12 minute read
ARTS & EVENTS
Life’s Rich Tapestry
Thangka artist Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo shares her “Threads of Awakening”
by Tim Pompey
It started innocently enough as an adventurous trip to India. But what Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo discovered during her years traveling to India was both a spiritual calling and an artistic revelation. That’s what she shares in her new book ”Threads of Awakening” (with a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama), which was released by She Writes Press on Aug. 23.
Rinchen-Wongmo made her first trip to India after she graduated from UCLA in 1988 with an MBA focused on urban planning and nonprofit and land development. On a summer break, she decided to go to India. A land of cultural diversity and beautiful landscapes, multiple cultures and breathtaking mountains. And why not? Jobs were plentiful. She was young and had a couple of months to enjoy herself before starting a job in September. “It was just supposed to be a summer trip to Kashmir and Ladakh,” Rinchen-Wongmo recalled. What she learned surprised her. “The first trip was when I got hooked on the idea to travel more spaciously,” she said. “I met people who were backpacking for a year. That’s when the idea got into me to return for a longer stretch.” Rinchen-Wongmo felt com-
COURTESY PHOTO
"Threads of Awakening" is Rinchen-Wongmo's new book with a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. pelled to return to India. “There was something about the freedom in being in a very different world, in a different culture,” she said. “It removed all the standard assumptions that we live with every day. I found it very freeing and encouraging of wonderment.” Eventually, Rinchen-Wongmo returned to the States and moved to Boston to work in urban planning. But the seed was planted. She knew that she would come back to India. Not just for adventure. She wanted to stay and spend extended time with Tibetans, whose government had been driven into Northern India by the People’s Republic of China.
Cultural and spiritual fabric
In 1992, her plan was to go to Dharamshala for a year. While living there, she had arranged a volunteer job with the planning council for the Tibetan government in exile, doing economic development proposals and census planning. She ended up staying for eight-plus years, studying the Tibetan language and Buddhism and pursuing her passion for Thangka fabric art. Thangka as a visual art form has a long, storied history in Tibet. Thangka paintings were art scrolls used to uplift and encourage Tibetan citizens toward the virtues of Buddhism. They sometimes painted historical figures like the Buddha but, most commonly, the art form featured iconography for idealized Buddhist virtues. A rarer form of Thangka, known as fabric art using silk applique, caught RinchenWongmo’s eye. While both forms of Thangka serve the same purpose, Thangka fabric art can be much more prominent, and function as a large, bordered wall hanging that can be several stories high and placed on the side of a high wall or building. What drew her to this form of Thangka? “It’s almost unexplainable,” Rinchen-Wongmo noted. “It was just a powerful emotional experience.” While she had previous Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo is an artist who pursued her passion for Thangka fabric art. experience with quilting, Thangka fabric art was something different. It was pictorial and reflective of Buddhist thought. Patches of silk cloth pictures were sewn together by horsehair thread. It required a delicate hand to create the patches and sew the images together. “I was studying Buddhist philosophy,” she recalled, “and somehow it just pulled these two things together, and it was beautiful.” It was love at first sight, and so, with careful forethought and gentle persuasion, she inquired around Dharamshala and convinced a local teacher to get her started. Between studying Buddhism and practicing Thangka fabric art, she spent several years learning the craft and the culture. It was a serious shift in her life. Describing her previous self as an art “dabbler,” she transformed from a curious observer to a committed practitioner. Starting from square one, she found her life’s purpose in the art form and the study of Buddhism. Both had a significant impact on her life. “Buddhism and my art are intertwined,” she stated. “They carry out my life’s values.”
