China
20th century
A skull cup is an attribute of tantric deities and is usually paired with a curved knife. It can symbolize a mind filled with the bliss of realizing the true nature of reality.
China
20th century
In the Bon religion the Queen of the World is the most wrathful manifestation of the peaceful deity Loving Mother of Wisdom. Fierce in appearance, black in color, she has three faces and six arms, which hold weapons and implements of power and control. Her three right hands hold a victory banner, a flaming sword, and a peg. Her left hands hold a trident, a swastika wand, and a skullcup filled with blood.Each of these symbolically represents cutting the knots of illusion and rooting out the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion. Riding on a red mule, she sits atop a flayed human skin symbolizing impermanence, while the flames of wisdom burn around her.The Queen of the World is both a meditational deity and a protector. She is one of the most frequently propitiated figures in the Bon religion and extends her protection to religious practitioners as well as common people. Though horrific and wrathful in form, she embodies the qualities of wisdom and compassion.Embroidered works of art such as this were commonly commissioned by Tibetans, although they were made in China.
A skull cup is an attribute of tantric deities and is usually paired with a curved knife. It can symbolize a mind filled with the bliss of realizing the true nature of reality.
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.
Prescribed practices that carry symbolic meaning and value within a specific tradition and are intended to attain a desired outcome. Rituals are usually done as part of a ceremony or regular routine.
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.
Protectors of Buddhist teachings who destroy obstacles that impede the path to enlightenment. The more frightening and gruesome their appearance, the greater their power.
Although Tibetan Buddhism was not practiced broadly in China, the imperial centers, such as Beijing and Mount Wutai, emerged as hubs of Tibetan Buddhist cultural production. The emperors of the Mongol Yuan (1271–1368), Chinese Ming (1368–1644), and Manchu Qing (1644–1911) dynasties harnessed Tibetan Buddhist ideas to consolidate their power.
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