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This visually stunning catalogue presents c. 300 iconographical materials and texts from the Tibetan collections of the Royal Library and the National Museum of Denmark. Most of the entries describe such iconographical materials as mandalas, elemental divination paintings, ritual "tsakli" cards and prayer flags. Unique handwritten meditation manuals, a Mongolian Book of the Dead, illuminated manuscripts as well as philosophical and medical works are also featured. These remarkable materials, which represent rare and unique forms of communication between man and nature in written and iconographical forms, play a central role in the performance of Buddhist and shamanistic rituals. In line with other volumes in the COMDC series, this catalogue is intended as a reference tool for scholars. It also supplements the Catalogue of Tibetan Manuscripts and Xylographs, COMDC 6.1 & 6.2. The catalogue includes over 250 colour illustrations.
Detailed illustrations of 132 mandalas including descriptive and historical notes. Sources: Kriya tantras (19); Carya tantras (2); Yoga tantras (20); Anuttara (Yogi) tantras (19); Anuttara (Yoginī) tantras (37); Advaya tantras (19); The Āmnāta cycle (14); and Paryavasāna-Kalyāṇa (2) making a total of 132 mandalas.
Every one of these Tibetan mandalas is rich in spiritual meaning, and the accompanying quotations and sayings will deepen your knowledge of this very special culture. Contemplate the Wheel of Becoming, a symbol of rebirth usually found in monasteries, or a transcendent Adibuddha Vajrasattva, a representation of penetrating absoluteness and the embodiment of the limitless. Other mandalas include the Eight Symbols of Happiness, the four-armed Manjushri (for wisdom), Sacrificial Offerings, and the national flag of Tibet. Each consists of a periphery and a center, which stand for the beginning and end of all being, and as meditators color them in, they will foster a deeper understanding of the universe and the inner landscape of the human soul.
Tantric Buddhism views the mandala as an allegory and symbol of man's relationship with the cosmos and
Exhibition catalog, Co-pub. with Asia Society Gall & Tibet House.
Koichi Shinohara traces the evolution of Esoteric Buddhist rituals from the simple recitation of spells in the fifth century to complex systems involving image worship, mandala initiation, and visualization practices in the ninth century. He presents an important new reading of a seventh-century Chinese text called the Collected Dharani Sutras, which shows how earlier rituals for specific deities were synthesized into a general Esoteric initiation ceremony and how, for the first time, the notion of an Esoteric Buddhist pantheon emerged. In the Collected Dharani Sutras, rituals for specific deities were typically performed around images of the deities, yet Esoteric Buddhist rituals in earlier sources involved the recitation of spells rather than the use of images. The first part of this study explores how such simpler rituals came to be associated with the images of specific deities and ultimately gave rise to the general Esoteric initiation ceremony described in the crucial example of the All-Gathering mandala ritual in the Collected Dharani Sutras. The visualization practices so important to later Esoteric Buddhist rituals were absent from this ceremony, and their introduction would fundamentally change Esoteric Buddhist practice. This study examines the translations of dharani sutras made by Bodhiruci in the early eighth century and later Esoteric texts, such as Yixing's commentary on the Mahavairocana sutra and Amoghavajra's ritual manuals, to show how incorporation of visualization greatly enriched Esoteric rituals and helped develop elaborate iconographies for the deities. Over time, the ritual function of images became less certain, and the emphasis shifted toward visualization. This study clarifies the complex relationship between images and ritual, changing how we perceive Esoteric Buddhist art as well as ritual.
Now back in print comes this stunning visual introduction to the artistic and spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism--the Kalachakra Sand Mandala. "Spiritual vision communicated by art and ritual."--"Tricycle." 36 color photos. 199 b&w photos.
Mandalas are works of sacred art in Tantric (Tibetan) Buddhism. The word "mandala" comes from a Sanskrit word that generally means "circle," and mandalas are indeed primarily recognizable by their concentric circles and other geometric figures. Mandalas are far more than geometical figures, however. For Tantric Buddhists, they are rich with symbolism and sacred meaning. In fact, the etymology of the word "mandala" suggests not just a circle but a "container of essence." Simply stated, a mandala is a sacred geometric figure that represents the universe. When completed, a mandala becomes a sacred area that serves as a receptable for deities and a collection point of universal forces. By mentally entering a mandala and proceeding to its center, a person is symbolically guided through the cosmos to the essence of reality. By constructing a mandala, a monk ritually participates in the Buddha's teachings. In Tibetan Buddhism, contemplation of sacred images is central to religious ritual, and a mandala is one of the most important of these sacred images. A Tibetan mandala is usually made with careful placement of colored sand, and accordingly is known in Tibetan as dul-tson-kyil-khor, or "mandala of colored powders." In China, Japan and Tibet, mandalas can also be made in bronze or stone three-dimensional figures. In recent years, a variety of mandalas have been created using computer graphics, although these are usually created by non-Buddhists and are not considered sacred.
Boldly reinterpreting an age-old Tibetan artistic tradition, this beautiful album offers gorgeously detailed representations of celestial spheres, known as mandalas. Merely gazing upon them is meant to inspire heightened states of intention and clarity. In Celestial Gallery, master painter Romio Shrestha and his team of artisan monks have rendered postmodern interpretations of these enlightened Buddha realms. Made from hand-ground malachite, lapis, marigolds, and more, and painted at times with three cat-tail hairs, these multifaceted scenes of otherworldly deities are produced with hauntingly powerful detail. Depictions of White Tara, Green Tara, the Medicine Buddha, and many other celestials invite and inspire meditation and reflection.