Central Tibet
15th century
This gesture is that of embracing a consort and is symbolic of bringing together two aspects of enlightenment: wisdom and method.
Central Tibet
15th century
The primordial Buddha Vajradhara is the root-deity of many Tantric Buddhist teachings, and the great adepts (mahasiddhas) who surround him in this painting are exemplary Tantric practitioners of those teachings. They represent meditators and yogis of great spiritual attainment from all castes and professions, who were often unorthodox in their behavior.This painting is from an important transitional period in Tibetan art when painters were transforming the Indic artistic traditions they received to reflect their own aesthetic interests. Many of the stylistic elements, including the faces, the scrollwork background, and the hierarchical organization of the figures are reminiscent of early Tibetan art, which cleaved closely to its Indian roots. In contrast, the fullness of the deities’ garments and their patterns, the Chinese-inspired flowers and clouds, the gilding of all the figures, and the figures’ sense of movement are later (15th century) developments. Especially notable in this painting is the use of raised gold to decorate the central deity’s ornaments, halo, and body nimbus.
This gesture is that of embracing a consort and is symbolic of bringing together two aspects of enlightenment: wisdom and method.
Also known as vajra position, this posture is associated with meditation.
The passing down of authentic Buddhist teachings from a teacher to a disciple or student, often in the form of a text in a ritualistic context.
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.
An awakened being who understands the true nature of reality and is free from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. While there are many buddhas, Siddhartha Gautama is the historical Buddha, whose teachings became the foundation of Buddhism.
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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