{"id":8650,"date":"2018-05-29T16:52:30","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T20:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parsons.edu\/undergrad\/?post_type=student-work&p=8650"},"modified":"2018-12-06T10:54:08","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T15:54:08","slug":"matthew-de-palo","status":"publish","type":"student-work","link":"https:\/\/parsons.edu\/undergrad\/student-work\/matthew-de-palo\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew De Palo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chakrasamvara In Union With Vajrayogini<\/a> is a fourteenth century Tibetan Buddhist\u00a0sculpture made of pigmented gilt copper alloy with turquoise inlay (1). The Tantric depiction of\u00a0two deities in sexual embrace is twelve inches tall, twelve inches wide, and six inches in depth (2). Immediately striking is this object\u2019s overt sexual passion within a space of mediative Buddhist\u00a0art. It is larger than many other historically-adjacent works and incredibly detailed. There is a\u00a0clear movement and action in the two figures that the viewer is able to track through the\u00a0movement of fabrics and strands of jewelry that is uncommon in a metal sculpture. I was drawn\u00a0to the piece\u2019s clear tension and point of view. This work is written in a visual language that other\u00a0pieces of the time were not speaking, and reflects the culture of the times with an unparalleled\u00a0and striking clarity. A general plaque above several depictions of figures in embrace reads:<\/p>\n

\u201cTantric deities are the focus of esoteric religious practices (tantras) that aim to radically\u00a0transform conventional understandings of reality. Numerous forms of these deities,\u00a0described in religious texts also called tantras, personify various enlightened qualities\u00a0and can appear peaceful or wrathful. Tantric deities and practices are as diverse as\u00a0people\u2019s needs and capacities. Female and male deities in sexual embrace represent the\u00a0unity of wisdom (understanding of reality) and method (compassionate action), two\u00a0aspects of the enlightened mind. Tantric deities can have multiple heads, arms, and legs,\u00a0symbolizing their many abilities.\u201d (3)<\/p>\n

The specific union of Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini is actually an interfaith depiction, \u201cHindu\u00a0deities are often incorporated into Buddhist iconography, sometimes in positive roles and other\u00a0times as representative of obstacles to be overcome, an expression of both common cultural roots\u00a0and the tension between the two competing traditions.\u201d (4) What is the statement, then, of a\u00a0Buddhist and Hindu deity together in a Tantric state? The creation of this piece came at a time\u00a0when Tibetan Buddhism began to come into it\u2019s own, \u201cTibetan Buddhism, after centuries of\u00a0looking to India for religious texts and teachers, develops a flourishing tradition in it\u2019s own\u00a0right.\u201d (5) The Union of Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini, it appears, was a declaration of\u00a0modernity for the fourteenth century. Somewhat provocative in the idea that Buddhists and\u00a0Hindus could even be conceptualized together in this way. Politically, during this time in Tibet,\u00a0there existed very few rules and little structure. This sculpture was used to explore the emerging\u00a0ideas of a new wave of Buddhism, and possibly to push boundaries.<\/p>\n

1 The Rubin Museum of Art. Chakrasamvara In Union With Vajrayogini.\u009d http:\/\/\u2028 \u00a0rubinmuseum.org\/collection\/artwork\/chakrasamvara-in-union-with-vajravarahi<\/p>\n

2 Ibid.<\/p>\n

3 The Rubin Museum of Art. Tantric Deities<\/p>\n

4 The Rubin Museum of Art. Chakrasamvara In Union With Vajrayogini. http:\/\/rubinmuseum.org\/collection\/artwork\/chakrasamvara-in-union-with-vajravarahi<\/p>\n

5 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Himalayan Religion.\u009d https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/toah\/ht\/09\/ssh.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":8648,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8650","student-work","type-student-work","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-objects-as-history"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMatthew De Palo - Parsons Notes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/parsons.edu\/undergrad\/student-work\/matthew-de-palo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Matthew De Palo - Parsons Notes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chakrasamvara In Union With Vajrayogini is a fourteenth century Tibetan Buddhist\u00a0sculpture made of pigmented gilt copper alloy with turquoise inlay...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/parsons.edu\/undergrad\/student-work\/matthew-de-palo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Parsons Notes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hashtag\/parsonsfirstyear\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-12-06T15:54:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/parsons.edu\/undergrad\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/05\/Chakrasamvara-In-Union-With-Vajrayogini.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/parsons.edu\/undergrad\/student-work\/matthew-de-palo\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/parsons.edu\/undergrad\/student-work\/matthew-de-palo\/\",\"name\":\"Matthew De Palo - 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