Anna Shustrova's Charya Nritya Dances Organized at Portland's Nritya Mandala Mahavihara

Dr Rabin Man Shakya

Portland, Feb 22 (Nepal Oregon News): A solo Charya dance of Anna Shustrova,  a Sangha member  was organized at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland on Sunday Feb 21, 2021.

Sunday was also Anna's birthday which was celebrated at the Mahavihara with face covering, with limited number of people, social distancing and other pandemic guidelines. The birthday was ritualized by Guruju Prajwal. Anna's Charya dance was watched by about 30 people on the zoom.

Charya Dance and Newar Buddhism: 

The program kicked off with the Refuge Charya Dance performed by Prajwal Vajracharya, Joshua Proto and Anna Shustrova

Refuge charya nritya dance performance.

On the occasion, Anna presented three dances: (1) White Tara charya nritya (2) Vajravarahi charya   dance and (3) Singhamukhi (Singhamukha) charya dance (Dakini with lion face).

Charya nritya dance 'White Tara'

Sangha member Joshua Proto sang Charya giti very skillfully for the dances and also played Taa (two little cymbals), while Kanta Dub Dub (Damaru) was played for the dances intermittently by Prajwal Vajracharya.

The Charya dances performed by Anna was beautiful and fascinating, and were able to reflect the stories of the inner qualities and awakening of Buddhist deities.

Charya nritya dance Vajravarahi.

Addressing the zoom participants,  Prajwal Vajracharya underscored the importance of Charya dance and deities in Newar Buddhism. Charya nritya dances and Newar Vajrayana Buddhism are intricately interrelated, the senior Charya nritya guru added.

That is why Charya dances are indivisible part of Newar Buddhism. Charya nritya dance is a Newar Buddhist ritual dance with a history going back to more than 1,000 years, he maintained.

Charya nritya dances are performed by Newar Buddhist priests known as Vajracharyas  as part of their esoteric meditation, practice and rituals, he added.

White Tara Charya Nritya Dance:

Throwing light on Tara, Prajwal Guruji said: "There are 21 forms of Tara. Actually, they are all the transformed bodies of Lokeshvara Boddhisattva."

White Tara manifests as a young beautiful maiden, he said. Describing about the iconography of White Tara, Prajwal Guruji said:"White Tara is in full Vajra posture. White Tara's left hand is poised at the heart and holds the stem of a lotus. White Tara's right hand is in the Varada Mudra signifying supreme generosity. White Tara is presided over upright on a moon disc to mitigate sufferings of sentient beings."

Giving further details about White Tara, the Guruji said: "This Tara is depicted wearing all kinds of precious jewelries. Image of Amitabha Buddha is on her head as a crown."

 Further explaining about White Tara, Vajracharya said that she is the female Bodhisattva of compassion, the supreme mother and collective manifestation of the enlightened activity, of all the Buddhas.

Vajravarahi Charya Nritya Dance:

Speaking about Vajravarahi dakini, Prajwal said that she is the mother of all Dakinis. Vajravarahi is invoked to destroy enemies, he said. "Vajravarahi is one of the most important female deities in Newar Vajrayana Buddhism. She is the central deity in the Five Dakini Mandala and is the mother of all Dakinis," Prajwal went on saying.

Saying that "Vajravarahi is a deity of compassion, but when chased by evil creatures, she can hide under the ground, protecting herself with the help of her boar's mouth", Prajwal stated that Vajravarahi is the deity who can create good out of bad, who can move forward, transforming malice and malevolence into compassion and kindness.

Prajwal shared that Vajravarahi is always in the center of Nepal Mandala. Prajwal further underlined:"A wild boar's head is there on the right side of Vajravarahi's head or on the top of her head. Four to ten of her toddlers are fed from her breast simultaneously. Varahi refers to any of the four boar-headed deities who preside over the Kathmandu valley," 

Singhamukha Charya Nritya Dance:

Furthermore, Pundit Vajracharya said that Singhamukha is a lion-faced Dakini who is a secret form of Vajrayogini. "Singhamukha -- which is a mask dance and is danced with great vigor and dramatic movements -- is a red, fearless and very wrathful deity", added Prajwal Guruji. 

