Dorje Shugden pendant - suppliers?

[LosangKhyentse]

I don't think the prices are expensive. The quality is beautiful and the profits all go to creating the Retreat Centre they are planning. I have written to them. So I don't think of this as a secular shopping but as a way to donate and also get a gift in return. I have donated to dharma centres quietly in this way all around the world for many years. Also their dharma centre do not charge for teachings, courses, retreats and activities.

Read up if you like: www.kechara.com.

All dharma centres need to survive. So if you like their work, it is your way to contribute and help and rejoice. If you find the products too expensive, then don't buy and donate directly instead. That is what I always do.

TK

[Mohani]

Fair enough if the profits go to creating Dharma centres and retreat centres. I guess it's relative, maybe people are more wealthy in Malasia and the cost of living is higher.    We sell those lovely VY for about £100.
The Setrap Tsa tsa's are amazingly beautiful.  It would be nice if we could find a artisan who could make Dorje Shugden tsa tsa's to that quality.

[honeydakini]

I bought a few pendants recently from an online store called Kechara eshop. They have a range of designs with various deities. You can check them out at http://www.kechara.com/eshop/

I got some of their new designs with precious stones. They also have more plain looking ones (silver, alloy, white gold etc) for daily wear. I don't see any Dorje Shugden pendants, but may be you can ask them.

Their prices are very affordable, plains ones around USD80+ and stones ones are about USD100- USD150. The workmanship & quality is very good, perhaps it's because the shop is under a lama - Tsem Tulku's organisation. I got to know about the shop from his Youtubes teachings.
 
Anyway, these are the ones that I bought.

I also enquired more about these pendants and found out that they are designed and made by the Dharma organisation themselves - they source their own suppliers and design each pendant themselves. They seem to even have a whole department dedicated to this. They make pendants and buddha statues also. I think an important part of the process for them is to ensure that the symbology and detail is accurate and correct  - so this is an added plus as there are many buddha images out there which are not really correct, although they are aesthetically beautiful. I think it's worth paying for - anyway, we can think of it is as a wonderful offering to our Buddha images, altar and practice, something to save up for, rather than to just buy a new flat screen TV or whatever it is I like what TK said also about it supporting a Dharma centre and their Dharma work. It is nice to see how people are making their centres grow by also providing a service to other practitioners around the world.

[dsnowlion]

Yes I've checked out this site and read their objectives. They are student Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and their motivation is to help support their centre project. Checked out their kechara.com too and their starting to build a world peace retreat centre. So I guess it's not really like normal shopping, it's like you donate towards a good cause and get to choose the Buddha you like to invite home.
I also know that it's a big no no to make profits in body, speech and mind items, and I've heard this Rinpoche's teaching and he is very adamant about not to do that.

Besides the quality and workmanship of their items are very detailed, some are one of kind hand crafted pieces from famous Nepalese artisan, who is no longer around. I'm sure you can't really get the exact same quality from just anywhere. Anyways, these are Buddha statues and like what honeydakini said, it's like offerings to the Buddhas when invite (I would't say buy) one home.

[Yeshe]

Yes I've checked out this site and read their objectives. They are student Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and their motivation is to help support their centre project. Checked out their kechara.com too and their starting to build a world peace retreat centre. So I guess it's not really like normal shopping, it's like you donate towards a good cause and get to choose the Buddha you like to invite home.
I also know that it's a big no no to make profits in body, speech and mind items, and I've heard this Rinpoche's teaching and he is very adamant about not to do that.

Besides the quality and workmanship of their items are very detailed, some are one of kind hand crafted pieces from famous Nepalese artisan, who is no longer around. I'm sure you can't really get the exact same quality from just anywhere. Anyways, these are Buddha statues and like what honeydakini said, it's like offerings to the Buddhas when invite (I would't say buy) one home.

Yes, my OP was addressing purchasing and this is really making a donation, a small amount of which is actually attributable to the cost of the item.

