Torma

[gregkavarnos]

I've never seen the Tenma torma (yellow/red/blue). I take it they represent the Three Jewels?

[Yudron]

I really feel like I'm talking to Vajrayana practitioners when we talk about tormas.

Tsampa is the best but not always available in Western settings.

I would only recommend oatmeal for tormas that you would use for a maximum of two days or so because as it dries out it will crack. If you need to keep the torma around for awhile, you probably need to look for tsampa.

Khedrup--we put a glaze of ghee on the tormas to keep them from cracking... but mold will eventually become an issue in a hot wet climate.

We developed a technique in druptra to prepare for big events that needed hundreds of tormas. First we made torma dough ---quick oats, tor dzey, water, and corn oil in a mixer. Add a lot of salt, maybe 25% of the oat quantity, and mix in the mixer until smooth. The resultant torma will dry slowly over days and weeks from the outside in, and -- based on Christmas tree ornaments made this way by children--last for decades, and never crack. If we want to speed the process up, we put the torma in a turned off oven over night to get a good crust on it before painting. This way you can start preparing for a big ceremony months ahead of time, instead of the Tibetan technique of having a group of super-heroes staying up all night for days before the event.

Down side: Red food coloring turns brown from the salt. We use house paint for them--it's cheap to have gallons of it premixed to the lamas color preferences on hand. It's pretty much like acrylic paint, but far cheaper. These tormas have lasted for over a year on the shrine.... could have gone longer, but the lamas may want to make new ones at some point. We're still brain-storming ideas for less toxic paints for them.

[conebeckham]

No, Tenma Chu Nyi--the 12 Tenma sisters? Offered, usually, at or near the end of a Tsok?

[Yudron]

I've never seen the Tenma torma (yellow/red/blue). I take it they represent the Three Jewels?

In the Dudjom Tradition we have three tenma tormas too, white black and yellow, and they represent three classes of tenma (Mountain protector goddesses).

[conebeckham]

Dear Cone,
Are the main figures Lama Marpa, Je Milarepa and Je Gampopa? And last one Karmapa Karma Pakshi?

Marpa, Mila, ChoJe Gampopa, and DuSum Khyenpa.

In larger monasteries, or at Bodhgaya, they'll also do Tilo and Naro....

[conebeckham]

Wang-Nga, or Wangpo Metok, the flower of the five senses....

[Yudron]

Wow! The Kamtsang/Shangpa deity tormas are beautiful.

This is the deity torma for one of the main Gelug yidams. Often made for self-initiations.

Wow! Who was the gyen artist? Imported monk or local?

[conebeckham]

This is a pretty fancy Mentor, or "Medicine torma"-flanked by Dudtsi and Rakta....

[JKhedrup]

I will try coating the oatmeal with ghee next time!

If you are asking about the Gelug deity torma, a group of monks at Sera Jey made them for my retreat. I mastered the shape of the tormas but not the gyen- that is difficult.

If you are asking COne I also want to know! Those are very complex and beautiful tormas! They are as nice as the ones I saw at the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya.

[conebeckham]

If you're asking me, the two chuppens were guests from India...Lama Pema Choda (Lama Tenzin) from Palpung Sherab Ling, and Lama Osel Nyingpo (Lama Karzong), from Rumtek--they were our Chuppens and our torma makers for the San Francisco Kagyu Monlam. Lama Tenzin also made some tormas for my shrine--the Tara, Phagmo, Shelze and some others--they put the ones I've made to shame!

[conebeckham]

These are the peaceful and wrathful Shelzes from Kamtsang Tsurphu tradition, with a bunch of Mahakala and protector tormas behind..

[conebeckham]

This is a more elaborate Zabtik Drolma torma.

Here's a somewhat elaborate Mahakala Chagdrupa...

[Yudron]

If you're asking me, the two chuppens were guests from India...Lama Pema Choda (Lama Tenzin) from Palpung Sherab Ling, and Lama Osel Nyingpo (Lama Karzong), from Rumtek--they were our Chuppens and our torma makers for the San Francisco Kagyu Monlam. Lama Tenzin also made some tormas for my shrine--the Tara, Phagmo, Shelze and some others--they put the ones I've made to shame!

Did he do the tormas for the RInchen Terdzod wangs at Orgyen Dorje Den, too? I wasn't there, but a friend took picks of the tormas for me.

[conebeckham]

Nope, the tormas at ODD were made, I think, by a Chuppen travelling with Yangthang Tulku Rinpoche, and with help from ODD students. I was there for one day--and there were a LOT of tormas, for sure!
I understand they made the tormas daily, for the next day's empowerments.

[conebeckham]

I'd love to see those pics of the tormas, Yudron, if you wouldn't mind posting them here!
I love tormas...as you all can probably tell.

[Yudron]

This is a pretty fancy Mentor, or "Medicine torma"-flanked by Dudtsi and Rakta....

Cone--we don't do the men tor in the Dudjom Tersar as far as I have ever seen. The men and rakta are on opposite ends of the shrine.

My Lama learned from HH Dudjom Rinpoche and his ritual master and right hand man Kusho Gyurme. Elaborate gyen were not a part of the Dudjom Tradition, strictly speaking, but artists can't control themselves, so elaborations get added in... because they are pretty. Also, centers, like the Chagdud centers, mix traditions. Even during Khyabje Dudjom RInpoche's lifetime things varied, and a Bhutanese style of torma ended up in the tor pe (torma illustrations) in the Dudjom Sungbum.

I hate to put pics of our tormas made by injie artists, because they don't come close to the Asian monk-artists when it comes to bling. Maybe there is something to this celibacy thing!

[JKhedrup]

Torma depicting Maitreya and I believe Amitabha according to the Gyuto Tantric College tradition of Gelug.

[Yudron]

Here are some of our Injie-made tormas:

(Cone, if I find the CD with the great RInchen Terdzod tormas, I'll post some)

Vajrakilaya Kangtors -- we made these special kang tors --as far as we know -- the first time in the U.S. I think they are not quite done in these pics.

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This was the 2011 Zorchen for Gutor. The top ornament was added later.

Zorchen Gutor 2011.jpg (60.16 KiB) Viewed 726 times

[pemachophel]

Thanks for the pics. Beautiful!

[Yudron]

Big Chime' Sogthig main torma for Dzongsar Khyentse Wangs 2012

Chime Srogthig med.jpg (65.99 KiB) Viewed 711 times

A gotram--the chevron shaped top ornament for tormas--in the process of being made. It is grueling and beyond my artistic capacity.

Gotram in Process med.jpg (74.18 KiB) Viewed 712 times

Larger than usual Throma Protectors for Dzongsar Khyentse Wangs.

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