Learn to Draw & Paint Buddhas and Mandalas in the Ancient Tradition of Thangka
Thangka Retreats Europe and Online / World Animal Day / Update Nepal flash floods and donation
Hope you enjoyed the Tibetan New Year celebrations online with me or with your family or sangha!Dear Reader,
This Sunday it’s World Animal Day. This international day of action is celebrated every year on October 4 to improve animal welfare standards and raise the status of animals worldwide.
To celebrate this day I will offer a Workshop‘Drawing Animals in the Tibetan Tradition’in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (see below)
Oct 4th is a good day to think about the incredible suffering of animals worldwide, and to do some practice for them, such as reciting mantras. On my website you can find several pages with info:
Animal Care in the Buddhist Tradition
Incl. downloads with mantras that you can recite for animals in daily life, as well as what you can do for them when they’re dying.
Vegetarianism, Veganism & Buddhism
If you eat meat, it’s a good day to consciously make a vow to refrain from eating animals (and dairy). Here I also talk about my own journey.
The list of all Online Thangka Retreats this year (such as Eight Auspicious Symbols, Buddha Face and White Tara)
And an update on the Nepal sudden flash floods disaster (that happened on Aug 26) and the amount of money that will be donated to Relief Funds on behalf of the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art and I.
With Metta,
Carmen
IN-PERSON
Upcoming Thangka Courses
This retreat is offered in Dutch, translations possible on request
AMSTERDAM, Nederland
4 Okt (WORLD ANIMAL DAY)
Dieren op de Thangka
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Speciaal voor Dierendag wordt deze dagworkshop georganiseerd bij Maitreya Instituut Amsterdam, waarbij je verschillende dieren leert te tekenen die veel voorkomen op thangka’s, zoals Herten, Vogels en Yaks..
This retreat is offered in Dutch, translations possible on request
VELUWE, Nederland
29 Okt – 1 Nov
Mandala van de
Vijf Wijsheids-Boeddha’s
bij Maitreya Instituut Loenen, inclusief alle overnachtingen en maaltijden
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In deze heerlijke vierdaagse retraite leer je de Mandala te tekenen (en evt. later te schilderen)van de Vijf Boeddha-Families die vertegenwoordigd worden door Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi en Vairocana.
Elke Boeddha is een manifestatie van de verlichte geest en belichaamt oa. een kleur, chakra, element, richting en wijsheid, waarmee deze een specifieke negatieve emotie transformeert in een positieve.
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Je kunt ervoor kiezen om de Mandala met de Boeddha’s erin te maken, of een iets eenvoudiger versie waarbij de Boeddha’s vertegenwoordigd zijn door hun symbolen.
Daardoor deze cursus geschikt voor zowel beginners als gevorderden.
This course is offered in English, translations possible on request
VENICE, Italy
5-8 Nov
A special Four-Day Course, held in a traditional Venetian Palazzo
Samantabhadri & Samantabhadra
Learn to draw the Primordial Buddha with consort
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Samantabhadra, known as the Primordial Buddha, represents the absolute, unconditioned reality.
To symbolize pure, uncorrupted awareness, he is typically depicted completely naked and sky-blue in color..
Samantabhadra is frequently portrayed in a yab-yum (sacred embrace) with Samantabhadri, his white-colored consort.
Together, they symbolize the indivisible union of wisdom (emptiness) and compassion (method).
Creating art in the city where you are surrounded by art is such a great combination. This course is perfect to combine with a visit to the famous Venice Art Biennale.
This course is offered in English, translations possible on request
VIENNA, Austria
12 Nov
Afternoon workshop at the Panchen Losang Chogyen Center
Introduction to Thangka Art
incl. Drawing the Buddha Face
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This three hour workshop offers a great introduction on Tibetan thangka painting (Buddhist scroll paintings). After the lecture you’ll learn how to draw the Face of the Buddha according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
This is also the prerequisite for the subsequent course on Green Tara.
This course is offered in English, translations possible on request
VIENNA, Austria
12-15 Nov
Four-Day Thangka Course at the Panchen Losang Chogyen Center
Green Tara
The Manifestation of Active Compassion
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Green Tara is the most famous female Buddha, and in this course you will learn to draw her according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.–
Green Tara is a fully enlightened female Buddha and a powerful Bodhisattva in Tibetan Buddhism. She embodies active compassion, wisdom, and swift, fearless action.
Also known as the ‘Mother of all Buddhas‘ and the ‘Saviouress,’ she is revered for her unique vow toalways reincarnate in a female form to guide sentient beings toward liberation.
In addition to experiencing the meditational way of thangka drawing, you will learn all about the backgrounds and symbolism of Green Tara. You will also learn her Mantra, including its meaning and how to work with it.
Creating art in a city where you are surrounded by beautiful museums and art -think of Klimt, Schiele, the Wiener Werkstätte, and Hundertwasser- is such a great combination. In addition to visiting the museums you can also enjoy the many Christmas Markets in Vienna in November.
This retreat is offered in Dutch, translations possible on request
AMSTERDAM, Nederland
29 Nov
Gezicht van de Boeddha
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Deze dagworkshop, georganiseerd bij Maitreya Instituut Amsterdam, geeft een goede introductie in de kunst van Thangka, waarbij je naast lezingen ook zelf een Boeddhagezicht leert maken volgens de traditie van thangka.
The Eight Auspicious Symbols Draw the most famous Tibetan Symbols in a course over 10 weeks
A special course over 10 weeks, ending on Losar (Tibetan New Year)
Learn to draw these prosperous symbols separately, or in a beautiful mandala (or both!). In an easy to follow step by step process, Carmen will take you along on a special journey into the new year.
Each week a new module with symbol will open up for you, and you will not only learn how to draw them but also learn the deep meanings and teachings behind them and how you can use that in your daily life.
During this thangka course at the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art, you will learn how to draw the face of the Buddha according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Through Carmen’s combination of creating art step by step, mindfulness meditation and explanations about thangka and iconography, you will not only create a meaningful drawing, but you will gain an experience that lasts way longer than the duration of this course,
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In this in-depth course, you will learn how to draw this beautiful female Buddha. Carmen will take you onto a journey into the New Year, with the course ending on Losar, Tibetan New Year.
An image of White Tara can be offered to someone who’s ill or who you wish a long life to, or can be offered to a newly born baby.
Tara’s meditation practice, also included in this course, has been done for centuries to prolong life and to overcome life-threatening obstacles.
Before the course starts a package with the traditional grid proportions for drawing this Buddha will be shipped to you.
Info page
On my website I made a page with info on the Nepal sudden flash floods disaster that happened on Aug 2026, with info on the best relief funds to donate to, what prayers and practices to do etc. This page is regularly updated. Read More
Donation on behalf of the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art
The announced 50% of the proceeds of all online courses and bundles that started in Sep at the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art(and are currently running) made a donation of $1,430.14 USD, that will be donated to Relief Funds for Nepal.
More extreme weather
Just weeks after the catastrophic flooding disaster on the Nepal-China border, Nepal was hit yesterday (Sep 27th) by more extreme weather. Heavy rain over the weekend has killed 14 people and left several missing, while an avalanche at Himlung Himal base camp has left more than 10 missing. See this short CNN video about it
