One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is for FPMT centers to display large thangkas and host festival days where these thangkas can be enjoyed. 

Large thangka of Guru Rinpoche. The thangka will be displayed during 1,000 Padmasambhava tsog offerings in India and Nepal and during special occasions. Photo by by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

Thangkas are painted or appliquéd depictions of deities, venerated spiritual figures, or common religious symbols, usually framed by colorful brocade.

“My wish is for the big centers in FPMT to have these large thangkas.” Rinpoche explained. “This is a way to leave imprints for all these people [who see them], for enlightenment.”

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.”

Large Thangkas & Festivals Around the World

• In 2011-2014 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, commissioned a 55 ft x 40 ft high stitched appliquéd thangka of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). More info on this project….
• Chenrezig Institute, Australia, large 1,000-Arm Chenrezig thangka is displayed at the Festival of Tibet each year and seen by over 5,000 people and is the backdrop to political discussions, meditations, concerts, and dharma talks.
• 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.
• Medicine Buddha Festival Day with large thangka (24 ft), Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA. Painted by Peter Iseli.
• Ksitigarbha Festival Day with large thangka (9.5 ft), Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA.
• Vajrasattva and consort thangka (11.5 ft), Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA. Painted by Peter Iseli. 
• Pamtingpa Center, Washington, USA, has a large Tara thangka to which they offer 21 Tara dance.
• Losang Dragpa Centre (LDC), Malaysia. LDC unveiled a large Medicine Buddha thangka as part of their 1,000 Offerings Event, with Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi presiding. This thangka will be featured in an annual festival and offerings event.
• 21 Tara thangka at Institute Vajrayogini, France, 14 meters (46 ft) high and 9 meters (30 feet) wide.
• 35 Buddha thangka, Kopan Monastery, Nepal painted by Peter Iseli. Several smaller copies of Peter’s are also used for display at Kopan. 
• Amitabha Buddha in his pure land accompanied by the eight great bodhisattvas (50 feet x 31 feet), sewn entirely by hand by Tibetan artists in south India. Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore.
• 21 Tara thangka, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Painted by Peter Iseli. 

Please enjoy a photo gallery of many of these large thangkas being created around the world.

Large Thangka Workshop

Having a workshop to create huge thangkas has long been one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes. After many years of planning and discussions with Swiss artist Peter Iseli, this project has become a reality at Institut Vajra Yogini in France. The workshop is 8.5 meters (28 feet) tall. Rinpoche’s first order was a 21 Tara thangka that is 14 meters (46 feet) high and 9 meters (30 feet) wide.

Peter Iseli working on a large 21 Tara thangka in the workshop that Lama Zopa Rinpoche had built for large thangka painting in France.

Peter Iseli: Helping Manifest Rinpoche’s Vision