Art, Imagery & Symbols
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THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TIBETAN SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS by Robert Beer 400 pp., line art throughout, 9" x 12", cloth. #SYMOTI - $ 65.00 For artists, designers, or anyone interested in Tibetan art, this is an exhaustive reference to the variety of symbols found throughout Tibetan art--in line drawings, paintings, thangkas, and ritual objects. Hundreds of Robert Beer's drawings depict animals, flowers, plants, teachers, mudras, dragons, offerings, geometric borders, etc. | |
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THE FLYING MYSTICS OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM by Glenn Mullin Cloth, 248 pp., 8" x 10", 135 color images. #FLMYTI - regular price $ 50.00 Our Price $40.00 The urge to fly has transfixed human imagination with a steady, irresistible charm for millennia. This book presents Tibetan paintings that explore the theme of flying as a spiritual power.With advanced spiritual development come supernatural powers such as flying, levitation, or the ability to walk through the sky as some walk on a mountain path. Indo-Tibetan literature is filled with accounts of the phenomena, and biographical accounts of the great lineage masters often includes a section on occasions when flying was called for. Similarly, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist artists frequently draw from flying anecdotes in their paintings and sculptural works. More ... | |
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THE HANDBOOK OF TIBETAN BUDDHIST SYMBOLS by Robert Beer 256 pp. #HATIBU - $ 27.95 The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols is an illustrated reference to the rich tradition of Tibetan art, including line drawings, painting, thangkas, and ritual objects. This compact, concise handbook contains an extensive array of symbols and motifs, accompanied by succint explanations--landscapes, mudras, deities, plants, gurus, dragons, etc. Great for artists, designers, and anyone interested in Buddhist iconography. Contents drawn largely from Robert Beer's The Encyclopedia of Tibean Symbols and Motifs. | |
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HOLY MADNESS: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas ed. by Rob Linrothe Cloth, 8.75" x 11.75", 454 pp., 300 color plates. #HOMAPO - regular price $ 150.00 Our Price $120.00 Holy Madness is a groundbreaking examination of the art and legends of some of the most colorful characters in South Asian and Himalayan civilization. With contributions by ten of the most prominent scholars in the field, this catalog provides both a survey of the topic of mahasiddhas (Sanskrit, "maha" meaning "great" and "siddha" meaning "accomplished one") in art as well as essays on particular aspects of the theme, including literary, religious, sociological, and anthropological dimensions. More ... | |
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IN THE PRESENCE OF MASTERS: Wisdom from 30 Contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Teachers by Reginald. A. Ray 192 pp. 12 halftones. #INPRMA - regular price $ 16.95 Our Price $13.56 A collection of energetic, creative teachings from some of the most eloquent Tibetan teachers to work with Westerners: Kalu Rinpoche, 16th Karmapa, Trungpa, Namkhai Norbu, Sogyal Rinpoche, Khandro Rinpoche and others. Major topics include: approaches to the path, role of teacher, tantra. | |
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THE LAMAS OF TIBET: The Ancient Wisdom of Nalanda by Melina Mulas Cloth, 9.75 x 9.75. 184 pp. #LATI - $ 49.95 The 66 spectacular black-and-white photos in this book create a portrait of spiritual power. The lamas--ranging from the Dalai Lama to Penor Rinpoche to the Nechung Oracle to Sakya Trizin to many of the younger generation of leaders--seem to have been caught by the lens at a moment of spiritual transmission. A significant collection, complete with short biographies. More ... | |
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MANDALA: The Architecture of Enlightenment by Denise Patry Leidy and Robert A.F. Thurman 175 pp., 85 color plates, 50 b&w photos and line drawings. #MAAREN - $ 25.00 A mandala is a Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe, often taking the form of a circle within a square. Mandala: The Architecture of Enlightenment, based on an exhibition of the same name co-organized by the Asia Society Galleries and Tibet House, explores the multiple manifestations of this form throughout Asia, tracing its development under the influence of religious and aesthetic traditions. Co-authored by Denise Patry Leidy and Robert A. F. Thurman, Mandala captures the spiritual and artistic vitality of the mandala in scholarly essays, 135 stunning illustrations, and a selection of excerpts designed to introduce the reader to the body of literature inspired by this art form. | |
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MONK DANCERS OF TIBET by Matthieu Ricard 128 pp. color photos throughout, cloth. #MODATI - $ 29.95 Sacred dances, depicting legendary stories, rituals and spiritual teachings, are central to the Tibetan tantric tradition. Each mask, costume and gesture has significance. In vivid, full-color photos and descriptive text, the well-known author reveals the meanings behind the dances, as well as the intriguing history of this spiritual practice. | |
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NAVAJO AND TIBETAN SACRED WISDOM: The Circle of the Spirit by Peter Gold 320 pp., 25 b&w photos, 127 color and b&w illus. 8" x 10". #NATISA - $ 29.95 It is remarkable how similar the Navajo and Tibetan philosophies and practices are. Peter Gold draws extensive parallels between their creation myths, cosmology, geomancy, psychology, visionary arts, and healing and initiation rituals. His sensitive comparison shows how to recover a sense of the sacred through our own cultural paradigms. Peter has lived many years in these two cultures and is uniquely prepared to bring this remarkable study to light. | |
