Living Practices

In Himalayan cultures most objects are created with a specific purpose, often in the context of religious practices or special occasions marking life events, but also as part of everyday secular activities. These images and objects function as part of living practices, whether individual, familial, professional, or communal.

Art in Context

The shrine cabinet in the exhibition allows visitors to experience a sacred space similar to what could be found in a Tibetan household where religious objects are displayed and used in ritual and devotional practices.

The main elements of any Tibetan Buddhist shrine are those objects that represent the Buddha’s body, speech, and mind. Images of buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities, and teachers are representations of the Buddha’s body. Books of Buddhist scripture are the physical manifestations of his speech, and stupas symbolize the Buddha’s mind as well as his formless body.

Home shrines create a space where families can display their religious images, worship, make offerings, and perform other rituals. The specific contents of such shrines depend on the Buddhist tradition practiced by the family and reflect particular teachings, lineage transmissions, and practices, which in turn determine individual images that are enshrined and used in daily worship and ritual ceremonies.

The interactive and video below provide virtual visits to the Rubin Museum of Art’s Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room.

Video
Fig. 1.

Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, "Himalayan Art Up Close: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room," YouTube, January 17, 2025, 6:33, https://youtu.be/_6wk01kfDyQ.

Video
Fig. 2.

The Rubin Museum of Art, "2 hours of chanting in a Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room for meditation and concentration," YouTube, March 19, 2020, 2:00:08, https://www.youtube.com/IPKAJX-HnTo.

Objects in the Exhibition

Instruction
Instructive paintings can illustrate religious doctrines, medical and astrological charts, or images of ritual implements and meditative postures.