Depicting the lion-faced Dakini's iconography, Guruji Prajwal said:"This wrathful deity is manifested  in a pink-red  or red colored costume. This Dakini also wears rosary/mala which represents the understanding of the various feelings and moods of sentient beings. Singha mukha is wrapped in lion skin, and the snake (naga) wrapped in her belly signifies the treasure."

Laying emphasis on importance of the lion faced Dakini, the Guruji said that Singhamukha is known as a powerful deity that does away with obstacles. Singhamukha is also known as the queen of the Dakinis, he added.

Charya nritya dance 'Singhamukhi' (Singhamukha)

Anna Shustrova is a long term Buddhist practitioner. She was born in Moscow, Russia. In 2012, she moved to the United States where she met Prajwal Vajracharya, and started practicing within Newar Buddhist tradition.She also performed her solo dance in 2015 during Maitreya Loving Kindness Relic Tour and many performances at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara.

( Nepal Oregon News writer Rabin Man Shakya is a Newah journalist in USA)

"Manjushree Bodhisattva's Roar Awakens the World"

Dr Rabin Man Shakya

Portland, Feb 21 (Nepal Oregon News): A talk on "Manjushree Bodhisattva's Roar Awakens the World" was organized on Saturday, Feb 20, 2021 on the zoom by Hong Kong Buddhist Studies Association.

First half of the talk was conducted by Dr Tina Ho of the Hong Kong Sangha while second half was addressed by Pundit Prajwal Vajracharya of the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, Portland.

About 35 people from USA, Hong Kong and Germany took part at the virtual program.

 On the occasion, Dr Tina Ho, while making a brilliant presentation, said that Manjushree is one of the most important iconic figures in Mahayana Buddhism and is known as the Bodhisattva of great wisdom.

Manjushree's wisdom captures the essence of esoteric Buddhist texts like Manjushreemulkalpa and Manjushreenaamsangiti, Dr Ho went on saying.

Manjushree was born in Sravasti in the East. He was a crown prince, she said. Throwing light on the name of Manjushree, Dr Ho said:"While Manju means lovely, beautiful, charming, sweet, pleasing and attractive, Shree stands for grace, splendor, wealth and prosperity. However, Manjushree is known in China as Wenshu."

Dr Ho also added:"Manjushree leads the devotees to understand the core of the Vimalakirti Sutra's non-dual method.

Through visual pictures and many exquisite icons, the zoom participants were able to get an overview of Manjushree's appearance in different cultural areas.

The zoom participants were also able to look up to Manjushree in Mount Wutai and Dunhuang frescos as well as his legends and Buddhist scriptures in Wutai mountains.

Mount Wutai in Shanxi, one of the four Sacred Mountains of China, is considered by Chinese Buddhists to be Manjushree's bodhimanda.

Addressing the zoom conference, Prajwal Vajracharya of the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara said:" Lord Maha Manjushree is the Bodhisattva of wisdom, and holds a sword in his right hand to cut off delusion, and a Prajnaparamita wisdom text in his left hand."

Prajwal expressed the view that just like Lord Buddha was born in Nepal, Lord Manjushree was one of the most powerful icons that always strengthened cordial ties between Nepal and China since the ancient times.

Prajwal went on saying:"According to Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu Valley was once a big lake. It is believed that Lord Manjushree together with his two spouses Varada and Mokshada went to Chovar hills. With the divine power Maha Manjushree possessed, the Lord struck the hill with the flaming sword and released all the waters from the lake."

(Nepal Oregon News writer Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in USA) 

Nritya Mandala Mahavihara Firm to Promote and Preserve Newar Buddhism and Newar Culture, says Vajracharya

Virtual Conversation 'e-heritage' Organized by World Newah Organization - USA Chapter

Dr Rabin Man Shakya

Portland, Feb 24 (Nepal Oregon News): Promoting, preserving and protecting traditional and cultural values of Nepal in the USA are not easy work, but Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland is giving it a shot. Its establishment in 2009 in Portland has paved the way for Nepalese Portlanders and beyond to carry on with lots of lifecycle rituals and cultural ceremonies just like the way it is done in the Kathmandu valley. Nritya Mandala Mahavihara is always committed to promote and preserve Newar Buddhism and Newar culture in America.

