Be part of creating a Refuge Tree for Olmo Ling

Tempa Lama would like to invite you to be part of his dream of creating a Refuge Tree Thangka for our Olmo Ling temple. The Refuge Tree is a powerful depiction of the blessing of our awakened nature, the awakened masters, and the blessings of the deities and protectors. As practitioners on the path of liberation we take refuge in the Four Jewels, the embodiments of awakening: Our teachers, the Buddha or our true nature that is pure and awake, the wisdom teachings or Dharma, and the community of compassionate beings who support us on this path. Through taking refuge we reconnect with our awakened nature and the awakened nature of all beings. Having a Refuge Tree Thangka painting in our temple is a powerful way to bring the Four Jewels into our heart and mind.

For many years, Tempa Lama has had the dream to commission a Tibetan artist to create a large, beautiful Refuge Tree Thangka painting that will permanently reside in our temple and offer our community inspiration, blessings, and refuge. During his recent visit to Asia, he felt that now the time had come to fulfill this dream. He identified a wonderful Bon Thangka painter in Kathmandu (Nepal) who has begun work on our Refuge Tree. The painting will be 36”x50” large. It will be the centerpiece on the main wall that we face when entering the temple.

The Bon Refuge Tree

The Bon Refuge Tree depicts the ancient lineages of Bon all the way back to the primordial Buddha. The picture on the left shows the current progress status of our Refuge tree painting! At the top of the Refuge Tree are the primordial Buddha Kuntu Zangpo (top middle) and the 4 awakened beings Shenla Odkar, Gong Dzod Ritro Chenpo, Tonpa Tritsuk Gyalwa, and Trul Shen Nangden and the lineages of the paths of liberation that are traced back to them: the three Dzogchen lineages, the lineage of Tantra and the lineage of Sutra. Below these is the line of Menri abbots, beginning with Nyamed Sherab Gyaltsen and ending in the Buddha of compassion, Shenla Odkar, as an embodiment of our own teacher(s). On the right and left top sides are the great compassionate beings of the successive Four Paths and the nine Buddhas of the different eons. Below them are the Buddhias of the Ten Directions. On the bottom right and left sides are the Khandromas (awakened female beings or Dakinis) and the wrathful and peaceful deities. In the bottom are the Bon protectors.

We hope that you will join us in the creation of the Refuge Tree and in bringing it to our temple! Click below for a secure online donation. You can also donate on the phone by calling our office (412 904 1112) or mail your donation to Olmoling, 1101 Greenfield Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15217. Please let us know whether you would like to remain anonymous or if we can list your name at the bottom of this page.

Any amount is deeply appreciated and will live on as part of the Refuge Tree for many years into the future. Supporters of the Refuge Tree can have their name written on the back of the Thangka painting.

Thank you very much for your generosity. Through your support, we will be able to offer a permanent Refuge Tree in our temple that will inspire many beings.

Olmo Ling Refuge Tree Benefactors

Patrons – Donation of $500 or more
Lowell Britson · Heidi Harding and Tim Aitken · Stan Perelman

Great benefactors – Donation of $100 or more
Anonymous · Anonymous · Anonymous · Anonymous · Anonymous · Anonymous · Anonymous · Julie Butler · Carrie Farmer and Mark Shefsiek · Jean Grace · Bari Moss · Ena and Herb Seltzer · Tova and Joel Tarr

Benefactors – Any Donation
Anonymous · Anonymous · Anonymous · Maya Lama · Patricia Podgorski