Dr Rabin Man Shakya
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| (From left to right: Gabriel Quitslund, Alexei Dobry, Naveena Shakya, Prajwal Vajracharya, Anna Shustrova and Joshua Proto) |
Portland, Jan 4, 2021 (Nepal Oregon News): The Nepalese Buddhist temple in Portland - Nritya Mandala Mahavihara - bade farewell to 2020 and greeted the new year 2021 by performing and chanting Gurumandala Puja on Friday, Jan 1, 2021.
Very limited number of people joined the Puja - which was conducted by Mahavihara's co-founder, pundit Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya - for purifying and reviving the old energy of the previous year and for overcoming obstacles and opening up fresh new potential through the annual New Year's purification ritual at the Mahavihara because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Mandatory social distancing, covering of face and other pandemic guidelines were strictly followed during the New Year purification puja at the Portland Baha.
This kind of New Year purification puja is chanted at the Mahavihara once every year, Senior Pujari of the Mahavihara Prajwal Vajracharya told a journalist from Nepal Oregon News, adding:"The Puja helps you to move forward with new vigour and enthusiasm all year along."
For this Puja, only 1, 3, 5, 11, 21, or 108 people are able to participate in the ritual, based on tradition, Prajwal went on saying.
The participants at the New Year purification puja were: Joshua Proto, Anna Shushtrova, Naveena Shakya, Alexei Dobry, Gabriel Quitslund and Dr Rabin Man Shakya.
Except the limited number of participants because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the religious program was taken part by 15 other participants on the zoom from Oregon, California, Hongkong and Nepal.
On the occasion, a Mandala - which is a circle or cosmic diagram for ritual of interior visualization, representing various realms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and their cosmic energies - was also drawn for each participant. Likewise, three Gojas on the sand Mandala were worshipped during the ritual.
A Puja Sankalpa consisting of raw rice, beaten rice, dry fruit, red and yellow color powder, flowers, a little cow milk, three small incense sticks, six cotton wicks, three Gojas, three Jajankas, three coins etc were carefully and meticulously prepared for each participant who were seen sitting cross-legged six feet apart from each other at the Mahavihara.
The traditional community ceremony honored oneself and others by making offerings of purified elements and was guided by using one's own Mandala of sand.
On the occasion, participants were also given time for a short meditation. Similarly, a long pasuka (sacred thread) was used, spread and passed over to all the New Year purification ritual participants. It was an important component of the purification ritual.
Meanwhile, before the start of purification ritual, Sangha member Naveena Shakya offered fruits to Tathagata Buddha to commemorate Punya Tithi of the third year of passing away of her mother-in-law Man Shova Shakya.
New Year's purification ritual event was followed by a vegetarian pot-luck dinner and opening of champagnes. Importantly, Yomari dumplings were also served during the New Year feast reminding participants of the Yomari Punhi observed couple of days before the New Year day.
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| (Gabriel Quitslund and Alexei Dobry during puja) |
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| (Naveena Shakya, Joshua Proto and Prajwal Vajracharya during puja) |
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| (Joshua Proto and Prajwal Vajracharya during puja) |
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| (Naveena Shakya, Alexei Dobry and Gabriel Quitslund performing rituals.) |
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