Glossary

Ganapati is a name for the South Asian deity recognized by his human body and elephant head. While similar in appearance to a Hindu deity Ganesh, Ganapati is worshiped in some Buddhist contexts, as a deity of good luck and success, or as a wrathful deity in Vajrayana Buddhism. Conversely, Ganapati can also represent obstacles to be overcome, and is depicted trampled by some Buddhist deities (such as Mahakala).

The Ganden Podrang was the government system that ruled Central Tibet, in one form or another, from 1642 to 1959. Headed by the Dalai Lamas, the Ganden Podrang had a dual system that included both powerful Geluk monastic officials and secular members of the Central Tibetan noble families. From the eighteenth century onward, the Ganden Podrang had a central governing council called the “kashag,” or “parliament.”

In Hinduism, Garuda is a powerful winged deity, often understood as a symbol of victory and the mount of the god Vishnu. In Buddhism, Garuda is thought of less as an individual deity, but instead as powerful, horned eagle-like beings called kyung, who support the Buddhist dharma and protect from nagas, serpent-spirits. In Tibetan contexts garuda is conflated with the horned kyung bird, with ancient roots in Bon beliefs.

In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, a gau is an amulet box, often gilded or painted, that contains sacred objects like images, mantras and dharanis, relics, tsatsas, and medicinal pills. Tibetans often wear gaus on a cord around the neck, or slung across the shoulder.

The Geluk are the most recent of the major “Later Diffusion” traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Founded on the teachings of Tsongkhapa (1357–1419 CE) and his students, the Geluk are known for their emphasis on monastic discipline and the scholastic study of Mahayana philosophy, especially Madhyamaka. In the seventeenth century the Geluk supporting the Dalai Lamas became the largest and most powerful Buddhist tradition in both Tibet and Mongolia, where city-sized Geluk monasteries and their satellites proliferated widely. For long periods, Geluk monks effectively ruled both countries in dual-rulership or priest-patron political systems. A follower of the Geluk is called a Gelukpa.

Gilding is a metalworking technique in which a fine golden surface is applied over a statue made of bronze. In Newar metalworking workshops, gilding is typically done with fire and mercury, which gives sculptures a warm finish (but is poisonous for their makers). In Tibetan contexts sometimes gold dust is mixed with glue and applied with a brush (often called “cold gold”), especially to a deity’s face to gain merit.

Guhya Kali is one form of the Hindu deity Kali, herself seen as a wrathful form of the great goddess Mahadevi. Kali is typically understood as a fierce goddess, pictured devouring her enemies and trampling on their corpses.

The Guhyasamaja is an important tantra in Vajrayana Buddhism, which focuses on a form of the buddha Akshobhya called Akshobhyavajra, also known as Guhyasamaja. Like other Highest Yoga Tantras, the Guhyasamaja tantra uses transgressive imagery of wrathful deities, charnel grounds, and sexual union.

The Gupta empire was a state centered in northeastern India. The Gupta empire expanded from the fourth century CE to control much of central India and the Ganges valley regions, receiving tributes from other rulers as well. Under the strain of military invasions from the northwest, the empire declined in the late sixth century. The Gupta period is considered a classical age of Hindu and Buddhist art and culture, which produced many of India’s greatest philosophers, playwrights, and artists. Elite patronage of Buddhist institutions was also a major feature of the age, and sculpted Buddhist images are among the most famous and representative images of that time.

The Four Tantras are the fundamental text of the Tibetan medical tradition, claimed to have been taught by the Buddha himself. The first tantra or “root” tantra contains an overview of the medical system, while the second or “explanatory” gives more detail on theory and physiology. The third or “instructional” tantra gives information on treatments, while the fourth or “subsequent” tantra gives a variety of additional information on diagnosis, the preparation of medicines, and more.