Gifts for the Gods – the ancient art of Tibetan Butter sculpture

January 10, 2009, report by Jo Gibson, photos taken by Ko Jung-Fa

This is the working title for a documentary being shot during this year’s Kagyu Monlam by American Mary Young and an international crew. In the film they have detailed the making of this year’s torma from the beginning, interviewed the Gyalwang Karmapa, Lama Chodrak, and Master Torma Maker Lama Sangye.

The documentary, which is being made under the supervision of the Gyalwang Karmapa, was prompted by Mary’s interest in torma. She explained how the Gyalwang Karmapa has transformed and revitalized the Kagyu torma tradition since 2005. New torma have been created which reflect a non-sectarian eclecticism. He has drawn on the Geluk tradition and also referred to a text by the Third Karmapa, written at a time when the Kagyu tradition of torma-making was flourishing.

The torma-making team comprises young monks and nuns, who have demonstrated an impressive devotion to His Holiness. In order to complete the torma in time, they would often get up between 3.00amto 5.00am, and work through the day until midnight. Traditional Tibetan torma were edible, made from butter and tsampa, and, after the ritual, were given to animals. In India flour is used instead of tsampa, margarine instead of butter, and wax has to be added to the mixture to keep the sculpture from melting in the heat, making them inedible. The colours come from oil paints mixed with the margarine.

During filming this year, His Holiness wrote the word torma in Tibetan calligraphy, and they hope to use this as the title at the beginning of the film.

The documentary project received a seed grant from the Reuben Museum, New York, and is now trying to raise funding for the next stage. If you want to learn more, look at their website: http://www.tormafilm.com