Priest and co-founder of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya said this while addressing 'e-heritage' a virtual conversation hosted by World Newah Organization, USA chapter on Saturday, Feb 13, 2021. The program was participated and watched by a number of people from the USA, UK, Canada, Hong Kong and Nepal.

Throwing light on the concept of the Viharas which is thousands of thousands years old, Vajracharya said:" A Vihara has a spiritual connection. Vihara is also a courtyard. Back in the old days, a Vihara used to be a monastery and a school as well."

He informed the participants that there are 500 Viharas in the Kathmandu valley. Viharas were built in the historical past to build the community and fraternity in the area. The last Vihara built in Nepal was 350 years ago. Nritya Mandala Mahavihara is the first Vihara launched abroad after 350 years, Vajracharya added.

Make no mistake between Dance Mandala and Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, said Prajwal adding "Dance  Mandala was launched in 1996 in Kathmandu whereas Nritya Mandala Mahavihara was established in 2009 in Portland, USA."

Prajwal also shed light on the history of the Mahavihara, the challenges and problems, he faced in the beginning."There was a fire during the construction of the Mahavihara and as a result we had to stop the construction for one whole year. A lot of damage was caused by the fire," Prajwal recollected.

Helen Appell,  an American Buddhist and also co-founder of the Mahavihara helped a lot to establish the Newah Buddhist Baha in Portland, Prajwal went on saying.

The inauguration rituals of NMM was carried on by Prajwal himself and senior Gubhaju Yagyamanpati Bajracharya and Sugat Bajracharya who came to the US in 2009 for the launching rituals of the Mahavihara, Prajwal stated.

Laying emphasis on the importance of preserving Newar Buddhist heritage, Prajwal said that Nritya Mandala Mahavihara which is the Foundation for sacred Buddhist art of Nepal, is dedicated to the preservation and protection of Charya nritya and the related traditions of instruments and vocal music, choreography, and the crafts of making the masks, costumes and jewelry used in dances.

Pundit Vajracharya also underlined the need for publicizing the value of Newar Buddhism in the West and said that various lifecycle rituals like rice feeding ceremony, wedding ceremony, Bratabandha, Ihi, Bhimratharohan rituals were also organized in the Mahavihara.

Many dignitaries and Dhamma luminaries have visited the Mahavihara in the past like Dalai Lama's personal interpreter and Dalai Lama's previous teacher and many renowned Rinpoches etc, Prajwal said.

Earlier, Pramesh Shrestha of the World Newah Organization, USA chapter gave a short introduction of pundit Vajracharya who is also the director of Heritage Division, WNO, USA chapter.

(Some more new and old file photos)

(Nepal Oregon News writer Rabin Man Shakya is a Newah journalist in USA)

Coronavirus Vaccines - Glimmer of Hope

Dr. Rabin Man Shakya

(A Nepali journalist in USA)

As of early February 2021, the US has seen over 27 million positive coronavirus cases, with over 450,000 deaths. Globally, there has been over 105 million cases, with over 2.3 million deaths. It has been over one year since the first case of coronavirus was found in the US, which was in January 2020 in Washington state when a man returned from Wuhan, China where the virus had been ongoing since December 2019. In this one year, the world has undergone unprecedented suffering and loss of life. But at the end of that year, there was a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a vaccine. 

In December 2020, there were two vaccines approved for emergency authorization, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. Both vaccines require getting two shots, with the recommendation of getting the Pfizer vaccine 21 days apart and the Moderna vaccine 28 days apart. Pfizer vaccine is recommended for people ages 16 and up, while Moderna vaccine is recommended for people 18 and up. Both are mRNA vaccines, which according to the CDC, "they teach our cells how to make a protein--or even just a piece of a protein--that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies."

