Mandalas

A mandala is a diagram of the universe, a map of ultimate reality that Buddhists use as a focus for religious practice and as a source of inspiration for the devout. This illustrated volume follows the significance of Tibetan mandalas from their ancient beginnings to today, offering a contemporary view of a centuries-old Buddhist model of the cosmos.

The book concentrates on what is distinctive about the Tibetan approach to making mandalas. It traces how the form passed from India into Tibet, and how steady exchanges of art and ideas between the two cultures, driven by monks and spiritual teachers, produced a style of Buddhist imagery that is uniquely Tibetan. More than one hundred paintings, sculptures and ritual objects show the intricate detail of the imagery that has underpinned mandalas over the centuries.

The volume also presents, for the first time in print, an installation by the Tibetan-American artist Tenzing Rigdol (born 1982), created especially for the accompanying exhibition. His work gives present-day audiences a way to question and make sense of their own world, and shows that this ancient tradition is still a living practice.

The book was published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and is distributed by Yale University Press. It accompanies an exhibition at the Museum in New York that ran from September 19, 2024 to January 12, 2025.