Tibet
19th century
Tibet
19th century
This ritual mandala plate with the female deity Vajrayogini at its center is used primarily during an initiation ceremony. The painted depiction of the deity is representative of the body-heap mandala. In Tantric Buddhism the three essential aspects of a person are their body, speech, and mind, and these three features are ritually initiated into a mandala.
In Buddhism gender is considered more fluid compared to some other religions. Certain traditions emphasize the importance of all genders in achieving enlightenment. The feminine is considered an embodiment of wisdom and the masculine is an embodiment of method.
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.
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 geometrically shaped tool used for meditation and visualization in Buddhist practice. It is a representation of the palace of a deity and the Buddhist conception of the cosmos.
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.
March 15, 2024–October 6, 2024Rubin Museum
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