Consecration of images and stūpas in Indo-Tibetan Tantric Buddhism

Book Description

This scholarly exploration delves into the sacred rituals that transform ordinary objects into vessels of spiritual power within Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Yael Bentor presents a comprehensive examination of the ancient practices used to consecrate images, stupas, sacred texts, and temples, revealing how these ceremonies bridge the material and spiritual worlds.

Drawing from extensive research into Tibetan tantras, commentaries, and ritual manuals, the work illuminates the profound principles underlying tantric consecration practices. The author goes beyond theoretical analysis by incorporating direct observations of actual ceremonies and conversations with ritual practitioners, offering readers both scholarly depth and lived experience.

The book centers on a detailed study of consecration rituals performed within a Tibetan monastery in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley, providing an intimate window into these transformative practices. Through this focused case study, readers discover how practitioners undergo their own spiritual transformation, embodying the essence of chosen tantric Buddhas during the consecration process.

This investigation addresses a frequently overlooked aspect of Buddhist studies, examining how sacred objects acquire their power to inspire worship and spiritual development. The work reveals the intricate relationship between ritual performance and the cultivation of sacred presence, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in understanding how spiritual traditions create and maintain connections between the physical and transcendent realms.

For students of Buddhism, ritual studies, and spiritual practice, this volume provides essential knowledge about the mechanisms through which devotional objects become conduits for spiritual transformation.