Resources

Jeffrey Durham, Associate Curator of Himalayan Art, discusses a painting of the Buddha Vairochana in the exhibition, Enter the Mandala.

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, approx. 900–1000. India; perhaps Nalanda, Bihar state. Stone. The Avery Brundage Collection, B63S44+.

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Chinese: Guanyin). China; Tang dynasty (618–906). Gilt bronze. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60B795.

Learn about the basic beliefs of Hinduism.

China’s emperors believed that Heaven bestowed upon them a divine mandate to rule — thus their title “Son of Heaven.” This mandate was hereditary but could be withdrawn at any time and bestowed upon another family if Heaven deemed it appropriate.

Associate Curator of Southeast Asian Art, Natasha Reichle, trains the Asian Art Museum docents on the upcoming Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance exhibition on view at the Asian Art Museum from February 25-September 11, 2011.

Utilizing the special exhibition Yoga: The Art of Transformation as a point of departure, this short, dynamic talk, or Baat Cheet, focuses on California’s unique role in the adoption, evolution, and popularization of yoga today.

Audio tour for The demon Maricha tries to Dissuade Ravana, approx. 1780

Known as the “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” Bhutan is a remote Himalayan kingdom located east of Nepal and west of Burma, between Tibet and India. On its northern border, Bhutan is flanked by some of the tallest mountains in the world.

Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, was a distinct tradition within Islam that aimed to cultivate inner spiritual life. Sufism probably derives from the word suf, meaning wool, a reference to the woolen clothing worn by early Sufi mystics. The focus of Sufism changed over the centuries as Islam grew and expanded. Initially moved by the fear of God, Sufism eventually adopted an affirming doctrine of love, and later the concept of the spiritual journey of the individual towards God.