WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — In conjunction with the exhibition "Across Shared Waters: Contemporary Artists in Dialogue with Tibetan Art from the Jack Shear Collection," George Dreyfus will give a talk titled "What is a tantric deity and how to become one" at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA).

 

Dreyfus, a professor in the Department of Religion at Williams College, spent fifteen years in Buddhist monasteries before receiving in 1985 the title of Geshe, the highest degree conferred by Tibetan monastic universities. He has published several books, including "The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk," and many articles on various aspects of Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan culture.

 

Dreyfus will explain the theory behind the deities that one finds on traditional Tibetan Buddhist rolled paintings, or thangka. The majority of the talk will focus on the tantric practices these works aim to depict and support, while touching briefly on their ritual use. 

 

The talk will last about 45 minutes with time for Q&A from the audience afterwards.

 

"Across Shared Waters: Contemporary Artists in Dialogue with Tibetan Art from the Jack Shear Collection" presents works by contemporary artists of Himalayan heritage alongside thangka from the Jack Shear Collection.

 

The exhibition runs through July 16.

 

The galleries will be open from 6 to 7 p.m. to allow guests a chance to see the exhibition before the talk. 

 

WCMA is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free