Tibet
15th or 16th century
The right hand is extended in a giving gesture.
Tibet
15th or 16th century
The right hand is extended in a giving gesture.
Also known as vajra position, this posture is associated with meditation.
A religious movement that originated in India around the fifth to seventh century with sacred writings and esoteric teachings and practices transmitted from teacher to student through initiation. These remain an important part of Hinduism and Buddhism today.
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.
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.
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