Threads of Awakening
As for her new book, there’s a different story to be told. It takes a lot of energy and focus to write a book. Rinchen-Wongmo is scrupulous in her wordsmanship and has openly admitted there are times when she doesn’t care for writing. “I can get lost for hours in one sentence,” she said. However, she can write and feels this book gives essential details about her life’s journey toward Buddhism and art. “I have a skill,” she emphasized, “and I have a rare position and opportunity. I think I knew early on that it would be good for me to write a book about this art form. There are no other books about it. It’s worthy of a book.” It took her 20 years to get to it and five years after that to finish and find the right publisher to support it. But she persisted, and the result has been worth the effort. “Threads of Awakening” is a memoir with added value. While recounting her years in India, the book is also a lay introduction to Tibetan art, culture and Buddhist philosophy. It puts in readable language the impetus for her art and her fascination and immersion into Tibetan culture. “What I have is the gift and opportunity of my personal experience with the art,” she explained. “It became a memoir because I wrote it from my perspective.” But beyond the personal experience, Rinchen-Wongmo writes about the beauty, humor, and strength of a culture that has been seriously undermined and forced to leave its home state. It's a cultural exploration through the written word at a level that a reader will find interesting, insightful, and even inspirational. “Over the years, I realized that my story might also impact other people who may not get to India,” she said. “But they might do something else outside their normal path. And even if it’s Buddhist, the book is intended to be universally helpful.” As for her own journey, she paused to reflect: “I’m grateful to have lived a very fortunate life, both in my origin and family background,” she said, “and for having the resources to travel like this. I was welcomed by the Tibetans and my teachers who were completely open to sharing their
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"Buddha Shakyamuni and the Six Supports" is an appliqué thangka made by Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo in 1997 and shown to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
This collaborative project made by students in Rinchen-Wongo's Stitching Buddhas Virtual Apprentice Program features raised outlines created by silkwrapped horsehair cords. art, their culture, and themselves with me.” But it also says something about Rinchen-Wongmo’s willingness to leave a comfortable career and pursue a different life in a foreign language and culture. “I was able to blend myself into what was happening in Dharamshala,” she said. “I was inspired by other people I met doing the same thing. It freed me to be open to this new experience without stressing out. My usual fears just dissolved.” “Threads of Awakening” is available for purchase at threadsofawakening.com/ book. Rinchen-Wongmo will give a talk and sign copies of her book on Saturday, Sept. 24, starting at 11:30 a.m. at Mystic Journey Bookstore in Santa Monica (2923 Main Street).
ACROSS
1 Milk option 5 Organs with the smallest bones in the body 9 Escapade 14 Good point 19 __ Domini 20 Grad 21 Old-timey truth 22 “You win!” 23 Love letters between Andre
Agassi and Steffi
Graf? 26 Word repeated in a Culture Club song 27 Halvah flavor 28 Letters before a handle 29 Type of lift 31 Glance 32 Hot food served extra cold? 37 City east of
Pittsburgh 40 Force on Earth 41 Spotted 42 Vientiane language 43 Chemical relative 47 Lawmaking bodies 50 Cast members who may sing
“Under the Sea” at sea? 56 “__ been thinking ... ” 57 “Wreck-It Ralph” setting 58 Museum hanging 59 Not ’neath 60 Supermodel with a Global Chic collection on
HSN 61 “We need help!” 63 Like Roy Haylock as Bianca Del
Rio 66 Change 67 Musical composition to meditate to? 71 Walks in the shallows 74 Miley Cyrus’s
“Party in __” 75 Fuel rating 78 Flaps 79 See 95-Across 80 Nutrition fig. 83 Check out, in a way 85 Convent resident 86 Ransack the
Grand Ole Opry? 91 Grow resentful 93 Saudi __ 94 Apple platform 95 With 79-Across, drink with tapioca pearls 96 Running wear? 98 Highest 102 Money made by one with a Messiah complex? 108 MLB family name 109 Wine from Douro 110 Rio maker 111 Reached by plane 115 Moved to a better fishing spot, maybe 117 Excited cry when
Alabama pulled even in the big game? 121 Sound from a steeple 122 __ butter 123 Weymouth of
Talking Heads 124 Nick at __ 125 All gone 126 Director Welles 127 “The Addams
Family” adjective 128 Grows old
DOWN
1 H.S. exams 2 Meniscus location 3 Country lodgings 4 European microstate led by
Prince Albert II 5 Enter with caution 6 Chamonix
backdrop 7 Sub-suburban 8 Great __
