Research guides: Buddhist Studies: Culture

Ritual and Practice

Part One of The Yogis of Tibet movie which contains several interveiws with Tibetan Buddhist practitioners who have been in long term retreat
The practice of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal and the Himalayas. Note that the movie is divided up into several short episodes of about 10 minutes and this link leads to the first, but will connect you with the other sections.
Buddhist Ritual: An example of a Buddhist Refuge ceremony in the Tibetan tradition
A useful example of a basic Buddhist ritual in Tibetan Buddhism, the Refuge ceremony
Dharma and Puṇya
Newar Buddhist and Hindu Art and Ritual Exhibhition at the Cantor Museum of the College of the Holy Cross, MA USA. Newar Buddhist manuscripts with miniature illustrations.
Introductory videos produced by Dr. Todd Lewis
The young priest of Bu Bahal
A short video about Bibindra Bajracharya assuming his priestly duties at a Newar vihāra for the duration of 15 days (Nepali with English subtitles).
Janabahal: Sakal Pranipini
Members of Janabahal Gyanmala Bhajan sing "Sakal Prani pini Matina ya jaa" (सकल प्राणीपिनि मतिनाया जः) at Janabahal in Kathmandu
Daśakarma rituals for Karuṇāmaya (Janabahal)
།འཕགས་པ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བརྒྱད་པའི་ཚིགས་སུ་བཅད་པ་བཞུགས་སོ། ། The Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones by Mipham Rinpoche
A nice folk-inspired version of the prayer. The Tibetan lyrics are in the description box below the Youtube video. A translation is available here: https://lhaseylotsawa.org/library/verses-of-the-eight-noble-auspicious-ones
Explanation of Buddhist Mudras
A very simple introduction to the mudras (hand-gestures) found in Buddhist imagery.
Documentary on Buddhist mummies in Northern Japan (2017)
The ancient practice of self-isolation
Long before any recorded pandemic, an ancient civilisation in Nepal used a little-known system of quarantine. It was a standard cultural practice for people to self-isolate nearly a thousand years ago. The rule was used to contain and prevent the transmission of infectious diseases in crowded urban environments.
Watch monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery make the sand mandala of Avalokiteśvara from millions of grains of colored sand
Short documentation of a sand maṇḍala construction and its dissolution. Includes photos, short texts, and a video (2:07 mins) as well as a mandala image with clickable hotspots that describe its details.

To access the sand mandala documentation you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “here” in the last paragraph. The page has the same URL as the other site and cannot be linked separately.
Torma: The Ancient Art of Tibetan Butter Sculpture
The website promotes "Torma: The Ancient Art of Tibetan Butter Sculpture," the first feature-length documentary about the sacred ritual art of tormas. It has a concise section about the history of tormas, one can watch a trailer of the documentary and there are also several blog entries with links to other torma-related resourcs & a small gallery.
Mind & Life online guided meditations & other contemplative practice resources

