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Two of the images of the Sixteen Arhats now available in the Foundation Store.
With the project almost three decades in the making now completed, we are happy to share with you beautiful images of the Sixteen Arhat statues which are housed at Nalanda Monastery, France, for your own home and practice.
Nalanda Monastery’s Assistant Director, Ven. Kalden, shares some background on the statue project:
“In order to develop and make everything possible for Nalanda Monastery to flourish, almost 30 years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised that it would be very beneficial to have statues of the Sixteen Arhats in our altar. All the great teachers say that this is very auspicious to have those statues in the monastery as it creates the causes to attract new monks and to keep the vows purely. As the primary goal of Nalanda is to preserve the monastic tradition, those statues are of a high importance.”
Arya Gopaka, one of the Sixteen Arhats now at Nalanda Monastery.
The Sixteen Arhats (Foe Destroyers) are also known as the Sixteen Sthaviras (Elders) and have destroyed their inner enemy, the delusions, and attained liberation from cyclic existence. At the time of the Buddha’s parinirvana, they vowed to remain in the world to preserve the Dharma until the time of the future buddha, Maitreya.
These sixteen statues were sculpted by artist Jonathan Partridge in Australia, and brought to Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala, India in 2006. Ven. Yonten, an IMI monk from Nalanda, was tasked with shipping the statues safely from Dharamsala to the monastery in France. The local monsoon climate at the time was making the clay brittle, and the already fragile statues, which have varying and unique sizes, called for some inventive and meticulous packing and shipping.
With all the care and precautions, they arrived to France mostly intact, but needing repair. Jonathan was asked to come to Nalanda and repair them and also to finish the amazing Buddha statue in the main gompa of Nalanda Monastery and all the intricate artwork surrounding it. Following the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Bertrand Cayla then created molds of all statues with the help of the late Ven. Tsultrim and Cai Martinez and Losang Rabten from Spain. These molds can now cater to FPMT centers, who would like to receive a set of these statues themselves.
The masterful painting of the statues was offered by Sonam Sherpa, a talented Nepali artist who has completed many large projects for Nalanda, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and other FPMT centers. A short documentary of Sonam’s work on the statues was filmed in 2015.
Once the statues were fully completed, the monastery offered a consecration puja, and the statues now reside on the main altar. Earlier this year, Nalanda was awarded a grant through the Merit Box Project to help fund the creation of the altar to hold the statues.
Please enjoy this short video on the making and history of these statues:
Images of the Statues Available to Download and Print
Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested the statues be photographed so the images could be available to others. A collection of professionally-produced images of the statues, complete with beautiful backgrounds, is now available for download in the FPMT Foundation Store.
Arya Rahula, one of the Sixteen Arhats now at Nalanda Monastery.
The images can serve to inspire and be an object of offerings, and accompany practice of the Sixteen Arhats puja. Here are some of the benefits of making offerings and prayers to the Sixteen Arhats:
- All the victorious ones (buddhas) are pleased.
- Anyone who correctly practices it will have no obstacles.
- One will be able to abide in pure morality.
- It increases one’s scriptural understanding and realization.
- One will have perfect inner and outer conditions to practice Dharma.
- One will not be overwhelmed by untimely death and will have a long life.
- The community of Sangha will be increased.
- The study and practice of the Tripitaka (Three Baskets) will increase.
Artist Sonam Sherpa composed the following dedication. We invite you all to join us in rejoicing in the completion of this incredible project and the availability of these auspicious images for all:
health and long and stable life of my precious guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who is kinder
than all the Buddhas.
sentient being.
May this work be the cause for every sentient being, in every lifetime, to find a perfectly
qualified Mahayana teacher, to be a cause for their liberation of samsara, and to be a complete
cause to achieve complete enlightenment.
Order the complete set of images of the Sixteen Arhats statues through the Foundation Store.
Don’t miss also Nalanda’s upcoming program for 2023: The Sound of Many Hands Clapping Debate course, led by Geshe Tenzin Losel and presented in English. In February they begin a new program, Stepping out on the Path, also led by Geshe Losel in English. A five-month course for those who wish to dive deeper into the following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s book: Becoming Enlightened. Parallel to this, resident teacher Geshe Gyaltsen, will give teachings on Arya Nagarjuna texts, enriching one’s understanding of emptiness and dependent arising. And to finish the year a precious commentary, group sadhana practice, and the approximation retreat with fire puja of Solitary Hero Yamantaka will also be guided by Geshe Gyaltsen.