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PORTRAITS OF THE MASTERS: Bronze Sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages ed. by Donald Dinwiddie 396 pp., fully illustrated in color, 10.75 x 12.5, cloth. #POMA - regular price $ 95.00 Our Price $71.25 108 portrait bronzes of great masters of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, beautifully displayed. The collection is presented in sections devoted to the Arhats, and to each of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Each section opens with a history of the tradition, drawn from Tibet's rich literary heritage, and then examines the sculptures within that context. | |
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PORTRAITS OF TIBETAN BUDDHIST MASTERS by Don Farber, fore. by Sogyal Rinpoche Cloth. 160 pp., 77 color illustrations. #POTIB - $ 29.95 Superb color photos of some of the most influential masters of contemporary Buddhism--including the Dalai Lama, Chogyam Trungpa, and Sogyal Rinpoche--presented together with quotations from each of them. Each portrait is accompanied by a short biography. A feast for the eyes, and a moving testament to the range of great modern-day Buddhist masters. Over 70 fabulous portraits of masters from four lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. More ... | |
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SHAMANISM AND TANTRA IN THE HIMALAYAS by Christian Ratsch, Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Surendra Shahi 320 pp., 605 color and b&w illustrations including 135 color thangka images, 8.5" x 11". #SHTAHI - $ 49.95 The result of 18 years of field research, this text presents a comprehensive overview of the shamanism of Nepal. Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas is lavishly illustrated with numerous photos of different shamanic healing ceremonies, ritual objects and culturally significant plants. There are recipes, smoking mixtures, tables, charts, and descriptions of more than 20 plants whose psychoactive properties have never before been documented. | |
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SPIRIT OF TIBET: Portrait of a Culture in Exile photographs and text by Alison Wright, foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama 200 pages, 180 color photos, 9.5" x 10" wide. Only one free, with your order over $75.00! Or purchase one at 50% off, using the code SPTI. #SPTIFR - $ 0.00 This visually stunning, full-color portrait of Tibetan life in exile displays the spirit of Tibetan refugees living in the beautiful mountain settings of northern India. It shows how Tibetans have preserved the best of their unique culture and identity. Aided by their Buddhist faith, the Tibetan people have rebuilt productive lives for themselves, and live today in thriving communities with a strong sense of purpose: to preserve and maintain the ancient Buddhist tradition which forms the core of Tibetan culture. In this sense, Tibetan refugees have managed more than mere survival: they have created a Tibet in exile that is in many ways more truly Tibetan than their occupied homeland. More ... | |
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STUPA AND ITS TECHNOLOGY: A Tibeto-Buddhist Perspective by Pema Dorjee 189 pp., 60 b&w photos and line drawings, cloth. #STTE - $ 26.00 An in-depth study of the Tibetan stupa that focuses on stupa architecture. The ritual activities associated with stupa construction are described along with the eight fundamental types of Tibeto-Buddhist stupas and their main structural components. | |
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TARA'S COLORING BOOK by Andy Weber & Nigel Wellings 12 line drawings, 10" x 13". #TACOBO - $ 14.95 A book of twelve exquisite line drawings of famous Tibetan icons--Buddha, Chenrezig, Tara, Manjushri and others with instructions on how to color the drawings. | |
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TIBETAN BUDDHIST GODDESS ALTARS: A Pop-Up Gallery text and illustrations by Robert Beer Box display dimensions 6.25" x 8". #TIBUGA - $ 23.95 The home altar has become an increasingly popular tool for contemporary seekers, allowing them to tap their spirituality informally, at any time of the day. This charming book puts a new twist on the phenomenon by showcasing female Buddhist deities in a delightfully unusual format. Usable as an altar or art book designed to resemble a Tibetan temple, the book presents stunning three-dimensional renderings of traditional thangka paintings. It features doors that open from the middle of the front cover, a sturdy tab-insert closure, and elastic loops to hold each altar firmly in place. Four important goddesses appear here. White Tara pacifies illness and removes obstacles; Vashudhara increases prosperity, fertility, and happiness; Kurukulla helps attract and influence through the power of love and desire; and Vajrayogini aids in developing the enlightened union of Great Bliss and Emptiness. With the assistance of these colorful altars and an informative text about the symbolic art, visualization can blossom into multidimensional meditation. | |
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TIBETAN BUDDHIST SYMBOLS Knowledge Cards by Robert Beer 48 cards, line drawings with explanations, 3.5" x 4". #TIBUSY - $ 9.95 Tibetan Buddhism, with its vast pantheon of deities, presents a rich and often bewildering visionary world, one that is obviously infused with profound esoteric meaning and artistic and cultural allusion. This card set of 48 line drawings helps understand the complex imagery of Tibetan culture. More ... | |
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TIBETAN MANDALAS by Prof. Raghu Vira and Lokesh Chandra 270 pp., 8 1/2 x 11, cloth. #TIMAN - $ 55.00 A fascinating collection of 158 mandalas of major and minor tantric deities--actually it is comprised of two famous collections of large line drawings. The first is the Vajravali by Abhayakaragupta and containing 26 mandalas such as Manjuvajra, Akshobhya, Vajrasattva, Heruka, Hevajra, and Ushnisasitatapatra. The second collection is the Tantra-samuccaya and contains 132 mandalas of major and minor deities divided into the four tantras and other classes with special emphasis on the Anuttara Yogini Tantras. More ... | |