"Images of Enligthenment- Tibetan Arts in Practice"

By Jonathan Landaw and Andy Weber
Published by Snow Lion

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Andy Weber - The Artist

"My own introduction to the world of Tibetan Thangka painting took place near the Boudhanath Stupa in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal.

In 1973 the surrounding village was much smaller than it is today and contained only a few buddhist temples... For nearly six years my home was within view of the stupa and it was always a great inspiration to wake up in the morning and look straight into those remarkable eyes. There was something in them that spoke wordlessly of clarity, insight and trancendence, of a beauty far beyond this world yet somehow tantalizingly near. Those eyes have left a huge imprint on my mind and even now the memory of them is deeply moving.

But I discovered while living in Boudha that inspiritation alone was not enough; a key was needed to unlock the meaning, the mystery, of those haunting eyes...this key to deeper understanding and appreciation was to be found in the living traditions of which Boudanath Stupa itself is but one, albeit monumental, expression...Ludhup was my first teacher. He was born in Amdo and escaped from Tibet when he was still a monk. He had with him some scrolls, perhaps two hundred years old, that had been given to him in Tibet by his own teacher. These contained a number of different line-drawings together with grid patterns upon which drawings are based. Because I had no previous training, these drawings became the basis of my entire artistic career; even today photocopies of these originals continue to provide me with immense inspiration. It was Ludhup who taught me how to draw, introduced me to different painting styles and opened up a fascinating new world of buddhas, bodhisattvas, dakinis, protectors and so forth.

My second teacher was Thargye, a famous painter from Tsang in Tibet... while Ludhup initiated me into the world od Vajrayana art it was Thargye who provided a detailed map of that world.

Although the paintings presented here are the work of someone who is still very much a beginner, it is hoped that through the inspiration of our spiritual and artistic masters some contribution has been made to the viewers understanding and well-being. Signs of degeneration are all around us- in Bouda itself, for example, factories of uninspired laborers supply the tourist trade with immitiations sacred art having no authenticity whatsoever- but so too are indications that the spiritual quest, however disguised, is still very much alive in the human breast. Therefore, may all those searching for meaning behind the veil of transitory appearances be encouraged and inspired by the Vajrayana's unbroken transmition of blessings."