Derge Printing House, Derge, Kham Region, Eastern Tibet
ca. 1979
Derge Printing House, Derge, Kham Region, Eastern Tibet
ca. 1979
Tara is one of the most popular female deities in Tibetan culture. She is particularly associated with protecting from a group of dangers known as the Eight Fears, depicted here as scenes surrounding her: ghosts/sickness (bottom center), drowning (center), fire (mid-left), false imprisonment (bottom right), bandits (mid-right), wild elephants (top right), snakes (bottom left), and lions (top left). Although these dangers center on the worries of secular life, they also have a more esoteric meaning, namely associations with inner obstacles that prevent progress in religious practice.
This woodblock print was printed at the Derge Printing House in the Kham region of southeastern Tibet (modern-day Ganzi, Sichuan Province, PRC). Founded in 1729, it is one of the largest and most important producers of traditional Tibetan woodblock prints. According to the printing house, the painter of this print design (Tib. par rtsa ’bri mkhan) is Purbu Tsering of Chamdo (Tib. gru pa phur bu) (active ca. late 19th century).
A virtuous feeling and deep respect toward an authentic teaching, teacher, or path. Buddhists believe that expansive study, analysis, and meditation are essential steps for cultivating a healthy and enduring devotion.
While the primary religious goal for followers of Buddhism is enlightenment, many of the practices also serve secular goals related to daily life, including ethical conduct and cultivating well-being.
The transmission of teachings from one generation to the next, from teacher to student, traced all the way back to the Buddha without interruption. A complete lineage is essential in Tantric Buddhist practices as it makes the blessings of the teaching more powerful.
Female bodhisattvas and tantric deities embody specific enlightened qualities such as wisdom, power, and protection, and can be peaceful or wrathful in appearance.
Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.
Woodblock printing became an important technology of production, propagation, and cross-cultural exchange of both text and image in Tibetan, Himalayan, and Inner Asian regions from the 12th century on.
Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.
