17 October 2026 (Saturday)
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
(Pacific time)
Join the International Dzogchen Buddha Path Sangha
and Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche
for the Seventh Annual Sacred Arts Competition
Theme for 2026 – Great Dharma Promulgation
Competition Categories:
- Best Dharma Promulgation Photos and Images
- Best Dharma Promulgation Poster and Flyer
- Best Dharma Promulgation Virtual Background
- Best Dharma Promulgation Music
- Best Dharma Promulgation Songs
- Best Dharma Promulgation Videos
- Best Dharma Promulgation Branding and Promotional Art
Competition entries should promote one or more of the following:
- Vajra Master
- Lineage
- System
- Organization
- Sangha Community
- Dharma Teachers
- Sangha members
- Projects
- Events
- Activities
International Competition
Saturday, October 17th, 8:00 pm (Pacific) / Sunday, October 18th, 11:00 am (Taiwan)
Celebration on Lhabab Düchen (Buddha’s Mother’s Day)
Sunday, November 1st, 8:00 pm (Pacific) / Monday, November 2nd, 12:00 pm (Taiwan)
Regional Competition: Advancing Regional Finalists
Americas & European (Combined) Region
- Deadline for submissions: Friday, September 25th, 10pm Pacific
- Americas Region Celebration (Announcing Regional Finalists) – Sunday, October 4th, 8pm Pacific
To submit entries to the Americas and European Competition:
- Read the Rules and Guidelines for Submissions (below).
- Complete a submission form for each entry: https://forms.gle/67T337LCK6wE4vzS9
- Send your entries to sacredarts@thebuddhapath.org. If you have more than one entry, please send separate emails. In the subject line, note the category of the entry.
Asian Region
- Deadline for submissions: Tuesday, September 5th, 10pm (local time in your region)
- Link to Asia website
Russian Region
TBA
Rules and Guidelines for Submissions
Submission Requirements
- Individual Entries
Entries may be submitted either individually or as part of a group. Each individual may submit a maximum of 3 individual entries, with no more than 1 entry per category. - Group Entries
Individuals may also participate in group submissions. Each individual may contribute to up to 3 group entries. Group entries may be submitted within a single category or across multiple categories.
General Rules
- All submissions must express fundamental principles of the Dzogchen Buddha Path and serve the aim of promulgation for the Dzogchen Buddha Path.
- All applicants must be active sangha members with their local dharma centers. (If you don’t have a local dharma center, please note who is your dharma teacher).
- Entrants are required to enter specific information about their submissions at the links above pertaining to the categories of their submitted pieces.
- Entering pieces in other regions is allowed only if the language that is used in the piece is of a country or region outside their region of residence, for a total of 3 submissions in all regions. (Example: A Chinese-speaking sangha member living in the United States may enter the Asia region’s song competition). However, a sangha member may not enter the same piece, or different pieces within the same category, in 2 or more regions. For a photo or a music piece with no words, it must be submitted in the region of their residence.
- Entries must have been created in the past 3 years only.
- Resubmitting works from a previous year’s Sacred Arts Competition will not be allowed, unless the artist upgrades their piece according to suggestions from the Sacred Arts Competition jury.
- Images or videos with minors may not be submitted without verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Permitted Use
Entries may be created using artificial intelligence (AI), traditional methods, or a combination of both. - Restricted Content
Entrants must not use AI tools to generate or disclose restricted or confidential materials, including but not limited to esoteric teachings or practices (e.g., tantra or dzogchen). - Permitted use of style
Entrants may use generative AI tools to create work inspired by, or evocative of, a general artistic style, movement, era, or technique (e.g., “impressionist,” “cyberpunk,” “art nouveau”), including styles associated with a named artist’s general aesthetic (color palette, brushwork, composition tendencies, genre conventions). Drawing on the manner in which an artist works is treated the same whether done by hand or with AI assistance. - Prohibited: reproduction of protectable expression
Entries may not reproduce, closely paraphrase, or substantially recreate: specific compositions, characters, or scenes from an identifiable existing work; distinctive, signature visual or compositional elements unique to a specific work (as opposed to a style used across an artist’s body of work); any output a reasonable viewer would perceive as a copy or near-copy of a specific named work, rather than a new work merely influenced by a style. - Prohibited: identity and likeness misuse
Regardless of copyright status, entries may not use AI to mimic a specific living artist’s voice, name, or persona in a way that falsely implies their endorsement or authorship, or that trades on their identity/right of publicity. (This applies whether or not “style” is involved — voice/likeness cloning is a separate restriction from style imitation.) - Entrant warranty
By submitting, the entrant warrants that, to their knowledge, the work does not infringe any third party’s copyright and was not generated by prompting the AI to copy a specific named work. - Judges’ discretion
The judging panel has final discretion to disqualify any entry that, in its reasonable judgment, crosses from style-inspiration into substantial reproduction of a specific artist’s protected work, or that violates the spirit of these rules. - Disclosure Requirement
Entrants using AI may be required to disclose the tools, platforms, models, or algorithms used in the creation process. Entrants must retain and, upon request, provide relevant materials, including prompts, drafts, and intermediate outputs, to verify compliance with these guidelines. - Content Compliance Requirement
All submissions must successfully pass a preliminary copyright and content compliance check either using AI tools for advisory review, or on a major social media platform (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok).
Rules for Each Category
- Photos and Images cannot be more than 1 page, or have multiple pieces, and must be submitted as JPEG or PNG files.
- Posters and Flyers cannot be more than 1 page, or have multiple pieces, and must be submitted as JPEG or PNG files.
- Virtual backgrounds can be submitted with multiple pages with the same design, but different color scheme. These must be submitted as JPEG or PNG files.
- Music can be a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes long. All music must be submitted in MP3 or MP4 format or uploaded to YouTube. Music that is longer than 5 minutes may not be reviewed.
- Songs can be a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 3.5 minutes long. All music must be submitted in MP3 or MP4 format or uploaded to YouTube. Songs longer than 3.5 minutes may not be reviewed.
- Videos must be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long. All videos must be submitted in MP4 format.
Youth
- There will be one youth division for participants ages 13–18. All submission rules stated above apply. Each participant may submit a maximum of 3 individual entries, with no more than 1 entry per category. In addition, each participant may contribute to up to 3 group entries, which may be submitted within a single category or across multiple categories.
Children’s Art
- We will also display children’s art pieces during the competition. Please encourage the Sangha children to participate in this fun event and share their talents with us! There will be no judging for children’s art pieces.
Fundraising Goal
Our goal is to raise $12,000 USD for current and future projects, encouraging artists to continue to learn and progress in their art knowledge and skills. In this way, may our Dzogchen Buddha Path artists embody the principles of the Dzogchen Lineage in art for the enjoyment of all and immeasurable benefit for all beings.
Donate to the Sacred Arts Competition
For More Information:
Bodhi Lama Joe Evans
International Director
2026 Dzogchen Buddha Path Sacred Arts Competition
sacredarts@thebuddhapath.org
