Gateway to the Temple: A Manual of Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Customs, Art, Building and Celebrations

Contents: Preface to the First Tibetan edition. Introduction. 1. The origin of the habitat and inhabitants of Tibet. 2. The royal genealogy of Tibet. 3. The spread of the Buddhist teachings in Tibet. 4. Entering the monastic order. 5. Examining and taking possession of the building site. 6. Traditional construction methods. 7. Construction celebrations. 8. The arrangement of paintings and statues within a temple. 9. The origin of the art of painting and sculpture. 10. Proportions of sacred figures. 11. The consecration of images. 12. The cycle of sutra and mantrayana rituals. 13. Holy days and their benefits. Epilogue. Endnotes. Bibliography.

Gateway to the Temple is a unique manual of Tibetan Buddhist monastic culture and art that briefly treats even temple building and mural decoration. A precious contribution when its author wrote it in the 1960s, it remains highly relevant today. The present corrected and visually expanded version by Vajra Books reintroduces a hitherto overlooked and forgotten masterwork.