Contemporary calligraphy art of a British Tibetan artist
The best works often come from a state of meditation.
A child sitting cross-legged.
The morning in the Wa Valley is always tinged with a sense of laziness, as the sunlight filters through the window onto a steaming cup of coffee, Tashi Mannox completes his meditation and begins the day's work.
In this quiet studio, brush, ink, and thoughts come together to create the most enchanting symphony every day.
Tashi was born in the UK to parents who were artists and devout Buddhists. They, along with frequent visitors to their home who were Buddhist practitioners, had a significant influence on his upbringing.
During his childhood, Tashi would often sit cross-legged on the living room floor, deeply engrossed in contemplation of the teachings of the masters. At the same time, the seed of his dream quietly sprouted in his heart - he wanted to become a Buddhist art artist.
The best profession
After obtaining a degree in Fine Arts, Tashi's future path became clearer. At the age of 22, he ordained as a monk of the Gelug tradition, officially taking the name Tashi, embarking on a 16-year-long monastic life.
"This aspiration had been in my heart since I was around 11 years old. At that time, in a Buddhist center in southern France, I met some elderly Tibetan lamas who were kind, knowledgeable, and simple. I was inspired by them and thought to myself, 'When I grow up, I want to be like them.'"
However, I never told anyone about my wish to become a monk, because I was afraid of rejection. I was afraid they would say, 'You are not qualified to join the monastery.' I naively thought at the time that one must have a special ability to become a monk, but later realized how absurd that thought was.
Rinpoche had already foreseen that I would soon become a monk. He was my spiritual father, watching me grow up from a young age. Sure enough, within a few months, I officially ordained as a monk. I was almost in tears at that moment, wondering how Rinpoche knew that I wanted to become a monk.
But at the same time, a great sense of relief also rose in my heart. As I had just graduated and was about to step into adulthood, facing many things like finding a job, becoming a monk was the best career for me. So when I was given this precious opportunity, I was overjoyed.
During Tashi's time in retreat
Hidden artistic cells.
"After I ordained, Rinpoche Akong guided me step by step on the path of diligence in the Dharma. He also taught me practical skills, such as sewing monk robes and hats. He had high expectations of me, always emphasizing excellence in everything I did, with no room for second best."
Tashi with Akong Rinpoche (left)
I take Manjushri Bodhisattva as my main deity in practice, praying to attain better wisdom. There are many things I need to learn, such as the spelling of Tibetan words and speed reading, and I am fully dedicated to this learning endeavor.
At that time, I was very interested in all aspects of Tibetan monk life, and I learned various religious instruments and ritual dances like Qiangmu one after another. As my practice deepened, I was appointed as a recitation master and began to teach the essence of this aspect. I completed the Manjushri practice twice, as well as a 3-year and 3-month closed retreat."
Since childhood, Tashi's parents often took him to appreciate various forms of Tibetan art, such as Thangka paintings, "I also visited Sangye Lin at that time, where the decorations were exquisitely beautiful. So Tibetan art elements have surrounded me since childhood."
In Sangye Ling, there is a Tibetan art master named Xirebaideen Bieru, who often leads Tashi to appreciate the exquisite decorative forms in traditional temples.
Speaking of this master, he recalled, "When I was young, I used to sit in his thangka painting studio watching him paint, observing the deities in the thangkas, his color choices, and the beautiful yet unique landscape paintings."
Scriptures eroded by the wind.
Years later, during a four-year retreat, Tashi was given the opportunity to transcribe scriptures. In the days and nights that followed, the beauty of Tibetan calligraphy gradually leaped onto the paper.
"Transcribing Tibetan scriptures is a rigorous training. But I have an artistic soul, so when I see Tibetan script, I naturally view it as an art form. For me, compared to tangkas or other visual arts, Tibetan calligraphy surpasses in beauty. In fact, I discovered the beauty of Tibetan script from a young age, but it was only after becoming a monk that I wanted to delve into learning and mastering this art."
When reciting prayers or other scriptures, my eyes always gaze at the words, and sometimes the texts are weathered due to the old printing, with the words almost eroded away. So, I felt compelled to reproduce them.
Subsequently, the masters also noticed my thoughts and said, 'If you are willing, we can start on it. Here is a large handwritten copy that is almost falling apart and very old, but in order to preserve it, you can transcribe it.' It was a scripture about Mahagala, and it took me a year to complete the transcription, and it is still in use today.
The Eye of Omniscience of Three Realms
The entire process of copying requires a dual investment of time and effort, but Tashi's high level of concentration and perseverance, as well as the encouragement from those around him, have helped to boost his confidence day by day.
This rigorous training ultimately enabled Tashi to master the diversity of Tibetan calligraphy and become proficient in it.
However, the entire design process was very complex. They said the whole project might take more than 2,000 hours. I refused because I didn't want to become a tech nerd."
Return to the "real world"
A turning point in the story occurs once again. At the turn of the millennium, with a heavy yet determined heart, 38-year-old Tashi decides to return to the secular world and become a Tibetan calligraphy artist.
"At that time, Akong Rinpoche was very saddened, as I was closest to him. Over the years, I had traveled to various countries as his personal assistant, but I always maintained a certain distance from him because I had heard, 'Being too close to your teacher, you may get burned, just like getting too close to the sun.'
During my time as a monk, I had some teaching experience. I was sent to various Buddhist centers in Europe, leading disciples in retreats, meditation, and practicing various rituals. I have to admit, many times I sat there, facing those laypeople, and constantly felt like a fraud.
I was giving advice or guidance to these people, but I had no idea what they were going through, including the difficulties they faced in their lives, relationships, and so on. This is one of the reasons why I returned to the "real world," because I wanted to apply everything I gained from meditation on the cushion to practical use.
