Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism showcases the many different levels and aspects of the dharma, encouraging readers to explore the faith with curiosity, reflection, and mutual respect. As part of Assouline’s Symbols of Religion Series, the richly illustrated volume highlights how significant these emblems have served to bridge the gap between the human and the divine.

Written by French journalist Claude B. Levenson, with atmospheric photography by Laziz Hamani, the title highlights the religion’s rich symbolism and its many layers of meaning, from the significance behind the prayer wheel to the sacred mantra, meditation, and more. Showcasing the diversity of its paths and its countless facets, which may baffle the neophyte, Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism reveals the essence: A man, Siddhartha Gautama, discovered that the attainment of wisdom was within the power of every individual. This metamorphosis demands reflection and time, determination and courage. It may take one lifetime or many, but it is possible.

About the Author:

Born in Paris on the sixth day of the seventh lunar month in the year of the Earth Tiger, Claude B. Levenson (1938–2010) specialized in Slavic and Oriental studies at Lomonosov University, Moscow. She made frequent trips to India, Southeast Asia, and to both sides of the Himalayas—journeys that inspired her writing. She was the author of several titles on Tibetan culture and its leader, including Dalai Lama: A Biography (OUP/India, 1989) and Ainsi parle le Dalaï-lama (Balland, 1993; Le Livre de poche, 1992). A polyglot, she translated the teachings of the Dalai Lama and the works of Russian writers, including Mandelstam, Zamyatin, and Eliade. She contributed to various newspapers such as Le Monde and Le Nouvel Observateur.