Tibetan Calligraphy, Part 1

Tashi also gives detailed instructions on the order and technique of each stroke used in constructing each of the 30 letters, maintaining the intended sacred proportions of the Tibetan Uchen script. 

Your Course Includes

• Nine course videos
• A list of suggested materials
• Reference images for each letter
• Forums for students to share their work
• Practice instructions and quizzes to help develop a confident calligraphic style

Watch the Trailer

Benefits of Taking This Course

• Experience the sacred aesthetics of the Tibetan writing system
• Discover the therapeutic benefits of focus and calm as you practice the characters
• Take part in an ancient tradition of great integrity and meaning

For Tibetan Buddhists, learning to read and write Tibetan is a key that unlocks the great wealth of Dharma held within Tibetan literature, such as the kangyur and the tengyur. Additionally, learning the read the Tibetan practice scriptures, mantras, and seed syllables is a powerful support for visualization meditation.

For those already familiar with calligraphy, we think you’ll enjoy this opportunity to learn a different tradition or improve on what you already know. Calligraphers and artists may also wish to integrate Tibetan writing into their own creative output, such as artworks and design pieces. 

For students of Tibetology and the Tibetan language, this course will help improve speed and clarity—especially as learning the alphabet is an essential foundation to read and write Tibetan coherently.

FAQ

• How do I take this course? Click any of the enroll buttons on this page to enroll, then check your email for the welcome email. Please closely read the welcome email, even if you’ve taken a Wisdom Academy course before, as it contains important information on how to take the course successfully. Follow the instructions in the welcome email to take the course.

• How long is the course? This course is available for self-study, so there is no set schedule and you can complete it at your own pace.

• How long do I have access? You’ll retain ongoing access to course materials.

• What materials will I need for this course? Below are Tashi’s suggestions.

1. Paper: A3 size (297 x 420mm or 11-3/4 x 16-1/2 inch) pad of cartridge or other good quality paper.
2. Regular straight-edge ruler
3. Pens: Disposable calligraphy-style square nib felt-tip pens are especially good for beginners. Though such pens will quickly lose the edge of the nib which decreases the definition of the writing. Pilot Parallel pens come in four nib sizes, a larger nib size of 3.8mm is recommended, as the smaller nib sizes do not provide the necessary definition. For the more experienced calligrapher, Tashi worked closely with Turkish based Pratik Pen company to design a pen to the correct Tibetan writing specifications. Pratik Pen now produces beautiful Tibetan calligraphy Uchen writing style dip-in ink pen sets.

4. Inks: cartridge ink for Pilot Parallel, or Japanese Sumi ink for dip-in pen styles.
5. Pencils: HB to 2B
6. Eraser: any will do
7. Pencil sharpener: any will do

Teacher’s Statement

As an advocate of the preservation and conservation of the Tibetan writing systems, I am delighted to be working with Wisdom Academy to provide this course on Tibetan calligraphy.

I am encouraged to see an often young and eager community of calligraphers wishing to take up and master this ancient scriptural tradition—when we practice the art of Tibetan calligraphy, we help to keep a rare and beautiful tradition alive.

In my years of teaching, I have seen many students gain great satisfaction and joy from learning the discipline of Tibetan calligraphy as they develop an in-depth appreciation of its heritage and all that it represents, and experience its enriching and meditatively calming effects.

So it is with great pleasure I can share such precious values and knowledge with you on this Wisdom Academy online course.

I hope you’ll join me and experience the power and peace of this miraculous art form.

Tashi Mannox

Meet Your Teacher

Born to a Buddhist family in the United Kingdom, Tashi Mannox first took notice of the Tibetan language at about the age of 13, when he spent time with two Tibetan Lamas. At the age of 22, Tashi himself took the precepts of a Buddhist monk. Being artistically inclined, he developed his Tibetan writing skills while working as a scribe. This labor of devotion and discipline honed his skills, not just in the classical Uchen script, but the many other Tibetan script styles. His teachers in Tibetan calligraphy include H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche and Akong Tulku Rinpoche, and he has studied Lantsa Sanskrit with Lama Pema Lodrup of Dharmsala.  

Since leaving his monastic lifestyle, Tashi has continued working in the preservation and conservation of the Tibetan writing systems. In response to an ever-growing interest in Tibetan Calligraphy, he teaches master classes and lectures worldwide, including at Oxford University and the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. In recent years, Tashi was invited to help re-establish the (Tibetan) Bhutanese calligraphy tradition to Bhutan’s educational and monastic institutions. The Khenpo of the central monastic body of Bhutan gave Tashi the honored title of Ambassador of Bhutanese Calligraphy. 

Tashi is now recognized as one of the world’s foremost contemporary Tibetan calligraphers and dharma artists, exhibiting his masterpieces internationally, including at the Moscow Calligraphy Museum, the Sharjah Calligraphy Museum in the United Arab Emirates, and the World Calligraphy Biennale of Jeollabuk-do in South Korea. Tashi is also the author of Sacred Scripts, which was endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Learn more about Tashi and follow his work on his website!