Mountains 9 Snake also known as Naja haje 10 Neither’s partner 11 Play the recorder, perhaps 12 “Brace yourself for heavy news” 13 Inexpensive 14 Puffin kin 15 Podded plant 16 Hours reduced by unplugging 17 Composer
Bernstein 18 Tropical hardwoods 24 “If u ask me” 25 __ fly 30 Hem over, say 33 Secular 34 Breaks up a plot, say 35 Memo header 36 Hutches 37 “M*A*S*H” star 38 Hideouts 39 “Vissi d’arte” opera 44 Sign for a packed house 45 French affirmative 46 Surroundings 47 “Groo the
Wanderer” cartoonist
Aragonés 48 __ Rachel Wood of “Westworld” 49 Text command 51 Forces that act on water? 52 Perfect places 53 “The Walking
Dead” actor
Steven 54 Pineapple center 55 “You __ what you sow” 60 “Let me clarify ... ” 62 Small sofa 64 “Illmatic” rapper 65 Takoma Park,
Md., region 66 When “Vissi d’arte” is sung in 39-Down 68 Seehorn of
“Better Call Saul” 69 Sound from a steeple 70 Beige hue 71 Fashion designer
Vera 72 Together, musically 73 “This is your only chance” 76 Mystery writer
Marsh 77 Irish capital 81 Interior Secretary
Haaland 82 Mahershala of
“Green Book” 84 “Wanna know a secret?” 86 Drink brand with a lizard logo 87 Maria von __ 88 Window part 89 Shady one? 90 Persian in
Mexico, e.g. 92 “Get over it” 96 “Get Out” genre 97 Fiber __ 99 Ineffective period 100 Stack 101 Ital. peak 102 Screwball comedy 103 Hilo hello 104 Celebrity chef
DiSpirito 105 MMA call 106 Piebald horse 107 1:1, for one 112 “Wonder Woman 1984” actress
Kristen 113 French noodle 114 Words of appreciation 116 Sofa bed site 118 Stock quote? 119 __ Francisco 120 Tats
Southern Soul & Blues Extravaganza
Musicians entertained the crowd at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Culver City
By Kamala Kirk
The Southern Soul & Blues Extravaganza was recently held at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Culver City and featured an impressive roster of R&B and Southern soul musicians including Tucka King of Swing, Lacee Juicy Lips and Fat Daddy Mailman, among others. Fans from the greater Los Angeles area and as far as Northern California, Louisiana and Texas all came together under one roof to groove to the soulful sounds and performances. The event was the first major event for Cheryl J Promotions, a Southern soul, blues, R&B, jazz and Zydeco event promoter in LA. Cheryl Jackson, creator and owner of Cheryl J Promotions, shared that during the pandemic she filled many of her nights listening to Southern soul and blues music. “My girlfriends and I would set up Zoom meetings and party the night away listening to artists such as Tucka, Lacee, and Fat Daddy,” Jackson said. “I remember thinking to myself, why aren’t these artists better known on the West Coast? There are many out here that enjoy Southern soul and blues music. Fans on the West Coast should have the opportunity to see their favorite performers live, so I decided I would bring the artists out here so that fans could experience their music live. I was very pleased with the artist performances and fan turnout. Of course there were some takeaways, but I believe all in attendance had a wonderful time. I look forward to bringing more Southern soul and blues artists to Southern California.”
Cheryl J Promotions cheryljpromotions.com
Event MC Lady Coco poses for a portrait backstage. Soul singer Lacee Juicy Lips performs for the crowd.
Michele Jenkins, Luebutar Garcia, Fay Finley, and Princess Hancock attended the Southern Soul & Blues Extravaganza in Culver City.
Soul singer Fat Daddy Mailman performs onstage.
Abused by Clergy in California?
These individuals have been accused of child sexual abuse in California.
Fr. Vincent V. Cavalli
Fr. Richard T. Coughlin
Fr. Harold F. DeLisle Br. Damien Chong
Fr. Daniel J. Cremins
Fr. Joseph B. Di Peri Br. Gerald Chumik
Fr. Mario Walter Cimmarrusti Fr. John V. Coffield
Fr. Sean Cronin Fr. Christopher Cunningham Fr. Owen da Silva (de Silva)
Msgr. James Dolan
Fr. Jesus Jesse Dominguez Fr. Francis Dowd Fr. Eugene J. Colosimo
Fr. Bernard Dabbene Br. Bernard (Berard) Connolly
Fr. Wallace J. Daley Fr. John V. Cosgrove
Fr. John H. Dawson Fr. Patrick John Cotter
Fr. Harold DeJonghe
Br. Donald DuFour Fr. Albert J. Duggan
NOT PICTURED Fr. Delfin Babilonia Fr. Victor Balbin Fr. Robert Bond Fr. Jerome Bouska Fr. Franklin Buckman Fr. James Cairns
If you have information regarding alleged abuse or its cover-up involving these men, ACT NOW.
Lawsuits were filed in California involving these alleged perpetrators. The vast majority of claims against these individuals have not been fully evaluated in a civil or criminal court. The allegations should not be considered proved or substantiated in a court of law. All individuals should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
Contact us Confidentially 1-800-ITS-TIMETM
AndersonAdvocates.com
12011 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 700 Los Angeles, CA 90049
