Creating sacred art links the artist with the beauty and power of the sacred image in a special relationship. One of the purposes of the Nyingma Institute is to make this meaningful work available to people in the West. Over the years Institute students and volunteers have created sacred statues, wall hangings, prayer flags, and stained glass windows. The special quality of sacred art stems from its source in the mind of enlightenment and its creation for the purpose of deeper understanding and wider vision. The creator of such art participates in a unique practice that joins the path of wisdom with the path of accumulating merit.
Wisdom arises through the realization of the unity of the senses and their object.
Merit comes forth as the work of art becomes a beacon leading all those who are responsive on their own journey of awakening. Tarthang Tulku, Gesar Magazine, Vol. Currently the Institute is in the midst of creating over 10,000 small votive seals imprinted with the image of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. Called Tsa-tsas, these small images condense the Buddha s wisdom and compassion in a symbolic form that invites the blessings of peace and harmony into the world. The form of Tsa-tsas, first shown by the Buddha to his disciple Shariputra, promote harmony and balance in nature and among living beings.