A full meal
"However, the process of leaving the monastery was extremely difficult. I cried for a long time, the feeling was terrible, as if suddenly deprived of everything. For my first return to the secular world, I needed to learn how to live, earn money, repay debts, pay taxes, and various other things, and I needed to quickly learn all of these.
There was some fear in my heart, but the experiences of mindfulness, awareness, and meditation have always been with me. The most important tool for a Buddhist artist is a tamed heart, transcending the bindings of expectations and fears."
In my first year in London, I was a struggling artist, living illegally in a cheaply rented studio. The room had no bathroom facilities, only a large old sink in the corner where I had to pour in a lot of hot water to bathe.
At that time, my wallet only had a few scattered dollars, and I could only use them when in urgent need. Once, I was starving and had to spend the two dollars in my wallet, which almost broke my heart, but luckily, I had a satisfying meal that day.
Unexpected healing
One day, Tashi, wearing a monk's robe, was walking in the Soho area of London, where a gay bar had been bombed the day before, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Passing by the destroyed building, he suddenly felt a strong sense of awareness and sat down to meditate.
After several hours, more and more people began to sit with him, coming together to cultivate compassion for the scene of violence before them. For many at the time, it was an unexpected moment of healing.
Zaxi discovered that many people today are in a state of loneliness and longing for belonging, and what they need at this time is a spiritual healing, such as Tibetan Buddhism culture and philosophy. Calligraphy plays an important role in spiritual awakening, connecting ancient wisdom.
"The Best Work"
In Tibetan calligraphy, mantra is the most sacred form of language, representing the ultimate or divine. It can heal people through both sound and visual mediums, ultimately leading to liberation.
"mantra"
In 2016, Tashi led a group of 16 people from different countries on a retreat for mantra calligraphy practice. As a prerequisite before daily art creation, he would lead everyone in morning meditation to maintain an open and humble mindset, as Tashi believed that the best works often come from a meditative state.
He emphasized that the entire process was not about making the mantras look perfect, but rather to use it as a journey of spiritual exploration, an opportunity to integrate spirituality with daily life.
After the class ended, the students gained a lot of inspiration, with many expressing that the calligraphy practice transcended its own meaning and truly brought some benefits to their lives.
Tashi's calligraphy creations are deeply inspired by Chagdud Rinpoche. "What attracts me the most in him is not only his aesthetic view, but more importantly, his integration of dharma art and calligraphy with meditation, emphasizing mindfulness of the present moment and awakening the infinite wisdom of Buddhism. This is exactly what I want to focus on in my own artistic creations."
Dzogchen Rinpoche also introduced me to a wider range of calligraphy styles and mediums, such as colored inks and gold leaf, as well as the ability to freely splash ink on blank pages, which is somewhat similar to Japanese calligraphy style. However, in Tibetan calligraphy, this kind of freedom can only be achieved after formal training.
Because I believe that "the divine can be found in anything", for any tool, the key is not the tool itself, but the intention, the method you use.
A touch of plateau red
Tibetan culture is a kind of global culture. Like the Native Americans, Tibetans live in harmony with nature and their land. Tibetan culture is a set of values that believes all life is precious, and following these values will change your behavior and help you live better.
However, in modern society, we have disconnected from this connection. People live in centrally heated houses, drive air-conditioned cars, and everywhere there is fuel and plastic bags. Even more concerning is that everyone seems to have become accustomed to this way of life.
For a Westerner, this diet is very unhealthy, as it seriously lacks the daily intake of vegetables and fruits. I was actually worried that continuing to eat like this would lead to constipation and even illness.
"Mother Earth is the most beautiful Bodhisattva"
However, what amazed me was the strength I gained from this traditional diet, making me feel rejuvenated. I remember my cheeks gradually showing a hint of highland red, just like the faces of Tibetan children. I felt great.
This sudden realization made me appreciate the charm of Tibetan traditional foods. They belong to a diet in perfect harmony with nature, pure, organic, and sourced from the land. Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between humans and the earth, humans and food, and humans and the environment.
A small wish
Now, Tashi is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding contemporary Tibetan calligraphy artists. He has held numerous international exhibitions and has been leading people to appreciate the beauty of Tibetan calligraphy. Moreover, he has taught people how to maintain mindfulness in their daily lives, healing themselves and others.
He said, "I pay homage to tradition, not wanting to compromise it with the present, but rather wanting to promote tradition in a contemporary way. This has always been the original intention of my creations, and it is also what Akong Rinpoche has instilled in my heart from beginning to end: 'Do not lose the core, while maintaining high standards.'"
In fact, behind Tashi's calligraphy has always been a small wish, that through his methods, people can view the world in a different way and embrace it. Now it seems that he has indeed achieved that, hasn't he?
"Sacred can be found in everything,
in any tool
The key lies not in the tool itself
But in the intention, in your approach."
Buddhist two kinds of wealth
Tashi Mannox Official Website
Interview with Tashi Mannox, Calligrapher, by the Mirror
Tashi Mannox, HOW STILLNESS ENHANCES CREATIVITY
Translated and edited by: Yang Mao
Tashi Mannox
Tibetan Calligraphy Artist
Born in England, he has been connected with Buddhism since childhood. At the age of 22, he ordained as a monk and practiced meditation. After returning to the secular world at the age of 38, he created a series of calligraphy masterpieces combining Tibetan Buddhist images. He has held numerous international exhibitions, workshops, courses, and retreat trainings using Tibetan calligraphy art, dharma art, and meditation methods to lead people to experience the charm and wisdom of this ancient art form.