First Int'l Virtual Webinar on Gurumandala Puja Organized in USA
Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, March 3, (Nepal Oregon News): In what appeared to be the first international virtual webinar on Gurumandala Puja attended by 45 participants from 15 different countries of the world, co-founder of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara Guruji Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya said:"The Gurumandala Puja vidhi purification ritual is the most common ritual practiced in Newar Vajrayana Buddhism in Nepal."
The 12-week long virtual webinar on Gurumandala Puja which kicked off on Friday, Feb 5, 2022 is being organized to make it more known abroad and promote ritual significance of Gurumandala Puja, said Vajracharya who is also the chief priest of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, the only Newar Vajrayana Buddhist temple in the USA.
The international virtual webinar on Gurumandala Puja is being hosted by Yangchenma Arts & Music every Friday from Feb 5 to April 23, 2022 for twelve weeks.
Also, five Sangha members of the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara are taking part at the Gurumandala webinar at the Mahavihara temple: Terry Satterthwaite, Naveena Shakya, Joshua Proto, Riyaz Khan and Anastasia Roderick.
Yangchenma Arts & Music is a community organization based in Los Angeles and is aimed at preserving, promoting and celebrating the richness and diversity of human cultures through their artistic and musical wisdom, traditions, kept alive through the connection and shared experience of humans throughout the world.
Touching on the history of Gurumandala Puja, Vajracharaya who is a scholar on Newar Vajrayana Buddhism, said the ritual has been passed down for 1000 years. The Gurumandala is so important that without it there is no Mahayana and Vajrayana in Nepal, he added.
Laying more emphasis on the importance of Gurumandala Puja in Newar Vajrayana Buddhism, Guruju Prajwal said:"At all important moments in life, from birth to death, this important Newar Buddhist ritual is performed to remove obstacles and bring spiritual blessings."
Some of the prime concerns or benefits of Gurumandala Puja are: It teaches you to go to the right path in life, to become spiritually perfect, to bring physical wellness, to give teacher-like feeling to one's own body and to aim for attaining Nirvana, said Vajracharya who is a rituals master as well.
Underscoring the purpose of the course, Pundit Vajracharya who is also a noted Charya dance teacher said:"The objective of the international virtual webinar is not only to familiarize the participants with the rituals of Gurumandala Puja, but also to provide them information and study about astrology, give knowledge about the lines of chanting and ritualization of Strotas of Gurumandala Puja. He also highlighted the importance of ritual objects used in the Gurumandala Puja.
Stressing the need for promoting Newar Buddhism and Newar culture in America, Prajwal Guruju said that the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara has been carrying out a lot of activities, programs and events to enhance Newar culture in USA.
While during the first virtual lecture series, Guruju Vajracharya shed light on the introduction and meaning of Gurumandala Puja, the second webinar focused on role of Gurumandala Puja in the life cycle rituals.
Although Buddhism is one of the leading religions in the world, little is known about Newar Buddhism, that is why the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland, USA is relentlessly working to promote and enhance Newar Buddhism and Newar culture in America, added Vajracharya.
The notable presence on the webinar was of Dr Manik Bajracharya who is a visiting professor since 2011 at Heidelberg University in Germany. Dr Manik has published several articles on Gurumandala Puja and Newar Buddhist traditions. Dr Manik along with Guruju Prajwal threw light on how important is Gurumandala in the life of the people.
Gurumandala ritual is a worshipping offering of the Mt Merumandala. During the Gurumandala rituals, a Ratnamandala is drawn. The Ratnamandala is kind of a geometric design drawn on the floor by abrading white limestone powder or sand.
Guruji Prajwal's talk also dealt with details about ancient and medieval Mahasiddhas like Shantikaracharya - the first Bajracharya Guru of the Nepal Mandala, Surat Bajra Bajracharya, Manju Bajra Bajracharya and Lila Bajra Bajracharya etc.
Informing the participants that Swayambhu Maha Chaitya was founded by Buddhist Mahayana Dharma Guru Shantikaracharya by covering the Dharma Dhatu inside the stupa, Guruji Prajwal added that it was Hungkara Bajra who offered Vajrayogini's Diksha to Guru Rinpoche.
According to the Charya Giti, there were 75 Mahasiddhas in Nepal Mandala. Biography of 32 Mahasiddhas have been written so far, the Guruji said.
Giving details about the Puja, he said:"The Gurumandala Puja begins with offering honor to Surya Archana, then declaration of ritual performer's geographic location of the ritual site, astronomical state of the sun, moon and other planets at the time, and intention of the patron for doing the ritual."
"We then ask permission from the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha to conduct the ritual and perform a self-empowerment, to create our own Mandala and transform ourselves into the Buddha of purification - Vajrasattva."
The Guruji further stated: "Within the Mandala of Vajrasattva, we invite all the protector deities and the artful deity for protection."
Guruji Prajwal reiterated that the virtual webinar on Gurumandala Puja consisted of both the theoretical and practical aspects of the Puja. Starting from Friday, March 4, 2022 the webinar will focus on chanting Gurumandala strotas according to a manual, the Guruji said.
______________________________________
Si Punhi Observed at Nritya Mandala Mahavihara
Si Punhi full moon day was observed on Feb 16, 2022 by Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland, USA by organizing chanting of Maha Manjushree Naamsangiti in the zoom.
Fifteen people from USA and Hong Kong had taken part at the virtual Naamsangiti reciting.
Naamsangiti, on the occasion, was chanted by Joshua Proto, Anastasia Roderick, Ashley Low, Casey Redman, Riyaz Khan and Naveena Shakya, and was followed by other virtual participants.
On the day of Si Punhi, the month-long Swasthani sacred story reciting festival ends. Si Punhi is also known as Maghi Purnima in Nepal.
________________________________________
Weekly activities in Vihara
Dharani chanting every Tuesday: Nritya Mandala Mahavihara's Dharani recitation is the only chanting program of this kind in the West, and helps to preserve this special heritage. The session begins with a Refuge prayer, the Guru Bandana. This is followed by a protective Dharani, the Graha Dasha Ya Paath, and then the Saptavidhana - or Seven Limb prayer. These are followed by mantras to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and then recitation of a variety of appropriate Dharani. The Pragya Paramita Hridayam Sutra concludes the chanting and is followed by a brief Dharma talk by Prajwal Guruju.
Singing Practice each Friday: The practice of singing Charya giti is a Sadhana of its own. It is deity yoga practice in simple Sanskrit, for which Prajwal Guruju will provide the lyrics. These songs focus on the Gods, Goddesses and philosophy of Vajrayana Buddhism.
Sadhana Practice and Buddha Bhajan chanting every Wednesday: Buddha Bhajan chanting is practiced every Wednesday. Buddha Bhajans are chanted by Prajwal Guruju and Buddha Laxmi Shakya from California along with hosts of other participants on the zoom. Likewise, Sadhana practice is also performed on every Wednesday on the zoom at the Vihara. Sadhana is a Sanskrit word that means spiritual exercise. Sadhana practice can bring positive changes into one's life and has many benefits for mental as well as physical health. It can also be performed in order to attain detachment from worldly things. Sadhana is a spiritual practice in which the practitioner invokes divinity, identifying and absorbing it into himself. It is the primary form of meditation in Vajrayana Buddhism. This Sadhana time also includes a Dharma talk by Prajwal Guruju.
( Nepal Oregon News writer Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in the US)
No comments:
Post a Comment