Offering towering mountains, coursing rivers and shimmering plains, Tibet sparks the imagination like nowhere else. A mecca for mysticism, its magnificent monasteries, fluttering prayer flags and chanting monks are as compelling as its dramatic scenery. Intrigued by this mysterious land, I slipped out after work on Thursday to explore Tibet’s Secret Temple at the Wellcome Collection.
Yarlung Zangbo River, Tibet.
Escaping the traffic fug of the Euston Road, I feel a sense of calm wash over me as I slip into the exhibition’s inner sanctum. As if in a dream, lavish, technicolour images invite me to take my first steps in this exotic land. Transfixed, my eyes feast on gently hypnotic oars as they glide towards the Secret Temple.
L0079970 07, Pilgrim rowing a yak skin coracle. David Bickerstaff
Originally accessible only by boat, the Lukhang temple was built during the 17th century in Lhasa for the use of the fifth and sixth Dalai Lamas as a retreat for meditation and spiritual practice. And I soon gather, the occasional romantic tryst. The temple is cleverly constructed in the image of a three-dimensional mandala. Three tiers represent the three dimensions of enlightenment – outer reality, inner experience and a transcendent dimension beyond time and space.
Pray, Lhasa
Inner experience is a major theme of the exhibition and is the golden thread intertwined throughout the exhibition’s 120 objects. Each piece unravels both the Temple’s secrets and the fascinating world of Tantric Buddhism and its yogic and meditation practices. The harmony between mind and body is portrayed in the dynamic movement of Cham dances as well as physical yoga. It’s also interesting to note that the current trend in mindfulness can be traced back to all Buddhist lineages where cleansing the mind is viewed with the same importance as personal hygiene.
Lhasa pray wheels
The prevalence of human bones amidst the Temple’s treasures is more than a tad unnerving particularly when coming face to face with a six-foot demonic deity. Crafted into ceremonial ornaments, skulls are transformed into bowls while other bones become masks and statues or implements designed to cut away the ego.
Buddhist human skull vessel and brass stand.
Highlighting the impermanence of life, the ghoulish ornaments highlight the transcendence of fear and inhibition that Tibetan Buddhists believe can be achieved through yogic and meditation practices. All a far cry from the taboo status that still surrounds death in the Western world.
Milarepa (1040-1 123) Meditating in a Mountain
The exhibition ends with another video featuring leading academics, a Buddhist monk and the principal of UCL Academy in discussion on the health benefits of meditation and mindfulness.
The subject of much medical scrutiny over the years, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is now available as part of stress reduction programmes here in the UK. It’s also gratifying to note that schoolchildren are now being equipped from an early age with the tools needed to combat stress and anxiety. In the fast-paced corporate world, we could all do with our own Secret Temple to retreat to.
Tibet’s Secret Temple is a free exhibition run by the Wellcome Collection from the
19 November to 28 February 2016
Galleries closed on Monday
Open late on Thursdays: 10.00 – 22.00