Visitors to the Met's exhibition on Buddhist Tibetan art encounter an unsettling contrast between expected tranquility and graphic depictions of flaying that challenge ideals of peace within Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism's journey from India to Tibet illustrates an ironic shift where remoteness enhances its vibrancy, turning a once-dwindling faith into a center of Tantric practice.
The exhibition highlights the allure of Tibetan Buddhist art, which melds profound spiritual themes with captivating beauty, transforming visual experience into a commentary on enlightenment.
As Christian Luczanits notes, Vajrayana Buddhism's appeal lay in its complex rituals and practices, couched in glamour, that drew curiosity while remaining deliberately obscure.
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