Art and Architecture

Dharma and Puṇya
Newar Buddhist and Hindu Art and Ritual Exhibhition at the Cantor Museum of the College of the Holy Cross, MA USA. Newar Buddhist manuscripts with miniature illustrations.
DANAM: the Digital Archive of Nepalese Arts and Monuments
DANAM, the Digital Archive of Nepalese Arts and Monuments, is the database of the Nepal Heritage Documentation Project. Datasets in DANAM include structured information about the monuments’ histories, object details, anthropological data on religious and social activities, architectural details, maps, plans and drawings.
Global Nepali Museum (GNM)
Global Nepali Museum (GNM) is a Museum in the Cloud, this is also a first database of its kind in Nepal that features the objects those are away and are housed in the museum’s around the world. This cloud based museum is an effort to brings all the objects under one domain to give an opportunity specially to the Nepali audience, students and researchers to see and study these objects .
Introductory videos produced by Dr. Todd Lewis
The Rubin Museum of Art
The Rubin Museum of Art welcomes you to ExploreArt, a web site dedicated to using interactive web technologies and elegant design for creating innovative ways to experience art and understand its role in expressing the human experience.
3D models of caityas and temples at Swayambhū, Kwā Bāhāḥ, Namo Buddha and Asura cave in Pharping
Aerial Drone View: Boudha Stūpa
Various maps of ancient Buddhist India drawn and compiled by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu (2013)
AN ARCHITECTURAL CURIOSITY: THE THANGKA WALLS OF THE MAJOR TIBETAN MONASTERIES
Annotated article about thangka walls, and the history of their study, by archaeologist Christian Lassure
A Talk on "Mongol ‘Translations’ of a Nepalese Stupa"
Talk by Isabelle Charleux Ph.D., director of research at the CNRS, on "Mongol ‘Translations’ of a Nepalese Stupa: Architectural Replicas and the Cult of
Bodnāth Stūpa/Jarung khashar in Mongolia" (2019). The talk starts at minute 5:54.
Jowo Rinpoche, Jokhang Temple, Tibet
Short article about the Jowo Rinpoche image by Dr. Melody Rod-ari.
Ayutthaya Historical Research
Well-cited database of ancient Buddhist monuments and historical periods in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Musée Guimet
Website for the Musée Guimet, a Paris-based institution specializing in Buddhist and other Asian art. In French, but there is an English-page translation.
Explanation of Buddhist Mudras
A very simple introduction to the mudras (hand-gestures) found in Buddhist imagery.
Buddhist sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Temporary Exhbit on Buddhist Art
A Walk Through Angkor Wat
A walk through Angkor Wat, beginning at the gatehouse, using Google Street View
A Walk Through Sanchi
A Walk Through Sanchi, beginning at the path toward the main stupa complex, using Google Street View
The Buddhist Bas-Reliefs of Borobudur
A walk-through of the Borobudur temple carvings that depict the lives of the Buddha as told in the Jataka tales and Avadana.
The Life of the Buddha
The life of the Buddha represented in a mirador viewer with interactive text and image, based on murals at Puntshokling Monastery in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The viewer includes annotations based on 16th–17th century Tibetan scholar Tāranātha's text "The Sun of Life . . .," the mural inscriptions themselves, notes from a painting manual, and canonical sources. Includes both Tibetan and English annotations. Project directed by Andrew Quintman and Kurtis Schaeffer.
PENSIVE / Soyoung Lee
A narrated slideshow (featured on the Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC page noted above) where curator Soyoung Lee reflects on the meaning of a bodhisattva and the presence of the "Pensive Bodhisattva" (mid-seventh century, Korea) sculpture in the Met galleries.
Buddhism and Buddhist Art · MET
Overview of Buddhist art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Includes links to primary essays (featuring and explaining Buddhist artworks) and secondary essays on related topics, using certain artworks as examples. Also includes links to regional chronologies and maps, and to other online features. These include narrated slideshows with curators and an artist reflecting on encounters with artworks in the Met galleries.
Sacred Spaces: Tibetan Buddhist Shrines
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery): Overview on the variety of Tibetan Buddhism’s sacred shrine spaces. The page includes neat sections on (1) shrines in situ and (2) shrines in action with respective sub-categories (e.g. domestic shrines, monastic shrines, cave shrines, etc.) as well as a page with a shrine room tour.
Tsethar International
The website Tsethar International was formed by Lama Palzang in 2006. The mission of the organisation is to "free animals that are destined for slaughter, to educate the public about animal liberation and the preciousness of life, and to promote a plant-based diet."
Save the Buddhas in Afghanistan
ArcGIS Story Map investigating Bamiyan Buddhas.
Publication des collections de L'EFEO
Colonial-era photo library of Hindu/Buddhist statuary, inscriptions, temples, and religious life.
Life of the Buddha
A brief essay with images by Kathryn Selig Brown (featured on the Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC page) on the life of the Buddha. The text of the essay includes direct links to images depicting episodes in the life of the Buddha (e.g. birth, first teachings, etc.).
Himalayan Art Resources: Youtube Channel
HAR recently launched a YouTube channel, at present with 20+ videos available. For the most part these are short (roughly 3–4 minute) videos with curator Jeff Watt answering questions about the collection.
Thai Buddhist monks give lucky charms to devotees to protect them from Covid-19
Short video of Thai monks offering protective items to devotees to counter spread of COVID-19.
MoNA - 360º Virtual Exhibitions
Virtual tour of Museum of Nepali Art in Kathmandu
Buddhist art in Myanmar
Virtual Exhibit of the Buddhist Art in Myanmar exhibit at thr British Museum
Virtual Tour of Room 33 of the British Museum
Tibetan, Chinese, and South Asian Exhibits
Saving Saraha: conservation of a Tibetan thangka
Article published by the British Museum on restoring Tibetan thagkas.
ASEAN Cultural Heritage Digital Archive
The ASEAN Cultural Heritage Digital Archive (ACHDA) celebrates the rich and diverse cultural heritage of ASEAN, and showcases a veritable treasure trove of exemplary artefacts and history.
Online Lecture Library | SEAArch - Southeast Asian Archaeology
Free lectures on archeology in Southeast Asia
Inya Institute Digital Archive
The Inya Institute's digital archive features objects, manuscripts, books, paintings, and photographs identified and preserved during research projects undertaken by the institute throughout Myanmar and its diverse states and regions.
36 steroscopic views of early 1900s Burma
Stereoscopic photos of Burma; Burmese culture, pagodas, monks
Article on Buddhist art and the pandemic
Collection of Buddha images
3D interactive pictures of temples in Bagan, Myanmar
Burmese Buddhist temples, Buddha images, archeology, culture
Glass photgraphc plates of the murals that can be found in the Hōryūji Temple in Japan
Introduction to Tibetan Buddhist shrines
"On this page is (1) a video of Geshe Dadul Namgyal, a Buddhist monk and scholar at Atlanta’s Drepung Loseling Monastery, who briefly describes the function of a Tibetan Buddhist altar and (2) a photo of the altar with highlighted spots, that each link to a short video explanation of the item (videos each around 1-2mins, not significantly longer)"

