Tonight I went to the bookstore and found this incredible book/shrine called Tibetan Buddhist Altars: A Pop-Up Gallery of Traditional Art & Wisdom. It was created by Tad Wise (concept), Robert Beer (text, illustration) and David Carter (paper engineering). It is the most clever and beautiful thing I've seen in a long while. The outside looks like the doors to a temple or shrine, and there is a tab that holds them closed. Open them and they fold out to form supports if you put the book upright.

The center of the book is held by two elastic straps at the top corners, and once you open them the first pages come down to show one altar and Deity: Shakyamuni Buddha. You see a whole 3 D pop up altar, basically, and at the front is a label card that opens with more information about Him. You can fit the elastic cords back on to leave this altar showing.

Or, go to the next page/altar! Yes, it keeps opening, like a complex lotus.

Next comes Padmapani Avalokiteshvara. Each Deity comes with a mantra, and the mantra here is "Om Mani Padme Hum."

But wait, there's more! (I know I sound like a commercial.)

Green Tara appears, gazing compassionately. Her mantra is "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha" and it is said to develop compassion and protect from all fears. We learn that "...She was lotus-born from a lake formed by Avalokiteshvara's tears and that she vowed to remain in female form until she has liberated all beings from the sufferings of cyclic existence."

We are then greeted by Manjushri, Whose mantra is "Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih" and are told that His "radiant and youthful orange form illuminates the darkness of ignorance, transforming it into pristine knowledge, awareness and wisdom."

Finally, the Medicine Buddha is revealed and we are told that His mantra helps to alleviate all afflictions. This mantra is: "Tayatha Om Bhaishajye Bhaishajye Mahabhaishajye Raja Samudgate Svaha."

The first mantra was "Om Muni Muni Mahamunaye Svaha." This was the mantra for Shakyamuni Buddha "which helps to develop morality, meditation, and wisdom."

The art work is stunning and the pop up engineering is very cleverly done. If I remember this book was about $21.00 or so and it is worth every cent. It is going with me on my next trip to the hospital.

I have been wanting to create my own portable shrines and this has inspired me to really get some materials and go for it.

Any other cool books or resources for Buddhism to share? Websites with such materials?

How I wish I had a web cam and could take some pictures. Next time you see a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist image, poster, etc., imagine it in 3 D pop up with a beautiful framing double door effect around it. Quite amazing.

Here's another--wrathful Green Tara!

I will add some more in my gallery. I exceeded my upload limit for these!

Pilgrimage to Muktinath, will I ever make it ?



Muktinath [3802 m] is a walk toward north east - depending which season - of approx. 6 days, starting from Kathmandu.



The streams are full of salagram silas, supernatural round pebbles with a little conch inside.



The landscape looks very ancient - reminding of thousands and thousands of yogis who went this path in the past.



No electricity, no cars, no TV.



Small villages who are cut off during winter season.



The little Muktinath temple - here, since thousands of years Buddhism and Hinduism are peacefully going side by side. Inside this shrine one can observe blue flames that spring from the mountain rock along with a stream of water.



When arriving at Muktinath we see 108 Gangas (cow head shaped water spout) and when walking through all of them one is considered to be liberated eternally.

This is a peaceful manifestation.

Beautiful pictures, Jatayu!


But isn't it electric cables I see between the two floors of the building you gave this caption?

You're right - this looks like some electricity cables.
But it seems they only have electricity for only 2 hours/day.
http://www.pvv.org/~bct/backpack/mukti.html
"..Another rather unholy thing are all the guesthouses, in particular the Bob Marley Bar, where they play reggae only, for both the two hours of electricity they have each day. It's just about enough electricity so that I could charge my electrical shaver again. I think my perfect shave each and every morning must annoy the other trekkers, who most often choose to let the hair in their face grow while they're in the wilderness. Oh well..."

Although in2-mec.com is closed there's still the original report about Suhotra's travel to Muktinath online:
http://www.salagram.net/sstp-SS-J040513.htm

It was interesting to read about Muktinath. I really have to wonder about the flame in the temple--what causes it? (In a science sense, that is) I gather it is a natural phenomenon of some sort. It sounds quite amazing, and of course the emphasis on elements is very pagan.

It seems this remains a mystery of creation, something like only God is able to combine water&fire in harmony?

"..People of Southern Asia localize cosmic power in water. This idea is often accompanied by myths like the earth being fished out or emerging from the primeval water. The legend of Kathmandu valley speaks of the Valley as a dark fathomless void of water -- a lake inhabited by serpents (nagas) into which the spirit of God was floating in the form of a flame in the lotus flower.

From this valley of water (a primordial lake) the heavenly body of Adi Buddha in the form of flame on a lotus flower appeared from the depths of water, which forms the present day Swayambhunath (the self-existent one) and the city Kathmandu. Thus water is viewed as the foundation of all lives.

The mortal Bodhi Satwa (Manjushri) came for pilgrimage after hearing about the flame in the lake. So God appeared in the void and watery chaos; his mortal servant drained the lake of water creating what we call, heaven and earth. The flame in the lotus flower is the Swayambhunath today (the seat of God) and the city of Kathmandu, the living place for the mortals. Thus order was created out of the chaos which was a fathomless lake inhabited by serpents. Kathmandu being borne of water can be seen as a symbolic expression of the role of water in the social life of the people in the villages, towns and cities of the valley, as well as the whole country

Water is viewed as an instrument for purification and expiation. Water lustrations are especially necessary after touching the dead, any polluted item or polluted beings, and as purificatory washing for priests and kings.

Pollution of any form is purified by taking a holy bath into the sacred river before other rituals of purification. Before starting any ritual, one bathes to purify oneself with holy water ìnilahî, and only then is worship performed. Priests bathe with unpolluted water preferably from holy rivers, wells or lakes before performing rites and rituals. Water is also important in death purification rituals, and initiation rituals. In Bungamati, people use the ponds in the village for performing various death rituals instead of going to the Bagmati, which is at some distance from the village. Sometimes, purification is also performed by using ordinary tap water into which gold is dipped (Sunpani: Nepali) and sprinkled over the body or around the house. In Newari it is called lulah, (the act of sprinkling of water over the body). In case of pollution caused by the touch of menstruating woman, sprinkling of such water is commonly used as purification in the Nepalese/Newari society. Some years ago, Newars in Bungamati would bathe to purify themselves if they accidentally touched pigs or untouchable jats; today however, people sprinkle nilah or sunpani to purify such pollution. Some may not even bother to do that. ìNasilaî in Newari means purifying the mouth by sprinkling water three times into the mouth and face. This purification is performed before worship or before getting nilah for household or for traditional tantric treatment of illness when water is needed if one is unable to purify by bathing..." full story
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Pray for peace