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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: The Goddess of White Umbrella: Buddhist Deity Ushnisha Sitatapatra

For Students 9th - 10th
The Goddess of the White Umbrella (the Buddhist deity Ushnisha-sitatapatra) is one of many powerful female deities. She manifests her power with her thousand heads, arms, and legs. She has eyes on the palms of each of her hands and soles...
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

For Students 9th - 10th
The main image in this painting is Avalokiteshvara (1), the Bodhisattva of Compassion. He is the principle patron deity of Tibet. He sits on a lotus throne upon a lunar disc. This god takes many forms, such as the Dalai Lamas of Tibet,...
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: The Buddhist Protector Deity Penden Lhamo

For Students 9th - 10th
Penden Lhamo is one of the more wrathful female deities of Buddhism. Among her many roles, she is the special protector of the city of Lhasa, the Gelukpa Order, and the Dalai Lamas of Tibet. She was invited to Tibet in around the...
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Cabinet for Storing Offerings

For Students 9th - 10th
This black cabinet was once stored in the gongkhang of an unknown temple in Tibet. Forbidden to the uninitiated, the gongkhang is a special room set aside for the worship of wrathful deities, where only the initiated monks of the...
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Prayer Wheel

For Students 9th - 10th
Prayer wheels are an example of Buddhist technology. This technology allowed the faithful to multiply the number of prayers they expressed by millions. This is because prayer wheels are filled with copies of mantras (sacred spells...