Samye Monastery, 8th century AD, Central Tibet
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Samye Monastery, 8th century AD, Central Tibet
201420th century
Benoy Behl, Indian, b. 1950
Object Type:
Photograph
Creation Place:
Asia, Tibet, Shannan
Medium and Support:
Digital print on paper
Credit Line:
Transfer from Georgetown University Art Galleries
Accession Number:
2019.29.14
Current Location:
Lauinger Library
Keywords
Click a term to view the records with the same keyword- Buddhism - Refers to the philosophy and religion based on the enlightenment and teachings of the Buddha Gautama in the early sixth century BCE in the northeastern region of modern India. Playing dominant roles in the art and culture of Southeast Asia and East Asia, this religion is based on the transcendence of human suffering and pain through the acceptance of the limitations of individuality, the surrender of worldly desires and cravings that cause disappointment and sorrow, and the deliverance from the impermanence of living and individual ego based on wealth, social position, or family through the process of enlightenment (nirvana). The religion also centers around 'anatman', or no-self, the idea that the self is in a state of action or a series of changing manifestations rather than in a state of fixed, metaphysical substance. The structure of the religion is based on the Triratna ("Three Jewels" of Buddha), a tripartite schematic for living based on three elements: Buddha (the teacher), dharma (the teaching), and sangha (community).
- monasteries - Places of religious retirement or seclusion from the world for persons under religious vows.
- mountains
- Tibetan Buddhism - Refers to a distinctive form of Buddhism that draws heavily on Mahayana Buddhism, which was introduced to Tibet in the seventh century. Tibetan Buddhism incorporates a great deal of the esoteric tradition of tantra of Vajrayana Buddhism as well as features of ancient Bon shamanism. The monastic disciplines of early Theravada Buddhism are also an important part of Tibetan Buddhism. The religion is, in fact, often considered the most intellectual branch of Buddhism. Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is particularly revered in Tibetan Buddhism and each Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, is believed to be his reincarnation. A noteworthy feature of Tibetan Buddhism is the unusual percentage of the population actively involved in religious life: approximately one-quarter of Tibetans were members of religious orders up until the Chinese takeover of the country in the 1950s. The very large number of divine beings is also a characteristic feature of the religion. Worship includes the recitation of mantras and prayers, and the singing of hymns accompanied by the playing of drums and horns. The Tibetan canon of scripture includes the 'Kangur' and the 'Tenjur;' the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thödröl) describes consciousness between death and rebirth. Tibetan Buddhism spread to the West during the second half of the 20th century, particularly by refugees fleeing Tibet after it was subjugated by Communist China; these refugees included highly regarded 'tulkus,' or reincarnated lamas, who helped increase Tibetan Buddhism's popularity amongst Westerners. There are four major schools: Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Geluk. The religion is sometimes incorrectly called lamaism, which is a Western term for the religion of Tibet, not used by the Buddhists themselves.
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