Sacred Arts of Tibet (.pdf) - Asian Art Museum | Education

HISTORY
Sacred Arts of Tibet
The Age of Kings: The "First Transmission" of Buddhism to Tibet
(approximately. 400 BCE- 850 CE)
According to traditional accounts, Tibet began its movement toward nationhood in 400 BCE, when the
first king descended a ladder of colored rope (a rainbow bridge between heaven and earth) to the top of a
mountain in the Yarlung Valley. The earliest dated foreign reference to Tibet is found in second-century
Chinese annals referring to Tibetan armies raiding the Chinese frontier regions. It is not until the early
seventh century that any significant information is recorded. At this time Tibetans thrust themselves into
Chinese attention as a powerful military force crossing their borders and establishing influence all the way
into the Chinese heartland. Tang Dynasty documents describe the Tibetans as fierce, powerful warriors.
There is genuine admiration expressed for Tibetan horses, armor, tactics, and courageous, single-minded
determination. The Tibetans are also described as having great castles, walled towns, and as being skilled
in metalworking, art, and rhetoric.
Songtsen Gampo (618-650), the First King of a Unified Tibet
In 627, the Tibetan Emperor, Songtsen Gampo (618-650), with the backing of other powerful clans,
arose as the first historical ruler of a unified Tibet. He was a unifying figure also because he was believed
to be descended from a line of divine kings from Tibet’s mythical past. His rule is the first subject dealt
with in clear historical terms by the earliest Tibetan documents. Emperor Songtsen Gampo quickly finished
the work of putting together the empire that had been started by his father. After bringing eastern
Tibet under his control, he immediately conquered Koko Nor to the north, and from there swept down
into the heartland of China. Upon receiving an official homage from a Chinese ambassador, Emperor
Songtsen Gampo demanded the daughter of the Tang Emperor in recognition of his position. This sort of
royal marriage was a form of diplomacy and a method for establishing close relations between two courts.
In response to what he must have regarded as a lack of Chinese enthusiasm, he led his forces all the way
to the Chinese capital. The Chinese quickly produced the desired princess, Lady Wen Cheng.
Empress Wen Cheng and Empress Bhrikuti Help Establish Buddhism in Tibet
Lady Wen Cheng (see Slide 2) was an ardent Buddhist; she used her talents and influence to help her
royal husband to spread Buddhism to every corner of the Tibetan Empire. She brought with her a famous
statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Jo Rinpoche. This is still the most venerate object of worship in Tibet,
housed in the Jokhang in Lhasa, the ultimate pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists. Aside from bringing
Buddhist sacred art and devotional objects, she also sent to China for paper makers, brewers, and silkworms.
The Tibetan customs of drinking tea and wearing silk brocades date from her time. Under her
insistence, Emperor Songtsen Gampo forbade certain Tibetan practices, such as decorating faces with red
pigment and wrestling with bears, a custom she characterized as barbarous.
The Emperor Songtsen Gampo’s first wife was also the daughter of a great king, Amshuvarman, King of
Nepal. Her name was Bhrikuti, and she did much to propagate Buddhism in Tibet. She brought with her
a sandalwood statue of the goddess Tara, one of the most popular deities in the Buddhist pantheon. For
their role in bringing Buddhism to Tibet, Emperor Songtsen Gampo’s two principle wives, the Chinese
and Nepalese princesses, are regarded in Tibet as emanations of the two most influential Taras, White
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