For Kusho Tengha November 26 2017

For Venerable Tengha, 63 yrs old monk, who self immolated on November 26 2017 in Karze, Kham, Tibet. 

According to a witness, he called for freedom for Tibet and return of Gyalwa Rinpoche while being engulfed in flame.  He died on site and the security force took his body right away.

He became a monk at very young age at Karze Monastery when his parents both passed away.
He was in charge of organising prayer sessions and rites in nearby villages and was a well respected figure by local people.  

http://blog.livedoor.jp/rftibet/archives/51891158.html
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/burns-11292017120514.html

Three kinds of water in Tibet

Ama la is from Tsang, Tibet. I have known her and her family for over 10 years.  

She escaped to India from Tibet in 1959 and is one of that first hardcore generation of Tibetan refugees  who had to undergo unimaginable hardships in order to be able to rebuild their lives in the new and unknown land of India. Even after the trauma of having to escape from their native homelands, so many of their generation died afterwards from illness, disease, malnutrition and grief.

She is the one of the beloved elderly Tibetans who taught me the value of sharing, kindness, strength and power of practice.  Despite enduring inconceivable hardships,   she maintained all beautiful human qualities till she passed away.

When I think of her, I think of the many stories and meals that she offered me. When I heard of her passing from across two great oceans,  the first story that came up in my mind was about water in Tibet:

Water in Tibet is better than milk in India.

There are three qualities of water in Tibet.

The first one is water from a glacier.

The second one is from a stream.

The third one is from a spring. 

Each water has healing property, especially one from a glacier.

By drinking it, a sick person gets healed.

All sources are sacred with spirits living within, 
so we shall not contaminate such water.

Ama la managed to return to Tibet in the 80s when the political situation in Tibet softened for a short period of time.

One of her children, who is now a monk with a Geshe degree, told me that the first thing she did when she saw a stream was to run to it and scoop up some water with her hands to drink it.  She was overjoyed.  

Only this one time could she go back to Tibet in almost 60 years in exile.  

Ama la a safe journey to the next. 

May mountains, glacier, rivers, streams, and every being in your homeland

remain clear and vital despite of destructions so as you can go back to drink water that heals again. 

アマラ（チベット語でお母さん）はチベットのツァン出身。彼女と　彼女の家族と知り合ってもう１０年以上になります。

アマラは　１９５９年、中国共産党のラサ侵略、ダライ・ラマ法王の亡命を機にインドに逃れ　慣れない土地で苦汁の生活を強いられた　チベット人一世のひとりです。

アマラから　分け合うこと、親切、慈悲、忍耐、信じることの力　の価値を身をもって　おしえてもらいました。彼女は　何人かの私の愛し尊敬する　チベットの気骨のある老人たちの一人です。私の想像を絶する苦労をしてきたにもかかわらず、人間性のすばらしいところをすべて備えておられました。

その何人かも母国の土を踏むことなく近年次々亡くなり、アマラの訃報も　大洋をこえて　最近伝わってきました。

彼女のことを思うとき、まず心に浮かぶのが　何年か前に話してくれた

チベットの水の話し

チベットの水は、インドの乳より　おいしい。

水には３種類ある

はじめは氷河から溶けた水

次に小川の水

最後に　湧き水

どの水も薬効があって、飲むだけで病気がなおる。

特に氷河から出た水は効き目がつよい。

この水は全て神聖だから

よごしてはいけない

アマラは　１９８０年代、一度チベットに戻ることができました。

アマラは故郷の大地を歩いているとき、せせらぎを見つけて、よろこびに我を忘れて　岸辺にかけより、手で水をすくって飲んだと、彼女の子供たちの一人で　今は仏教の博士号をもつお坊さんの友人が話してくれました。彼女が少女にように水に駆け寄る姿が目に浮かんだのを覚えています。

亡命の生活の６０年あまりで、　故郷に戻れたのはその一回きり。

アマラ、どうぞ安らかな旅路を。

母国の大地、山、川、水が　無意味で無謀な開発にもかかわらず　強く

残っていきますように。

あなたがもう一度いつか

生まれ変わってせせらぎから水をのめますように。

Art news- "Drawings from Dharamsala" at National Chiao Tung University Arts Center September 21 to October 30 2017

Drawings,mixed media installation, and art videos from "Drawings from Dharamsala" were exhibited from September 21 to October 30 2017  at Arts Center of National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu-City, Taiwan.  This was the first time to show a large body of works, although not all,  which have been accumulated since my 6 month stay in Dharamsala in 2012 up to present.  I was told the exhibition and lectures were all well 'felt' by students on campus and visitors. Much gratitude to the professor who arranged my visit and exhibition,  volunteer students, and gallery stuff who made this occasion wholesome and meaningful.

Note: As I often mentioned in different interviews, I do not feel that these drawings were drawn by me, but by collective consciousness of lost lives.  Therefore, I wish that you skip my name and 'see' drawings directly.

I have started drawing them because I felt a strong urge to do so for these fellow sisters and brothers, whom I have never met but feel very close to.  I have always hoped the peaceful resolution would come to the Land of Snows and in the world someday soon for these sacrifices to stop.  However the situation is not better, more lives have been lost up till now.



さる　２０１７年９月２１日から１０月３０日まで台湾の新竹市にある国立交通大学のアートセンターで　個展　”ダラムサラからの絵”が開催されました。２０１２年、インドのダラムサラで６ヶ月滞在した時から　今に至る８０点あまりのドローイング、ミックスト・メディア・インスタレーション、アートビデオが展示されました。企画をしてくださった教授、展示を手伝ってくれた生徒さん達、ギャラリーのスタッフのおかげでとても感慨深い経験になりました。また　ギャラリーからのメッセージによると　２千人あまりの訪問者があったということです。このシリーズの絵は　自分が描いている時に度々　描いているのは自分でなく　自由を求めて亡くなっていった　方達が　そばにいて描いているように強く感じました。だから　一種のいろいろな　あったこともないけれどもとても近く感じる　人たちの祈りや望みの集合意識の絵だと　思っています。’彼らの絵’が　たくさんの人に伝わったことを　以前状況が変わらず悲しく想う中にも嬉しく思います。