To access the shrine description you need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “here” in the last paragraph. The page has the same URL as the other site and cannot be linked separately.
Short discussion of an Indian Avalokiteśvara figure (11th-12th centuries). Includes clickable hotspots on the statue that describe its details
Torma: The Ancient Art of Tibetan Butter Sculpture
The website promotes "Torma: The Ancient Art of Tibetan Butter Sculpture," the first feature-length documentary about the sacred ritual art of tormas. It has a concise section about the history of tormas, one can watch a trailer of the documentary and there are also several blog entries with links to other torma-related resourcs & a small gallery.
Emperors, Lamas, and Silk: the Origin of Fabric Thangkas
"Emperors, Lamas, and Silk: the Origin of Fabric Thangkas" is a blog entry/article written by the American textile artist Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo that deals with appliqué thangkas. These thangkas are not painted, but made from small pieces of fabric that are sewn together, see here for instance: http://thegreenelephantdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/02/traditional-artsapplique-thangka.html or https://www.norbulingka.org/thangka-appliqueacute.html The article includes a short bibliography.
An in-depth analysis of the story of Prince Sudhana and Manohara as displayed in the bas-reliefs of Borobudur, the world's largest stupa (9th century CE)

Music, Theatre and Performance

Introductory video produced by Dr. Todd Lewis
Buddhist Devotional Music: The Jñānamāla Bhajan in Newar Buddhism
Heart Sūtra in Sanskrit by Vidhya Rao
Tibetan & Sanskrit lyrics, English subtitles available
Janabahal: Sakal Pranipini
Members of Janabahal Gyanmala Bhajan sing "Sakal Prani pini Matina ya jaa" (सकल प्राणीपिनि मतिनाया जः) at Janabahal in Kathmandu
།འཕགས་པ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བརྒྱད་པའི་ཚིགས་སུ་བཅད་པ་བཞུགས་སོ། ། The Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones by Mipham Rinpoche
A nice folk-inspired version of the prayer. The Tibetan lyrics are in the description box below the Youtube video. A translation is available here: https://lhaseylotsawa.org/library/verses-of-the-eight-noble-auspicious-ones

Medicine and Healing

The Jivaka Project
Documentary film collection and multimedia ethnography resources about Buddhism and healthcare
Thai Buddhist monks give lucky charms to devotees to protect them from Covid-19
Short video of Thai monks offering protective items to devotees to counter spread of COVID-19.
The ancient practice of self-isolation
Long before any recorded pandemic, an ancient civilisation in Nepal used a little-known system of quarantine. It was a standard cultural practice for people to self-isolate nearly a thousand years ago. The rule was used to contain and prevent the transmission of infectious diseases in crowded urban environments.
Doing Fieldwork in a Pandemic
Amazing resource of many resources on doing fieldwork in a pandemic
Japanese Religious Responses to COVID-19: A Preliminary Report
Preliminary report on the Buddhist Response to COVID-19 in Japan (includes videos).
COVID-19 in Myanmar: Monastic Edition
A podcast on five Theravada monks (from Canada and Europe) and their experiences during the pandemic. Four out of the five monks remained in Myanmar during the pandemic. The podcast discusses the problems they encounter and how they use the dhamma and meditation to make sense of their circumstances.
How do Buddhists handle coronavirus? The answer is not just meditation
Article by Pierce Salguero on Buddhist healing practices in light of COVID-19
Interview with Pasang Yonten Arya about Tibetan medicine's response to COVID-19.