Such items are actually quite readily available and the cost, donation or otherwise, places tham waaaay beyond my budget. One could fly to Nepal and buy the good directly for less money, but I do take on board that the intention is different.

My OP was about Dorje Shugden pendants, which Tsem Tulku seems not to have for sale...

[dsnowlion]

No I don't think Tsem Tulku's sites have any Dorje Shugden pendants.

But I am sure if you are really keen you can ask around a few of your friends to see if they want to order together with you and perhaps, I don't know, maybe if you order more you could request for a better rate? Email Duldzin and see ... 

Wonder if there is any other designs of Dorje Shugden pendants available?

[Yeshe]

No I don't think Tsem Tulku's sites have any Dorje Shugden pendants.

But I am sure if you are really keen you can ask around a few of your friends to see if they want to order together with you and perhaps, I don't know, maybe if you order more you could request for a better rate? Email Duldzin and see ... 

Wonder if there is any other designs of Dorje Shugden pendants available?

Yes, Mohani has some and has pics on his website:

http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=452.15

The silver DS mantra pendants are great, and the tsa tsas can also be used as a large pendant .

[Lee Dhi]

Buying Buddha images is guilt-free shopping and indulgence

One thing I noticed most about the Buddha images on Kechara's website is the good proportioning of the images. I understanding that getting the proportions perfect (in any sculpture) is the hardest task. Sometimes, it requires many remoulding, a lot of work by the artist etc. Maybe this effort for perfection contributed the higher price in dollar sense. However, whether an item is expensive or cheap depends a lot on value. In addition to obtaining a beautiful Buddha image, buying from Kechara contributes directly to their World Peace Centre projects, which sounds very sustainable and brings Dharma learning to a different level.

Other than a Vajrayogini sculpture image, Kechara also offers a book on Vajrayogini, titled "Vajrayogini and Other Sacred Power Places in Nepal": . The publication of Kechara is pretty professional and top quality, I got a few books from Kechara before and their products are pretty professional and top quality. May be worth contemplating!

[Yeshe]

Buying Buddha images is guilt-free shopping and indulgence

One thing I noticed most about the Buddha images on Kechara's website is the good proportioning of the images. I understanding that getting the proportions perfect (in any sculpture) is the hardest task. Sometimes, it requires many remoulding, a lot of work by the artist etc. Maybe this effort for perfection contributed the higher price in dollar sense. However, whether an item is expensive or cheap depends a lot on value. In addition to obtaining a beautiful Buddha image, buying from Kechara contributes directly to their World Peace Centre projects, which sounds very sustainable and brings Dharma learning to a different level.

Other than a Vajrayogini sculpture image, Kechara also offers a book on Vajrayogini, titled "Vajrayogini and Other Sacred Power Places in Nepal": . The publication of Kechara is pretty professional and top quality, I got a few books from Kechara before and their products are pretty professional and top quality. May be worth contemplating!

The book looks interesting, but the title is weird. Vajrayogini is not a place.

I have a few books on HYT and Vajrayogini/Heruka practice, but I've never heard of this one.  Is it on Amazon?

The quality of a statue or tsa tsa is not supposed to be a matter for us to consider, as it is the deity rather than the image which we consider sacred. However, like many, certain images 'speak' to me and I tend to buy accurate piece which I also like. And, as you suggest, this is rarely inexpensive, and we now know that the Tsem Tulku ones have a large component of dana in the price as well, so it's not really an issue.

I have two Vajrapani statues.  The first one sent was not accurate in its detail and different from the picture the manufacturer provided. I was sent another (paid only shipping). For me it is important that the statue has the details of the deity corretly portrayed.

There are written descriptions of deites and if a statue lacks the components of the description it may as well be a statue of my uncle. Or I could simply pick up a rock and visualise it all. LOL

[Losang_Tenpa]

I have the Vajrayogini book that you mentioned and I think you have to get it directly from Kechara Media & Publications. It is full of pictures from the various Vajrayogini power places in the Kathmandu valley- Snagkhu, Patan, Vijawari, and Pharping.
The pictures are just stunning.

