Tibet
18th century
Tibet
18th century
Yama Dharmaraja is one of several terrifying forms Bodhisattva Manjushri assumed to defeat the Lord of Death. He is black or dark blue in color, fiercely animated, and wields a skull-headed cudgel and a coiled lasso. Wearing a crown of skulls and a garland of freshly severed heads, he is surrounded by flames and stands astride a buffalo and human corpse. This black ground painting evokes the macabre setting in which Yama Dharmaraja resides: a corpse-strewn funereal ground. Around him are four wrathful figures from his entourage, each haloed by flames, dancing wildly on a body and clutching a gore-laden skull cup. In the foreground, an offering of organs associated with the five senses brims from a skull bowl. Sitting in a small eddy of tranquility above this visual torrent is Bodhisattva Manjushri, whose manifestation as the terrifying Yama Dharmaraja is the means for defeating death.
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.
The end of this life marked by the cessation of bodily functions followed by decay. According to Buddhism, after death consciousness transitions to an intermediate state known as the bardo before embarking on another life.
Protectors of Buddhist teachings who destroy obstacles that impede the path to enlightenment. The more frightening and gruesome their appearance, the greater their power.
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.
Season 1 · Episode 5
Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.
