Dr. Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, Nov 11 (Nepal Oregon News): A scholarly and brilliant presentation "Tantric Priest in Nepalese Buddhism: Their Performance of Life Cycle Rituals and Other Ceremonies" by Dr Alexander von Rospatt was organized at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland, USA on Saturday Nov 9, 2019. This talk, which was the last one in a series of talks, was part of the ongoing tenth anniversary of the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara.
The event kicked off with a presentation by Kuon Hunt from her biography of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara's priest Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, called 'Hidden Treasures: The Story of a Vajracharya Boy from Kathmandu and Newar Vajrayana Buddhism'.
Prior to the starting of the presentation, priest and co-founder of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya gave brief introduction of Dr Rospatt to the audience and said:"Dr Rospatt also speaks in Nepali and Nepal Bhasa, he is very close to me and my family in Nepal."
While making the presentation, Dr Rospatt said:"Religious rituals that begin from the birth of a child and ends with the death of a man are very important in the lives of the Newah Buddhists."
Special attention during Dr Rospatt's presentation was paid to the life cycle rituals that Nepalese Buddhists undergo as they grow and pass away. Dr Rospatt threw light on birth rituals, rice feeding ceremony (junko), Ihi, Bara Tayegu, Chuda Karma, wedding ceremony, Bhimratharohan, death rituals etc.
Dr Rospatt's talk engaged with the rituals of tantric priests (Vajracharyas) in the Nepalese traditions performed on behalf of their clients and the larger community.
Dr Alexander von Rospatt has long been a part of the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara family and participated in its original consecration days ten years ago. Also, Dr Rospatt studied closely with Pandit Ratna Kaji Vajracharya, Prajwal's father.
Dr Rospatt is professor for Buddhist and South Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and specializes in the doctrinal history of Indian Buddhism, and in the indigenous Buddhist tradition of the Kathmandu valley.
His new book "The Swayambhu Chaitya and Its Renovations" considers the ritual history and social contexts of the historical renovations of the Swayambhu Stupa of Kathmandu. His other research explores various aspects of Newar tradition, including its narrative literature, art and historical heritage and rituals. Dr Rospatt's research is grounded in the study of Sanskrit and Newah texts and informed by fieldwork and the study of material culture.
During the program, Dr Rospatt answered to numerous questions asked by Nepalese and American participants. To a question of a journalist from Nepal Oregon News, "Newah Sukunda has Ganesh image on it, some Newah Buddhists worship Lord Ganesh during some rituals, maybe that is why some die-hard Hindus assert that Buddhism is a part of Hinduism. What is your comment ?", Dr Rospatt replied:"Many of the life cycle rituals of Newar Buddhists and Newar Hindus are similar to a greater extents. Buddhists and Hindus have been living in harmony in Nepal for centuries. Forget the die-hard Hindus."
The program was attended by about 50 Nepalese and American Portlanders including representatives of Nepali Association of Oregon (NAO), Nepaa Chhen, NRNA - USA - Oregon chapter, Nepal Oregon News, and was followed by a lunch.
(Nepal Oregon News writer Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in America)
My desire to understand more about Buddhist Life Cycle Rituals has always been strong. This is an excellent article. I am a huge lover of Thai Buddhas and would appreciate it if you could write about them as well. Thanks
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