Buddhism and Daily Life

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche about Homosexuality and Buddhism (traduit en français)
The French translation is in the description box below the video.
The Jivaka Project
Documentary film collection and multimedia ethnography resources about Buddhism and healthcare
Gender and waste management in Kathmandu, Nepal
Waste and Gender Nexus in Kathmandu Nepal. A compilation of photo's detailing the relatioship between waste manamgent and gender in Kathmandu. This Waste and Climate Change Project funded by the International Climate Initiative and implemented by the International Environmental Technology Centre.
COVID-19 in Myanmar: Monastic Edition
A podcast on five Theravada monks (from Canada and Europe) and their experiences during the pandemic. Four out of the five monks remained in Myanmar during the pandemic. The podcast discusses the problems they encounter and how they use the dhamma and meditation to make sense of their circumstances.
COVID-19 in Myanmar: Women's Edition
Podcast on European women practitioners' experiences in Myanmar and abroad during Covid-19. From website: "In this second episode of our ongoing series about COVID-19 in Myanmar, we present the Women’s Edition. In this show, we hear from four female practitioners who describe their views and thoughts on the ongoing crisis."
From statues to toothpaste
Short article on village in Myanmar whose livelihood is based around mining marble and carving it into Buddha statues. At the end touches on the struggles due to the pandemic. Has some nice pictures.
Why Many Vietnamese Workers Die In Japan
While not solely centered on Buddhism this video is about the rising numbers of Vietnamese workers in Japan who die by suicide and a temple that has become a place to honor the dead as well as to help the Vienamese community. One of the nuns is Vietnamese and she along with a Japanese woman are trying to bring attention to the problems that these workers face. There are also articles on the web about how this temple is helping Vietnamese workers who have lost jobs due to Covid-19. This video might be useful for studying about diasporic communities and how temples/monasteries serve different purposes according to the local conditions and needs of the community.
A short video clip of Ama Adhe talking about how to distinguish married from unmarried women in Kham. Tibetan and English subtitles.
How do Buddhists handle coronavirus? The answer is not just meditation
Article by Pierce Salguero on Buddhist healing practices in light of COVID-19
Japanese Religious Responses to COVID-19: A Preliminary Report
Preliminary report on the Buddhist Response to COVID-19 in Japan (includes videos).
Interview with Pasang Yonten Arya about Tibetan medicine's response to COVID-19.
LEGAL IDEOLOGY IN TIBET
Repository of summaries and analyses of Tibetan legal texts.

Events

Events · The Lakshimi Mittal and Family South Aisa Institute
Events, Webinars and blogs on current events in South Asia
Tsethar International
The website Tsethar International was formed by Lama Palzang in 2006. The mission of the organisation is to "free animals that are destined for slaughter, to educate the public about animal liberation and the preciousness of life, and to promote a plant-based diet."

Philosophy

Online resources of teachings and events offered by RYI, as well as teachings given at Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche's wider network of Gomde centres around the world
2 talks on Maitreya's Sublime Continuum, Mind Only and Middle Way, Unifying Academic Study and Traditionsl practice, Douglas Duckworth on Mipham Rinpoche, John Dunne on Dharmakīrti, Eight Verses on Mind training,
Buddhists and Jains · History of Philosophy: India
All episodes in the podcast section on the "History of Philosophy: India" are co-authored with Jonardon Ganeri. There is a sub-section with 20 episodes on "Buddhists and Jains" that have been linked here.
Epistemology and Argumentation in South Asia and Tibet (EAST)
"EAST stands for "Epistemology and Argumentation in South Asia and Tibet". This resource collects and presents bio-bibliographical information on epistemology and argumentation in South Asia and Tibet, covering a time-span from the fifth century CE until, essentially, the present day."
Chinese Thought: Ancient China Meets Modern Science
A Youtube channel with lots of videos by Edward Slingerland, prof at UBC

Buddhism and Popular Culture

“A Tibetan Woman That You Rarely See in Films” By Melong Art
The website High Peaks Pure Earth has translated an interview with the Tibetan director Tashi Chophel. Tashi Chophel's documentary called “Gangla Metok” was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2017. Filmed in Amdo and in Xining, the film puts a spotlight on the changing roles and aspirations of Tibetan women. / The trailer is at the very bottom of the article; Tibetan with Chinese and English subtitles.

