now 73 years old. After the disappearance of the Panchen Lama, the Chinese government named their own Panchen Lama. As a result, there is sure to be extreme controversy over the recognition of the 15th Dalai Lama when that time comes. For now, local Tibetans are continuing to celebrate Gedhun Choekyi Nyima's birthday and praying for his safe return.