[thor]

The book includes a commentary on the various Vajrayogini pilgrimage sites in Nepal.

Tsem Tulku has a video about the same pilgrimage too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoynvDjQeA
	Small | Large

And a couple of posts on his personal blog http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/03/puja-at-naropas-cave-kathmandu-nepal.html

[Namdrol]

I also got the much talked-about Vajrayogini book by Tsem Tulku's organization, it has many previous Vajrayogini statues pictures in Nepal that were never published before, amazing how they got the pictures!

Can get from their website
http://vajrasecrets.com/books/english-books/vajrayogini-and-other-sacred-power-places-in-nepal.html

[LosangKhyentse]

Dear Namdrol,

Thanks for posting the cover of this beautiful high quality looking book. I have ordered over 30 copies already and it arrived completely safe. I will order more. Great holiday/birthday gifts.

I have donated it to some places of worship and presented as gifts to many friends. My friends absolutely loved the book and were amazed at the rare pictures that were never taken before.

One friend returned from Kathmandu, Nepal and saw it was sold at a major bookstore there I think called Pilgrims. He also said that the Nepalese shop owners, hotel owners and Bookstore owner all loved the book. They had never seen such a beautiful book about Vajra Yogini they all worship and respect in the four main temples to VajraYogini in Kathmandu.

Please see:
http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/03/vajra-yoginis-book-has-been-tranlated-into-chinese.html

and

http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/04/kmps-young-writers-blossoming-getting-bigger.html




I found out that all book profits from this organization of Tsem Tulku Rinpoche's goes completely to the support of their many dharma works and they will be embarking on building a Kechara World Peace Centre in Malaysia. It will have healing, flower arranging, vegetarian cooking, Philosophy classes, Chi quong, Yoga, and many more alternative education. Very incredible project.

See this blog I came across: http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/03/kechara-world-peace-centre-or-kwpc.html.

Many of their full time heads in their organization as well as their publications CEO work for free as an offering to Tsem Rinpoche!!!! Such devotion.

Also read this interesting blog post:[ http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/03/ceo-of-kmp.html

And regarding the Dept in Tsem Tulku Rinpoche's organization (kechara) that produced the Vajra Yogini book:

http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/03/kmp-group-is-specialdr-lanse-is-special.html

TK

[Lee Dhi]

Dear tk, thank you for posting the links to Tsem Tulku Rinpoche's blog.

It is a MUST VISIT!!!!

The blog on Kechara World Peace Center is very inspiring, very sustainable and extremely empowering! It looks like Tsem Rinpoche intends to institutionalize Dharma learning beyond the scope of religion only. With the range of learning opportunities KWPC plans to offer, visitors get a chance to become professional Dharma scholars. Very powerful because that is what Je Tsongkapa developed in Tibet centuries before. We and our future generations will be so fortunate if we get the chance to learn Dharma as a way of living.

Coupled with the CEO Team supporting Kechara House (wow, what a vast array of background of quality people!), all Tsem Rinpcoche's vision will become a reality soon. I wish for all the students and CEOs of Tsem Rinpoche to have a smooth and swift journey in executing all His Eminence's visions. May all outer, inner and secret obstacles be eliminated. Although Kechara does not seem to practice our Great Protector, I humbly take the liberty to pray that our Protector will bless this group of wonderful and dedicated Dharma upholders in their projects to have Dharma flourish to benefit the world.

Besides rejoicing, may I suggest that we find tangible ways to contribute to this cause...maybe contact them on their website!

[Yeshe]

Thanks to all those who provided me with links re. Dorje Shugden pendants.  I now have two excellent contacts.

As this thread is now waaaaaay off topic, maybe it should be split re.  Tsem Tulku's commercial and dharma projects?