Race

Talk about the book "Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation"
Talk given in 2018 by Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams about the book "Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation" (2016, co-authored by Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah).
Moment of Zen: Buddhist Teachings for Turbulent Times
A conversation about Zen hosted by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Art. From the description: "(...) what are the basic principles of Zen, when did it originate, and why is it relevant today? Is there a “culturally authentic” interpretation of Zen? In these turbulent times, what can Zen traditions teach us? Join American Zen priestess angel Kyodo williams and art historian Yukio Lippit of Harvard University for a conversation about Buddhism, spirituality, and engagement with the world.
Reflecting on Racism with James Baldwin
Posted June 7, 2020. A post leading to a podcast from the San Francisco Buddhist Centre, recorded May 18, 2020, beginning with a reading of James Baldwin's poem "For Nothing is Fixed." Two speakers engage in reflections on Baldwin's poem. Recorded before death of George Floyd; speakers reflect on death of Ahmaud Arbery. Posted after global protests with added context in post. Direct link to The Buddhist Centre podcast: "For Nothing Is Fixed - Getting Real with Viveka and Paramananda," Episode 1 https://audioboom.com/posts/7596700-for-nothing-is-fixed-getting-real-with-viveka-and-paramananda-episode-1
Theaster Gates "Breathing" 2010 (video)
Context in article about exhibit at Rubin Museum: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/arts/design/05rubin.html
Related to Gates's musical project the Black Monks (previously known as the Black Monks of Mississippi) who combine Buddhist chant and gospel chorus in performances. Gates's website gives more context and video of another performance: https://www.theastergates.com/project-items/the-black-monks. Gates is an artist based in Chicago and is a professor at the University of Chicago.
More than a Reading List: Challenging Anti-Black Racism in the Field of South Asian Religions
Collaborative artile about the issues surrounding race and South Asian Studies.
Climate, Corona, and Collapse
Article by Karin Meyers addressing current issues including coronavirus, race, and climate change from a Buddhist Critical Constructive perspective.
Short BBC Radio program by Prof. Sunil Khilnani on the life of the Buddha and his relationship to anti-caste discourse in India
Rev. angel Kyodo Williams speaking at St. Francis College in 2015 about Zen Buddhism
Rev. Williams is a prominent teacher and speaker, an ordained Zen priest, and author of Radical Dharma and Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace.
Buddha + Black Lives Matter: Racial Justice Toolkit
This site links to a 10-page PDF from the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, produced in 2014 for Buddhists aligning with Black Lives Matter. The PDF includes 3 sections (quoting from site:) "* Solidarity Sangha Action: a How-To for sparking conversation in your spiritual community * Best-Of Recent Buddhist and Racial Justice Writing: inspiring, informative, and in-depth resources for Buddhists concerned with social justice. * Nonviolent Direct Action Quiz: given two examples of Buddhists participating in direct actions for racial justice, decide for yourself how effective you think such actions are."
Buddhists Saying Black Lives Matter
This is Tricycle's weekly roundup on a week when a lot of things happened with worldwide protests after George Floyd's death. It could be a good quick reference for instructors addressing how some contemporary Buddhist leaders have responded to Black Lives Matter movement events. Includes links out to responses, e.g. to HHDL 14's statement during an Avalokiteśvara empowerment.
Book Review of "Buddhism and Whiteness"

Textual culture

Discovering Sacred Texts: Buddhism
Short introduction to Buddhist texts (more than 10 different speakers & texts from different Buddhist traditions).
Dakini Script
Dr. Kuenga Wangmo, who works as advisor for the Centre for Archaeology and Historical Studies (CAHS) at the Royal University of Bhutan, talks about
Rare 2,000-Year-Old Text of Early Buddhism Now Online
The Library of Congress has restored and made available online the Gandhara Scroll, a manuscript dating back to around the first century B.C., that offers insight into early Buddhist history. The scroll is one of the world’s oldest Buddhist manuscripts.
"Unlocking Buddhist Written Heritage" lecture series
Playlist of lectures dealing with Buddhist texts and textuality from across the Buddhist world. Includes lectures on: the relationship between Tibetan and Indian manuscripts, Magic and Medicine in Buddhist Texts, Theravada meditation texts from Sri Lanka, Endangered Thai Buddhist texts, South East Asian Manuscript Art, Translating Sanskrit and Tibetan texts, Buddhist Digital Resource Centre.

