The world and beyond - reflections of a dharma nomad

We are up in the magical foothills of the Himalaya where we came in search of the
Rigden Kings. Above the river valley in Kullu lies the Shambhala Art
School run by Noedup Rongae who is painting a thangka of the Rigden Lineage, central tothe SHambhala tradition. The Art School is a large two storey building, home
for a community of about fifteen artists, cooks, and friends  We were
warmly welcomed, given tea and stories, we took a dusk walk for a
glimpse of the local monastery where Noedup also helped with the
artwork( especially the face of the Buddha) This was followed by a tasty dinner
cooked by two sisters who have worked for him for fifteen years (since they were fourteen years old or so they said). They came withhim from Nepal, still send money home to their father and each married one of the thangka painters.
 After dinner we sat on our balcony, wrapped in a blanket and watched
the moon rise over the opposite side of the valley and the electric lights
dotted up the hillside. Nearby speakers blared out devotional
music - a nightly offering.
The next morning we we introduced to the Rigden Thangka- a work in
progress.  Inside a simple room two thangka were stretched out over
large drums. The three painters were busy on the final stages of Tusum
Khyenpa- a commission from the Karmapa to mark the 900th anniversary
of the first Karmapa- to be ready before the Kagyu Monlam in December.
Then on the larger drum, under a cotton cloth, lies the beginnings of
the Rigden Refuge Tree Thangka. As Noedup slowly rolled it around and
revealed the practitioners, protectors, deities around the base of the
tree he shared the stories of how different images were included and
how the images of the Rigdens had been given to him.  To describe this
thangka is beyond me but I have added a few inadequate photos to give
an impression.