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Tibet Buddhism Photo Gallery - Best Photos

Tibet Buddhism Photo Gallery - Best Photos

01-1 Shakyamuni Buddha In Jokhang Temple The Chapel of Jowo Shakyamuni in Lhasa’a Jokhang Temple is the most important shrine in Tibet, housing a 1.5m sitting image of Shakyamuni at the age of 12. It is supposedly one of only three made during his lifetime. It was a gift from the Chinese Princess Wencheng to her husband King Songtsen Gampo. The Jowo sits on a majestic massive three-tiered stone platform. Two silver-plated dragons presented by the Chinese emperor entwine the ornate pillars that support an intricate double canopy over the Jowo. An ornate crown of coral, turquoise, diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems, sits on the Jowo’s head. Note the photo of the current 14th Dalai Lama, allowed in Tibet when I took this photo in 1993.

01-1 Shakyamuni Buddha In Jokhang Temple

02 Mantra A mantra is a short prayer chanted repeatedly during meditation as an object of concentration. The most famous is Om Mani Padme Hum, the mantra of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara, spoken by most pilgrims as they spin their prayer wheels.

02 Mantra

02 Padmasambhava Padmasambhava (Tib. Guru Rinpoche) was an Indian master who was invited to Tibet in 747 and introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet. He founded the Nyingmapa order at Samye monastery, with the first Buddhist monks being ordained around 767. He wears a magical crown-like red hat with a severe expression and curled moustache. In his right hand is a vajra (dorje), in his left is a white skullcap filled with nectar, jewels and a long-life vase, and in the bend in his elbow he supports a flaming trident with skull heads.

02 Padmasambhava

03 Birthday Card - Dalai Lama

03 Birthday Card - Dalai Lama

03 Prostration A prostration is one of the fundamental practices of Tibetan Buddhism to purify our pride, body, speech and mind. You begin with your palms pressed together at the level of your heart, and then touch your hands to your crown point between the eyebrows (mind), the throat (speech), and the heart (body), then stretch your entire body on the ground and stretch both of your hands as far as possible away from your head. Then rise up quickly and repeat at least two more times.

03 Prostration

Chakrasamvara Mandala 01 The name Chakrasamvara (Tib: Demchog) translates as

Chakrasamvara Mandala 01

Chakrasamvara Mandala 11 Centre Close Up The centre of the mandala shows the blue-black Chakrasamvara with four faces and twelve arms, the two main arms embracing his consort Vajravarahi, who has one face and two arms. He wears a girdle made of tiger skin and the skin of an elephant, grasping with one of his right hands the left paw while one of his left hands holds the left foot. With his right leg set forward he presses down the head of Kalabhairava, and his left leg presses the breast of Kali. In one of his left hands he holds the four severed heads of god Brahma.

Chakrasamvara Mandala 11 Centre Close Up

Tibetan Buddhism Wheel Of Life 00 The Tibetan Wheel of Life is perhaps the most common of all pictures in Buddhist art and is seen on the walls of monasteries and painted scrolls all over Tibet, Nepal and other Himalayan countries. The 23 parts of the painting represent in visual terms some of the more fundamental teachings in Buddhism such as the 12 steps of dependent origination, the karmic laws of cause and effect, and the three kleshas of ignorance, greed and hatred.

Tibetan Buddhism Wheel Of Life 00

Tibetan Buddhism Wheel Of Life 06 06-1 Hell Beings The sector at the very bottom depicts hell, shown as a place of intense pain and torment, where its victims are subjected to the most excruciating tortures. Normally hell is divided into 8 hot hells, 8 cold hells, and minor hells. Hell could also represent acute mental suffering, maybe even insanity. Yama holds a mirror to reflect our mind and past actions, and a set of scales for us to measure the causes of our hatred and anger and their negative effects. The blue coloured Buddha offers the hell beings nectar, which gives them ease from their mental torture.

Tibetan Buddhism Wheel Of Life 06 06-1 Hell Beings


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