Lamrim Buddhist Centre, South Africa
corner Kite & First streets, Vrededorp, Johannesburg
Home ! Spiritual Director ! Teacher ! Programmes ! Contacts ! Links
Tower
Inside Shrine
Garden
Flag Pole
Door Handles
The original concept to create a permanent Lam Rim Buddhist Centre in South Africa began in 1992 when the Venerable Geshe Damcho Yonten visited the country to continue his Teachings on Lam Rim at the request of a small but dedicated group of South African Buddhists. It was suggested that a permanent venue be found, and when this was achieved Venerable Geshe-la would endeavour to secure a semi-permanent resident Teacher.
The Centre
In 1993 an old Dutch Reformed Church with a unique hexagonal shape was secured with financial assistance and a generous donation. Since then a small group of dedicated people continued to work towards converting the original Christian Church of worship into a traditional Buddhist temple, with the Venerable Geshe Damcho-la as the Spiritual Director.
The property has four main areas;
-
A Gompa (Shrine Room) for Teachings and meditations, with a small office and sitting room attached.
-
A residential area for a Teacher (which is attached to the residential house).
-
There is a large hall with a stage and cooking facilities, which is rented out to interested groups e.g. Tai Chi & Yoga classes etc.
-
A residential house, with four rooms to rent on a monthly basis.
Spiritual and General Enquiries
Erica Cell: 082 565 6135
Philip Cell: 083 255 6089
We have four rooms with common kitchen and bathroom facilities to rent on a monthly basis and for enquiries about renting space in our hall.
Please contact: Vera Tel: 011-782 8581
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TIBET
Festival OF COMPASSION
The Office of Tibet, Pretoria, in collaboration with Tibet Society of South Africa is organizing Tibet Festival of Compassion in celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 70th Birthday in July 2005.
The festival will be the biggest event on Tibetan cultural heritage ever held in South African. The festival will showcase the creation of Sand Mandala by Tibetan Buddhist Monks; Traditional Tibetan Music & Dance Performances by artistes from the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, a professional Tibetan Thangka painter will demonstrate and explain the art of Thangka painting and Exhibitions on Tibetan Medicine, Thangka Paintings and a Photo Journey to Tibet. There will also be screening of movies like Compassion in Exile, Story of the 14th Dalai Lama, Yogis of Tibet and Compassionate Healing, about the Traditional Tibetan Medicine. Teachings and talks on Tibetan Buddhism and Culture will also feature during the festival and you can also browse lots of esoteric stalls.
The festival will be held in Durban Jewish Club on July 17, Cape Town Novalis Ubuntu Centre on July 23 & 24 and Johannesburg Lamrim Buddhist Centre on July 30 & 31.
For further information, Contact: Office of Tibet: 012-664 1193 /4 Email: [email protected] or visit: www.officeoftibet.com
TIBET
Festival OF COMPASSION
In celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 70th Birthday
July 30 & 31, 2005
Lam Rim Buddhist Centre, Joburg
Cor First & Kite Streets, Vrededorp (near SABC) Call: 012- 664 1193
DAY ONE: 09:00 – 10:00am Sand Mandala Opening Ceremony
10:00 – 10:30am Chief Guest to inaugurate the festival
05:00 - 06:30 pm Tibetan Dance and Music Show
DAY TWO: 09:00 – 10:00am Sangsol (Fire Puja) by Geshe Phende 05:00 - 06:30 pm Tibetan Dance and Music Show
06:30 – 07:00pm Sand Mandala Closing Ceremony
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(The programmes are subject to change)
call: 072 200 4022 email: [email protected]
www.officeoftibet.com
Entrance Fees
Day Long Festival: R20 per day (Children below 10 free)
Special Evening Event: R50 per show Tibetan Music and Dance Show
Donor: R200 (access to all the events with special arrangements)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAND MANDALA .
Tibetan Culture is one of the most ancient and richest cultures in the world and the construction of sand mandalas is a unique art-form steeped in spiritual symbology. In Tibetan this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means mandala of coloured powders.
Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "circle". Mandalas are symbols of the Universe and its energy. Tibetan Buddhist monks create these archetypal templates to remind us of the cycle of life and death. A Mandala has many layers of meaning, such as cosmic diagrams and support for meditation.
Appreciating the artistry of the Sand Mandala, we are challenged to see beyond our own definition of art, with values on innovation and self-expression. In Tibetan ritual arts, collaboration in the execution of the Sand Mandala is considered to be more valuable than originality.
In ancient times in Tibet, brightly coloured stones were finely crushed to make the sand used for making the Mandalas. Today, white stones are ground and dyed with opaque water colour to produce the bright stones found in the sand paintings. The basic colours white, black, blue, red, yellow, and green have three shades- dark, medium, and light - a total of fourteen colours.
