The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols is a portal into the profound symbolism of Tibetan sacred art. Robert Beer provides insight into the vast array of symbols and attributes that appear within the complex iconography of Tibetan Buddhism. The descriptions that accompany his detailed line drawings reveal the origins, meanings, and functions of these symbols. Beer unravels the multiple layers of symbolism and meaning contained within the iconography, affording the reader a panoramic vision into the deeper dimensions of this sacred art.
Drawn largely from Beer's work The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, the meticulous brush drawings in this book depict all of the major Buddhist symbols and motifs, including the various groups of auspicious symbols; cosmological symbols; natural and mythical animals, such as the dragon, garuda, and makara; the entire assembly of ritual tantric implements and weapons; magical and wrathful symbols; hand-held emblems, attributes, and plants; esoteric Vajrayana offerings; and mudras, or ritual hand gestures.
This book will be valuable not only for those interested in Buddhism, symbolism, and Tibetan religious art, but also for artists, designers, and others who look toward the East in a search for meaning.