Lama Tashi Norbu – A Gifted Buddhist Monk on a Mission

Lama Tashi one of the world’s most prolific contemporary and traditional Tibetan Buddhist visual artists, recently made a stop in Idyllwild to introduce himself, his art, and his culture.

Presented by LIVING FREE Animal Sanctuary, on March 12th at the Rustic Theater, guests were afforded an unforgettable, multi-faceted spiritual art-in-society event by an established contemporary artist spreading the enlightened wisdom of Buddhist teachings.

At first glance, the Rustic lobby was transformed into a gallery exhibit space for 7 of his spectacular original paintings.

An intimate storyteller, Lama Norbu began the evening by sharing his artistic journey followed by an early premiere of his inspiring documentary “Lama Tashi Norbu” filmed by Beenu Rajpoot.

The film features remarkable family stories including his ancestral shamanic roots and the profile of both grandparents who laid a deep love of nature and understanding of the many dimensions of life through their life work as spiritual leaders in their community.

Lama Norbu’s childhood in Bhutan was spent surrounded by nature, drawing with a finger in the air or in sand. Bhutan offered little by way of art supplies, but pre-teen Tashi found furniture paints and began illustrating the walls of his childhood home much to his family’s amazement.

Until the age of 18 Lama Norbu was educated as a Buddhist practitioner at the Tibetan school in India, where was intensively taught the principles and philosophies of Lord Buddha. Twelve years of art classes in traditional Tibetan painting were followed by a degree from the Academy of Visual Arts in Belgium, and artistic residency in the private residence of his holiness the 14th Dali Lama in Dharamshala, India.

The amazing evening closed with Lama Norbu live painting three spectacular Buddha’s exemplifying three Sublime States, loving-kindness, sympathetic-joy and compassion, unifying heart, mind and body, while he and the audience chanted for peace and unity.

He closed the evening with a teaching regarding true speech. “This means, make whatever you say, be beneficial. Every word. Speak without any useless words. I offer you this prayer: may I use my true words for the purpose of expressing my true soul always.” He thanked the audience wishing us all success and reminding us of his passion for sharing Tibetan culture “…because the whole of Tibet is dying, becoming extinct, we have been in exile for over 60 years.”

Due to this powerful motivation, for the past 12 years Lama Norbu has initiated art exhibitions and activities throughout Europe and Asia. He founded Tibet House Poland and the Tibetan Museum of Contemporary Art in Emmen, Netherlands, the world’s first museum dedicated to housing and exhibiting contemporary Tibetan Art.

Lama Norbut also hosts annual exhibitions titled “Tibet Art Now 2.0” where Tibetan artists from around the world participate in Holland. “I have also created many giant statues of Buddha’s that symbolize our choices since we are facing global warming because of cutting down of acres of forest,”

“I created a huge Buddha recycled auto metal and aluminum plate cut out into flower forms that extends 6 meters in size. And, in 2016 the urban Buddha was made of about 3500 pounds of reclaimed recycled wood by me and 29 artists in Chicago’s Grand Park.”

Lama Norbu has been touring the US from NYC to San Francisco for several months. Prior to this trip he traveled to four continents offering inner peace programs, painting exhibitions in many styles, while conveying messages of environmental awareness to recycle – symbolizing our passion and love of nature.

He also conducts the live meditation sessions reciting traditional Tibetan mantras for the “peace of self” and painting performances for art lovers. Tibetan traditional tattoos based on an individual’s personal astrology is another specialty as are personalized Sacred Thanka Paintings and Tibetan sand painting demonstrations highlighting the impermanence of life.