OPENING CEREMONY: The monks will begin the sand mandala painting with a ceremony of chants, music and mantra recitation for blessing the site to make it conducive for creating the mandala.
DRAWING OF THE LINES: After the opening ceremony, the monks start drawing the line design for the mandala. This is very exacting work based on sacred geometrical presentations found in ancient scriptures.
MANDALA CONSTRUCTION: Throughout its creation, the monks pour millions of grains of sand from traditional metal funnels called chakpur. The finished mandala is usually approximately five feet in diameter, but can vary in size and complexity, depending on the number of monks who are undertaking the work and the time taken to complete it.
MANDALA COMPLETION: The monks conclude their creation of the sand mandala with a consecration ceremony to request the continue blessings of the invoked deities of the mandala.
DISMANTALING OF MANDALA: During the closing ceremony, the monks dismantle the mandala, sweeping up the coloured sands to symbolize the impermanence of all existence. The mixed sand is distributed to the audience as blessings for personal health and healing with the remaining will be poured into the nearest river.
In recent years, Tibetan Buddhist monks have been travelling around the world to conduct healing ceremonies, creating Sand Mandalas, and performing traditional religious dances and music to bring awareness of the Tibetan people's struggle for their rights to have freedom of religious and cultural practice in Tibet. This facilitates us to invite three monks from Drepung Monastery to make a Sand Mandala for this festival.
The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) was one of the first institutes that His Holiness the Dalai Lama founded in India in August 1959, after coming into exile in March of the same year. Being one of the premiere institutes, TIPA has been entrusted with the responsibility of preserving and promoting Tibet’s unique tradition of performing arts which suffered unprecedented destruction especially during the Cultural Revolution. TIPA is a vibrant and creative institute with over 100 permanent members, including a Director, instructors, artistes, musicians, trainees and general staff all work with a clear sense of direction towards the preservation of Tibetan cultural and traditional art of performances.
Adorned with their rich traditional Tibetan ornaments and costumes, troupes from TIPA make frequent tours to the Americas, European countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and so on, where hall packed audiences applaud their performances and colourful photos become a show-piece in daily print media. Tibet being a country with a recorded history of 2500 years, Tibetans also have a variety of dances, music and musical instruments which are performed and played with melodious charm by the artistes of TIPA.
Tibetan Medicine Exhibition
Photos and herbs of Traditional Tibetan Medical System with descriptions, and Medicine Pills and products of Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute) will be on display.
Tibetan Medicine (Sowa-Rigpa) had been in practice in Tibet for over the past 2500 years and millions of people continue to consult this healing system around the world and particularly in sub-Himalayan countries.
Sowa Rigpa-Tibetan Medicine is a science, art and philosophy that provide a holistic approach to health care. It is a science because its principles are enumerated in a systematic and logical framework based on an understanding of the body and its relationship to the environment. It is an art because it uses diagnostic techniques based on the creativity, insight, subtlety and compassion of the medical practitioner. And it is a philosophy because it embraces the key Buddhist principles of altruism, karma and ethics.
Dr. Lhakpa Dolma will conduct FREE consultation.
Call 072 200 4022 for booking
Thangka Painting Exhibition
About 30 Tibetan Buddhist Thangkas (Traditional Tibetan Art of Painting) will be displayed, depicting different Tibetan Buddhist deities such as; Buddha, Tara, Chenrezig & Kalachakra
A professional Thangka Painter will demonstrate & explain the art of the Thangka painting.
Tibet: a Photo Exhibition
About 40 photos, all are taken in Tibet and Tibetans in Diaspora.
Most of the photos were taken in the nomadic areas on the northern Plains of Tibet; a few were taken in the areas surrounding Lhasa, and in India. Some of the places pictured in the exhibition have never been seen by Westerners. Photos by Tashi Wangdu Web: www.jumur.net
TALKS
10:30 am Institution of HH the Dalai Lama: Jampal Chosang
11:30 am Introduction of Sand Mandala Painting: Geshe Phende
01:00 pm Tibet- past, present and future: Tashi Wangdu
02:00 pm Introduction of Tibetan Art of Thangka Painting: Ugen
03:00 pm Introduction of Tibetan Medicine: Dr. Lhakpa Dolma
TIBET FILM FESTIVAL
Compassion in Exile 10:30 hrs
The story of the 14th Dalai Lama www.philipglass.com
Directed by Mickey Lemle Dur: 60 min
Compassionate Healing 11:30 hrs
(Introduction to Tibetan Medicine) Dur: 60 min www.men-tsee-khang-org
Produced by Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute
Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion 12:30 hrs
Directed by Tom Peosay Dur: 104 min www.cryofthesnowlion.com
The Yogis of Tibet: A Film for Posterity 14:15 hrs
Directed by Borack, Phil & Jo Dur: 77 min www.theyogisoftibet.com
© 2003 Lamrim Buddhist Centre, SA Webmaster : click here
