Tibet has an ancient and precious handicraft heritage: carpet and cloth weaving, woodcarving, the painting on canvas of sacred images, sculpture, embroidery and metalwork.
Art is often closely related to the profound spirituality of Tibet, and over the centuries the monasteries have been the most important custodians.
During the years of the cultural revolution this rich artistic patrimony was also at risk of being lost: His Holiness the Xth Panchen Lama in the 80’s therefore initiated at the Monastery of Tashi Lumpo various handicraft workshops, creating an important reference point for the preservation of this fundamental aspect of the Tibetan tradition.
Around this original central point, today the activities of the new centre for people with disabilities, annexed to the monastery, are developing. Looms of differing sizes for the realisation of carpets, as well as the traditional cloths and aprons, sewing machines, equipment and tools for woodcarving and for the sacred painting of religious images on canvas are all used under the able guidance of teachers and experts and are adapted to the specific needs of each person.
People with disabilities, coming from villages outside of Shigatse, have the possibility of staying at the Centre with a companion or family member and are also offered the possibility of attending therapeutic rehabilitation in Tashi Lumpo Clinic.
In just a few months of school it is possible to learn how to spin and weave wool or to make the traditional colourful hand-woven apron, that all married Tibetan women wear; it is also possible to learn how to make small carpets from Tibetan wool, an indispensable fixture in the village houses where people sit and sleep on the cold pavement or beaten earth. With a sewing machine it is possible to make a “chuba”, the traditional dress worn by both women and men of Tibet, covers and decorations in multi-coloured brocade or cloth picture frames for the sacred paintings, clothes for monks or the shoulder bags they commonly use.
Other people might be more adapted to painting the colourful ornaments that are used to decorate the walls, the doors and the window of the houses in Tibetan villages, where otherwise due to the arid climate the only other colours would be the blue of the sky and the burnt brown colour of the earth; or even realise the designs used for the carpets and cloth, or simply carve from wood everyday objects such as bowls, spoons, looms, butter churns.
All the activities are chosen according to the inclination of the individual person, as well as upon their specific difficulty.
At the end of the course, held at the Centre, the disabled person receives as a gift the working tools that have been adapted to their needs. In this way they can return to their home or village of origin to continue the activity and if needed there is always the possibility to return to the Centre to improve their knowledge.
Thanks to this precious gift a life, marked by dependency, feelings of uselessness and frustration can ultimately be transformed into a dignified life, full of meaning and autonomy. In this way both the physical and mental weight forced upon the disabled person and their family can be lifted.