- Chinese and old Javamer language. Among them are classics like the Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary, Materials for a History of Tibetan Literature, Buddhist Iconography of Tibet, and the Dictionary of Buddhist Iconography in 15 volumes. Lokesh Chandra was nominated by the President of of India to the Parliament in 1974-80, and again in 1980-86. He has been Vice-President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and Chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research. Presently he is Director, International Academy of Indian Culture.Written by an authoritative scholar of Tibetan Buddhism

Presents many works from rare private collections

Tibet - The 'Land of Snows' - is ensconced in the blue silence of icy peaks, the ochre silence of rocks, where once it was honey-combed with monasteries rich with their realizations of esoteric universes. A Tibetan inscription calls Tibet 'divine territory... a land that is a mine of wisdom'. The rich artistic heritage of Tibet reveals the depths of meditations of great Masters, translated into the majestic abundance of iconic symbols that take the form of three-dimensional images or two dimensional thankas.

Tibetan Art is a comprehensive introduction to the complex iconography of thankas, providing a glimpse of the richness of this art and of the land where it flourished. It takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery: Buddhist deities do not exist outside us but represent aspects of innate human potential. With no distinct, independent existence or objective reality, these deities are but symbols of abstract qualities.

Contents:
Preface: Unto the Mindground
of Tibetan Art: Lokesh Chandra
Tibet: The Land of Spaces and Silences
Buddhas
Bodhisattvas
Goddesses
Tantras and Mandalas
Masters, Mystics & Kings
Medical Thankas
Stupas
Guardian Deities
Conclusion