Gender

Gender and waste management in Kathmandu, Nepal
Waste and Gender Nexus in Kathmandu Nepal. A compilation of photo's detailing the relatioship between waste manamgent and gender in Kathmandu. This Waste and Climate Change Project funded by the International Climate Initiative and implemented by the International Environmental Technology Centre.
Buddhism & Feminism
The Arrow Journal explores the relationship among contemplative practice, politics, and activism. This issue was published in 2016 as Special Issue: Buddhism & Feminism. It includes articles by Alexis Shotwell, Holly Gayley, Sara E. Lewis and Judith Simmer-Brown. The issue can be downloaded for free (you need to scroll down) but the website suggests a donation of US$10.
Decolonial & Intersectional Interventions against (Neo)Liberal Feminism: Reflections on Tibetan Feminisms
Article/blog post written by scholar Dawa Lokyitsang (2017); includes bibliography
A short video clip of Ama Adhe talking about how to distinguish married from unmarried women in Kham. Tibetan and English subtitles.
The Sakyadhita Movement
Article about the contemporary Sakyadhita movement (international association of Buddhist women) and their annual meetings.

Museums

Dharma and Puṇya
Newar Buddhist and Hindu Art and Ritual Exhibhition at the Cantor Museum of the College of the Holy Cross, MA USA. Newar Buddhist manuscripts with miniature illustrations.
Global Nepali Museum (GNM)
Global Nepali Museum (GNM) is a Museum in the Cloud, this is also a first database of its kind in Nepal that features the objects those are away and are housed in the museum’s around the world. This cloud based museum is an effort to brings all the objects under one domain to give an opportunity specially to the Nepali audience, students and researchers to see and study these objects .
Buddhist sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Temporary Exhbit on Buddhist Art
The Rubin Museum of Art
The Rubin Museum of Art welcomes you to ExploreArt, a web site dedicated to using interactive web technologies and elegant design for creating innovative ways to experience art and understand its role in expressing the human experience.
PENSIVE / Soyoung Lee
A narrated slideshow (featured on the Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC page noted above) where curator Soyoung Lee reflects on the meaning of a bodhisattva and the presence of the "Pensive Bodhisattva" (mid-seventh century, Korea) sculpture in the Met galleries.
Buddhism and Buddhist Art · MET
Overview of Buddhist art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Includes links to primary essays (featuring and explaining Buddhist artworks) and secondary essays on related topics, using certain artworks as examples. Also includes links to regional chronologies and maps, and to other online features. These include narrated slideshows with curators and an artist reflecting on encounters with artworks in the Met galleries.
Sacred Spaces: Tibetan Buddhist Shrines
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery): Overview on the variety of Tibetan Buddhism’s sacred shrine spaces. The page includes neat sections on (1) shrines in situ and (2) shrines in action with respective sub-categories (e.g. domestic shrines, monastic shrines, cave shrines, etc.) as well as a page with a shrine room tour.
Life of the Buddha
A brief essay with images by Kathryn Selig Brown (featured on the Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC page) on the life of the Buddha. The text of the essay includes direct links to images depicting episodes in the life of the Buddha (e.g. birth, first teachings, etc.).
MoNA - 360º Virtual Exhibitions
Virtual tour of Museum of Nepali Art in Kathmandu
Buddhist art in Myanmar
Virtual Exhibit of the Buddhist Art in Myanmar exhibit at thr British Museum
Virtual Tour of Room 33 of the British Museum
Tibetan, Chinese, and South Asian Exhibits
Saving Saraha: conservation of a Tibetan thangka
Article published by the British Museum on restoring Tibetan thagkas.
Moment of Zen: Buddhist Teachings for Turbulent Times
A conversation about Zen hosted by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Art. From the description: "(...) what are the basic principles of Zen, when did it originate, and why is it relevant today? Is there a “culturally authentic” interpretation of Zen? In these turbulent times, what can Zen traditions teach us? Join American Zen priestess angel Kyodo williams and art historian Yukio Lippit of Harvard University for a conversation about Buddhism, spirituality, and engagement with the world.
Theaster Gates "Breathing" 2010 (video)
Context in article about exhibit at Rubin Museum: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/arts/design/05rubin.html
Related to Gates's musical project the Black Monks (previously known as the Black Monks of Mississippi) who combine Buddhist chant and gospel chorus in performances. Gates's website gives more context and video of another performance: https://www.theastergates.com/project-items/the-black-monks. Gates is an artist based in Chicago and is a professor at the University of Chicago.

Research Guides

Buddhist Studies

Ritual and Practice

Art and Architecture

Music, Theatre and Performance

Medicine and Healing

Buddhism and Daily Life

Events

Philosophy

Buddhism and Popular Culture

Race

Textual culture

Gender

Museums

Library links

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