The H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche's special area at the International Book Fair in Taipei is elegantly designed like a gallery. (Image source: provided by the exhibitor)
The Taipei International Book Fair, organized by the Ministry of Culture, is known for its functions in promoting reading, international exchange, and publishing professionalism. It started on the 8th and will be held until the 13th at the World Trade Center. As it enters its 25th year, the exhibition is abundant. In this year's exhibition, there is a small and beautiful "H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche" special area, which is similar to a gallery in its design, with an elegant texture. It exhibits books, albums, calligraphy, and other works of art, including thirty major categories of diverse creative achievements in art, calligraphy, poetry, philosophy, and more. It resonates with the spirit of the Taipei International Book Fair, which is known for its vitality, diversity, and international flavor.
The "H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche" special area is located next to the National Library booth, facing the animation and light novel area, and adjacent to the main theme hall and the literary salon of the book fair. Although it only occupies two booths, it is quite eye-catching. The first thing that catches the eye in the exhibition area is a huge painting measuring 225cm in length and 168cm in width - "Red Leaves Falling on Green Lotus". The painting's weathered lotus leaves have a unique strength, and each red lotus shines on the water, with infinite radiance flowing from the top, easily attracting passing viewers. What's magical is that the painting displayed on-site is actually a reproduction of the large print, but it gives the illusion of being a three-dimensional original. According to the on-site staff, "Red Leaves Falling on Green Lotus" was created using a stacking technique, which is one of the sixteen original techniques created by H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche. During the painting process, each layer of color is applied after the previous layer has dried, creating a fully three-dimensional effect. It is said that the original work took six years to complete!
It turns out that H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche is the first artist in over 200 years to be awarded the title of "Fellow" by the Royal Academy of Arts in the United Kingdom. He has won numerous awards, and his works are highly sought after by collectors around the world. The renowned International Art Museum of the United States (website: www.IAMASF.org) is a public art museum that faces the world. It displays works by top artists from around the world, with the largest number of exhibits being the world's precious treasures by the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche. H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche's paintings have repeatedly set new auction prices in the international market, surpassing masterpieces by Zhang Daqian and Xu Beihong. In 2015, H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche's painting "Ink Lotus" achieved a high auction price of $16.5 million (approximately NT$510 million) at the New York Chinguan International Auction Company's spring auction, creating a new record price of $1.65 million per square foot. In the autumn auction, another painting "Loquat" surpassed "Ink Lotus" with an astonishing auction price of $17 million per square foot!
Curiously, why is the "H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche" special area named after a Buddhist title? It turns out that the author of this area is named "the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche," which is the legally recognized name by the U.S. government. On January 19, 2011, the mayor of Washington, D.C., officially declared that day as "the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche Day," making it the only day dedicated to a Buddha officially proclaimed by a government in the world. On December 12, 2012, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to use the title "H.H." (His Holiness) to address the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche. This 614 resolution was also included in the U.S. Congressional Record.
In the book "Learning Buddhism" published by World Dharma Voice Publishing (http://www.worlddharmavoice.com/), it explains the origin of H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche: H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche is the incarnation of the primordial Buddha Dodrupchen Rinpoche. This is not a self-proclaimed or self-appointed title, but a recognition and certification unanimously acknowledged in writing by the leaders of major Tibetan sects, regents, and great living Buddhas. It is endorsed by the leaders of the entire world Buddhist rainbow body Dharma, such as the supreme leader of the world peace award, the Guru of Jinmei Pengcuo, the great master Dzogchen Rinpoche; the great master Aqiu; the great master Beno; the great master Jime Doji; the great master Chushi; the great master Dalong Zhezhu; the great master Gongbao Dumuqujie; the regent Shamarpa; and the great bodhisattva Tang Dongjia Bo. It has been determined by the decision of the Vajra Dharma Manjushri that the certification of the leaders of the Buddhist world is true and not false, confirming that the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche is the incarnation of the primordial Buddha Dodrupchen Rinpoche!
The 16th Tang Dongjia Bo Bodhisattva. (Image source: from the Sun Moon Light Three Vehicles website www.sunmoonlight.org)
Handwritten signature documents of the leaders of major Tibetan sects, regents, and great living Buddhas are included in the book "The Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche" (http://www.sunmoonlight.org/book.htm) exhibited at the book fair, totaling nearly sixty. H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche is the only person in the history of Buddhism to receive the most and highest certifications. In January of this year, a group of precious video recordings that had been sealed for over 20 years were released. The recordings documented the first among the four great contemporary Chinese monks - the venerable Qingding, the abbot of the thousand-year-old Zen temple Zhaoguosi in Chengdu, the venerable Puguan, the 13th generation ancestor of the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, and the universally respected Tang Dongjia Bo, a rainbow body great bodhisattva of Tibetan Buddhism - all paying homage to the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche. This further confirms the identity of the incarnation of the Buddha!
Master Qingding pays homage to the master. (Image source: Sun Moon Light Three Vehicles website www.sunmoonlight.org)
Buddhism has what is called the "Five Luminosities," which include the luminosity of craftsmanship (profound artistic attainments in the world), the luminosity of medicine (unparalleled medical knowledge and skills), the luminosity of voice (poetry, lyrics, songs, prose, literature, eloquence, etc.), the luminosity of causality (the commander of the five luminosities, revealing the truth of all things in the world), and the luminosity of inner realization (the inner secret power realized through moral cultivation). The theme of the H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche's special area is "Unparalleled Achievements in All Aspects," which may sound grandiose, but the exhibited contents are even more astonishing. It combines the roles of a doctor, painter, sculptor, calligrapher, poet, philosopher, and philanthropist. H.H. the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche, the recipient of the highest honor of the 2010 World Peace Award, has truly accomplished many achievements!
(China Times Online)