Illustrates, explains and celebrates 241 examples of Tibetan sacred art of the 9th to 12th centuries. The authors discuss the religious meaning and use of tangkas, Buddhist iconography and the aesthetics of tangka paintings, sculpture and mandalas.

A black and white presentation of sacred art and statuary, along with an introduction to its meaning. This book includes 40 pages of black and white photographs and descriptions of fine Tibetan statues and paintings.

A presentation on the Tibetan Buddhist path to enlightenment, through the lens of an artist's eye and experience. The sacred arts play an essential, intrinsic role in Tibetan Buddhist practice. Here, one of the great practitioners and master artists of our time presents a guide to the Tibetan Buddhist path, from preliminary practices through enlightenment, from the artist's perspective. With profound wisdom, he shows how visual representations of the sacred in paintings, sculptures, mandalas, and stupas can be an essential support to practice throughout the path. This work, based on the author's landmark Tibetan text, The Path to Liberation, includes basic Buddhist teachings and practices, clearly pointing out the relevance of these for both the sacred artist and the practitioner, along with an overview of the history and iconography of Buddhist art.

Accompanying an exhibition to be held in New York during late fall of 1998, Sacred Visions is a superbly illustrated volume of art works from the 11th to the mid-15th centuries which includes scholarly essays that relate to the paintings to be displayed.

The rich artistic heritage of Tibet reveals the depths of meditations of great masters, translated into the majestic abundance of iconic symbols that take the form of three-dimensional images or two-dimensional thankas. Tibetan Art is a comprehensive introduction to the complex iconography of thankas. It provides a glimpse of the mindground of this art and the land where it flourished. Although Tibetan Art portrays the historic Buddha Sakyamuni, the arhats, spiritual masters, great lamas, and founders of different religious lineages, the preponderance of its images depict supramundane beings. Predominantly these are: the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, female deities, protectors or tutelary gods (yi-dams), defenders of the faith, guardians of the four cardinal points, minor deities and supernatural beings.

Connect with the sacred art of Buddhism through the creative act of coloring. Buddhist art is rich with symbolism and meaning. Taking the time to color and interact with these symbols and motifs is a simple yet profound way to practice mindfulness and move closer to a greater awareness of one’s own essential nature. The drawings here—all meticulously painted by hand with a small sable brush—relate to the state of being completely awakened and evoke a deep sense of calm and stillness. A concise description of each drawing unravels the many layers of meaning contained within this sacred art, inviting a deeper connection with these drawings.

It is only recently that the systematic study of Buddhist Art has been inaugurated. Thanks to scientific excavations and explorations carried out in India by the Indian Archaeological Survey, in Central Aisa by a number of archaeological missions on behalf of different governments, and in China by the pioneer work of the eminent French sinologist, the late Edouard Chavennes, we possess a number of invaluable facts which enable us to reconstruct the vast domain of Buddhist Art. It is true that it is not yet possible to write a history of Buddhist Art in all its phases and different epochs. This huge work remains to be done, and we only can hope that future investigations in this field will facilitate the scholar's task. But if the complete history of Buddhist Art is still to be written, we can already affirm the unity of its evolution. -- Introduction.

What if you set out to travel the world and got sidetracked in a Himalayan sewing workshop? What if that sidetrack turned out to be your life’s path—your way home? Part art book, part memoir, part spiritual travelogue, Threads of Awakening is a delightful and inspiring blend of adventure and introspection. Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo shares her experience as a California woman traveling to the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India to manage an economic development fund, only to wind up sewing pictures of Buddha instead. Through her remarkable journey, she discovered that a path is made by walking it—and that some of the best paths are made by walking off course. For more than 500 years, Tibetans have been creating sacred images from pieces of silk. Much rarer than paintings and sculptures, these stitched fabric thangkas are among Tibet's finest artworks. Leslie studied this little-known textile art with two of its brightest living masters and let herself discover where curiosity and devotion can lead. In this book, she reveals the unique stitches of an ancient needlework tradition, introduces the Buddhist deities it depicts, and shares insights into the compassion, interdependence, and possibility they embody. Includes 49 full-color photos and a foreword by the Dalai Lama.