The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room

This installation allows visitors to experience a sacred space that might be found in a Tibetan household. The religious objects in the shrine would be displayed and used in ritual and devotional practices. The main elements of any Tibetan Buddhist shrine room represent the Buddha’s body, speech, and mind. Images of buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities, and teachers, are thought of as representations of the body of the Buddha, books of Buddhist scripture are the physical manifestations of the Buddha’s speech, and stupas symbolize the Buddha’s mind.

Worship in Tibetan culture involves the use of ritual implements, musical instruments, offering bowls, and butter lamps. Brocade decorations and traditional Tibetan furniture are intended to accommodate the sacred images and ritual objects.

The specific contents of a home shrine depend on the Buddhist tradition practiced by the family. The objects reflect particular teachings, practices, and lineage transmissions, which determine the particular images that are enshrined and used in daily worship and rituals.

This rendition of the Museum’s shrine room features the Geluk Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Among its main subjects are: the founding teacher of the tradition Tsongkapa; two earlier masters, the Indian teacher Atisha and his Tibetan disciple Dromton; and Manjushri, an embodiment of learned wisdom. Maitreya, the future Buddha, and the tantric deities Chakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, Vajrabhairava, Guhyasamaja, and Kalachakra occupy a prominent role in the Geluk tradition. Protectors, such as Yama Dharmaraja and Magzor Gyalmo, also feature prominently in Geluk ritual practices.

2015 Installation