The Question(s) of Tibet - World Affairs Council

TIBETAN BUDDHISM/ART/ARCHITECTURE
HIMALAYAN ART RESOURCES
http://www.himalayanart.org/
The mission of the Himalayan Art Resources website (HAR) is to create a comprehensive
education and research database and virtual museum of Himalayan art.
RUGS AND RITUAL IN TIBETAN BUDDHISM
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={8553DF5D‐9C4B‐4AF4‐
B016‐EE653B334D0F}
Thirty works dedicated to the enactment of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, focusing on Tibetan
tantric rugs as the seats of power employed by practitioners of esoteric Buddhism, form this
installation. These rugs typically depict the flayed skin of an animal or human and, together
with associated ritual utensils, are the tools employed in the enactment of esoteric rites
associated with protective deities. The employment of these images and ritual tools celebrate
the power of detachment from the corporal body that advanced Buddhist practitioners strive to
attain. It features two large ritual tangkas, together with the rugs upon which the practitioner
sits, or upon which his ritual utensils are placed, as well as a rich assortment of associated ritual
paraphernalia. Many are rarely seen objects from private collections. Curator John Guy
discusses the ritual arts of Tibet and their role in the path to enlightenment, the subject of the
installation.
TIBETAN ARMS AND ARMOR
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tbar/hd_tbar.htm
Armor and weapons are certainly not among the images usually called to mind when
considering the art or culture of Tibet, which is closely identified with the pacifism and deep
spirituality of the Dalai Lama and with the compassionate nature of Tibetan Buddhism.
However, this seeming paradox resolves itself when seen in the context of Tibetan history,
which includes regular and extended periods of intense military activity from the seventh to the
mid‐twentieth century.
DANCING DEMONS: CEREMONIAL MASKS OF ASIA
http://sites.asiasociety.org/arts/mongolia/
Among the great religious festivals of Asia, the ceremonies of Mongolia stand unsurpassed in
the splendor of their visual imagery and their dramatic expressiveness. Dancing Demons:
Ceremonial Masks of Mongolia presents spectacular examples of masks, costumes, and
paraphernalia used in these ceremonies.
MANDALA SAND PAINTING: CREATING AN ENLIGHTENED WORLD
http://sites.asiasociety.org/arts/mandala/index.html
Over a 10‐day period In September 2003 the Tibetan monks of Drepung
Loseling Monastery constructed a sand mandala – a sacred cosmogram –
"in commemoration of September 11 and as an offering of peace and
Through a Child’s Eye: An
Especially Joyous Expedition
of Mandalas
http://kids.asiasociety.org/arts/
mandala
healing to the people of New York City." This archive website includes images showing day‐byday
construction of the mandala, as well as the original press release describing the event, an
interview with Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, founder and director of Drepung Loseling Institute, and a
Teacher's Guide to the Mandala.
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – The Question(s) of Tibet February 28, 2011
38