Gods of Tibet / The Tibetan Epic of Gesar / The Golden Manus - Lot 155

Gods of Tibet / The Tibetan Epic of Gesar / The Golden Manuscript Gods of Tibet: Iconography of Buddhism (2018) In eighty entries, Gods of Tibet organizes the visit of an ideal virtual museum where the main Lamai deities, illustrated and commented, are classified by "families" and "functions". In this way, the book offers methodical access to an ordered knowledge of the Himalayan Buddhist pantheon in its most abundant aspects. Each deity, affiliated with the founding treatise that defines it, is inscribed in the long history of Tibetan Buddhism, where the permanence and significance of its iconographic representations are rooted. To complete the reasoned presentation of the deities, a chapter of this manual describes the genesis and history of the great monastic orders. GILLES BEGUIN, Honorary Curator General of the French National Heritage, has devoted four decades of study to the arts of Asia, enabling him to present this indispensable synthesis for all those with a passion for this field. The Tibetan epic of Gesar (2014) The epic featuring the Tibetan hero, Gesar de Gling, is a monument of world literature, thanks to its narrative value, the multiplicity of its versions and its widespread distribution. The manuscript bequeathed to the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet by Alexandra David-Néel (1868-1969) contains three previously unpublished chapters of the Gesar cycle. Deeply imbued with this epic tradition, the author, dBang chen nyi ma, added many new features based on his vast knowledge of both Buddhist and Bon-Po religious traditions, as well as his country's literature. This version, composed around 1900, is distinguished by a great freedom of tone and an exceptional quality of style. Its French translation, accompanied by a reproduction of the annotated Tibetan text, is given here for the first time. The wealth of information provided by the notes enhances the pleasure of reading the work. The reproduction of two paintings also provides a visual aspect of this epic. Secret Visions of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The Golden Manuscript (1999) The Golden Manuscript, a work of great secrecy by its very nature, is a unique object in Tibetan culture, as it is the only illuminated transcription of the mystical visions of a Dalai Lama. This strange compendium is also the work of the most important of them all, the one the Tibetans call the Great Fifth. From 1640, he set about rebuilding Tibet's political and religious unity under his own authority, taking advantage of his privileged relations with the Manchu empire in China. The builder of the Potala palace, he made Lhasa the capital of Tibet and organized the main institutions of the theocratic government that remained in place until 1959. In his Secret Visions, the man who was both a unifying spiritual leader and a "modern" ruler drew on a variety of ancient ritual traditions, linking this representative of the young Dge-lugs-pa "dynasty" to a religious background where the esoteric practices of Tantrism were still very much alive. The visionary work of a great mystic, the Golden Manuscript expresses above all the will to mobilize all energies to root Tibet's sovereignty in its history, beliefs and cults. Against Tibet's enemies, the Secret Visions summon all the occult powers, tutelary deities, great sages and reincarnated ancient kings. findakly 1999-2018