DICTIONARY OF BUDDHIST ICONOGRAPHY, vol. 1 by Lokesh Chandra
The Dictionary of Buddhist Iconography is an endeavour of half a century to identify, classify, describe and delineate the bewildering variation in Buddhist icons. It spans the last twenty centuries, and it is a comparative study of unprecedented geographic variations, besides the everevolving visualisations of great masters who introduced extraordinary plurality of divine forms in the dharanis and sadhanas. The multiple forms of a theonym arise m varying contexts;. For example, Hevajra of the Hevajra-tantra holds crania in his hands while the Hevajra of the Samputa tantra has weapons. Both are subdivided into four each on the planes of kaya vak, citta and hrdaya, with two, four, eight and sixteen arms.
The Dictionary classifies such several types of a deity and places each in its its theogonic structure, specifies the earliest date of its occurrence (e.g. Amoghapasa appears m Chinese in AD 587) the earliest image, the direction in which it is placed in the specific quarter of the mandala, its classification colour crown or hairdo, ferocious or serene appearance, number of eyes and heads, hair standing up and/of flaming, number of ~ and attributes held in 11 consort 16 of the family kulesa), and so esoteric name symbolic form (samaya), bija (hierogram), mantra mudra and mandala are given in this Dictionary for the fiat time and on an extensive scale. The Sanskrit, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Manchu and other names am given under the main entry, as well as cross referenced in their own alphabetic order. The Dictionary details the the attributes, chronology and symbolism over twelve thousand main and minor deities. It reflects the extraordinary cultural, literary, 'sthetic and spiritual of several nations of Asia over two millennia.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TIBETAN SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS by Robert Beer
This study of the sacred art of Tibet is the result of eight years of meticulous brush drawing, and a lifetime spent researching and reflecting upon the inner and often hidden meanings and origins encapsulated in this most complex of iconographical traditions. Several thousand individual drawings arranged as a series of 169 plates illustrate the many variations in style and individual expression of these ritual objects. The text interweaves the origins, meanings and functions of these symbols, derived from India, Tibet and China, into a comprehensive tapesty within a Buddhist conceptual framework.
TIBETAN SACRED ART: The Heritage of Tantra by Detlef Ingo Lauf, introduction by Herbert Guenther
We were happy to be find copies of this classic--still one of the most comprehensive studies of Tibetan art, including paintings, manuscripts, architecture and imagery drawn from the author's sojourns through Tibet, Bhutan, and Ladakh. Uniquely presents art as it was understood by the artists who created it. Includes discussions of the mystic experience in Tibetan art, visionary unfolding in the mandala, the manifestations of the guardian deities, form and secret revelation in Tibetan art, the five Buddha families, bodhisattvas, masters and saints.
IMAGES OF ENLIGHTENMENT: Tibetan Art in Practice by Jonathan Landaw & Andy Weber
Jonathan Landaw spent six years living in northern India studying Tibetan Buddhism and is the editor and author of a number of Buddhist books.
Andy Weber spent seven years in India and Nepal studying the iconographic art of Tibetan Buddhism and his work has appeared throughout the world in numerous exhibitions and Buddhist publications.
One of the most striking aspects of Tibetan Buddhism is its wealth of visual imagery. Ranging from the tranquility of a serenely poised meditator to the dynamic energy of apparently wrathful figures this vivid and diverse imagery often leaves Western observers as puzzled as they are fascinated. Who are these figures and what do they mean ?
Images of Enlightenment answers the need for a clear and straightforward guide to the inner world of Tibetan Buddhist sacred art. Focusing on some of its most important and representative images, this richly illustrated book introduces the reader to the tradition of spiritual self-transformation embodied by these depictions of enlightened energy.
THE FEMALE BUDDHAS: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mystical Art by Mullin, Glenn H. with Jeff J. Watt
Female Buddhas presents an appraisal of the feminine in Tibetan Buddhism and an overview of its prominence in Tibetan art by Tibetologist Glenn H. Mullin. It includes over a hundred full-color plates of Tibetan Masterpieces from the Shelley and Donald Rubin Collections.
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