Tibet or Mongolia
19th century
The right hand is extended in a giving gesture.
Tibet or Mongolia
19th century
The right hand is extended in a giving gesture.
This relaxed posture is commonly associated with regal leisure.
One of the main sources of suffering in the endless cycle of death and rebirth known as samsara. Buddhists regard offering protection from fear as an act of compassion or form of giving.
A kind of energy that can be used, individually and collectively, to effect change.
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.
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.
Mongolians have been widely active in the Tibetan Buddhist world, playing a key role in Tibetan culture, politics, and relations with China. In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire—the largest contiguous empire in world history—facilitated the spread of Tibetan visual culture.
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