Since the vaccine distribution started in mid December, about 36 million doses of the vaccines have been administered, for a total of 8.7% of the total US population, according to data collected by the CDC. Among those, 8.3 million people have received both doses in the US. Now, the US has reached up to 1.3 million shots daily. While in Oregon, so far over 509,000 doses of vaccines have been administered, with over 389,000 people receiving their first vaccine, and over 118,000 people receiving both doses. 

In the last couple of weeks, the vaccine shortage and difficulty in scheduling has been apparent all over the US. By the end of January 2021, everyone in phase 1A and 1B are eligible for a vaccine. This includes: health care workers, first responders, long term care residents, K-12 educators and school staff and childcare providers. 

Groups currently eligible to receive the vaccines in Oregon (picture taken from covidvaccine.oregon.gov).

However, scheduling to receive the first dose has been difficult. Oregon does have an online tool that allows eligible residents to sign up to receive the vaccine, which is currently being scheduled at the Oregon Convention Center. The link for this is: covidvaccine.oregon.gov (then scroll down to Vaccine Eligibility & FAQ Tool, and click Let's Get Started to check eligibility and the schedule at the Convention Center). As of right now, individual states are receiving weekly vaccine allocations from the federal government based on the total adult population of the state. 

After clicking on Let's get started, a chat box will open and you answer questions to determine eligibility.

Each state decides how to vaccinate its residents, whether through county health offices, hospital systems, mass vaccination sites, mobile clinics and hopefully soon pharmacies as well. After many weeks of trying to find and schedule an appointment, yesterday I was lucky enough to receive the first dose. I got the first dose of Moderna vaccine provided by Multnomah County Health Department, and the 2nd dose hopefully in four to seven weeks. While it is recommended that the 2nd dose be given in four weeks from the first one for the Moderna vaccine, I was told there that the vaccines will be effective if received even seven weeks apart, or possibly more time. 

Getting the vaccine!

Well, judging by the social media posts, a number of Nepalese community members in Portland have already got the first shots of the coronavirus vaccine. Still, a big majority of Nepalese in Oregon have yet to be vaccinated.

The mass vaccination program of Multnomah County Health Department was very efficient and well-coordinated and a big kudos to them. The whole arrangement was superb, the volunteers were very friendly. Additionally bottled water and snacks were given too. 

The coronavirus vaccination will help protect you from getting the virus. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may feel like flu and may even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. You may feel pain and swelling on the arm where you got the shot. Likewise, there may be fever, chills, tiredness and headache.

It takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination. Coronavirus vaccines that require 2 shots may not protect you until a week or two after your second shot.

Coronavirus is still taking its toll in the world population. New variants of the coronavirus are emerging. Getting the vaccine is one step of protection against the coronavirus. We will still need to continue following pandemic guidelines such as wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands frequently, avoiding crowds and using sanitizers. 

One thing is sure, the coronavirus vaccine will reduce virus transmission and will curb the spread of the coronavirus. The future does appear more positive with other pharmaceutical juggernauts like Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and more are working very hard for vaccine approval in the coming weeks. 

The new Biden administration is seriously working out plans and devising strategies to curb the spread of the virus, something not very much cared by the previous administration. Biden has announced a goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. His administration is currently working on a deal to purchase an additional 200 million doses from both Pfizer and Moderna, with the plan to deliver them by the end of summer 2021. With mass vaccination programs going on in the US and other countries, there is a glimmer of hope that the coronavirus will be contained in a couple of years. 

Dharani Literature One of the Most Important Aspects of Newar Buddhism, says Dr Shakya

Dr Rabin Man Shakya

Portland, Feb 3, (Nepal Oregon News): A regular weekly Dharani recitation was held in the zoom on Tuesday, Feb 2, 2021 at Portland's Nritya Mandala Mahavihara. 

Dharani and other mantras were chanted by Pundit Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya followed by other participants.

Speaking on the occasion, co-founder of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara Vajracharya informed the zoom participants that the Mahavihara has been organizing Dharani recitation in the zoom for over a year with the objective of publicizing the importance of Dharani.

Also, speaking on the occasion, Dr Miroj Shakya said:"Dharani literature is one of the most important and most interesting aspects of Buddhism in general and Newah Buddhism in particular."

Expressing the view that the ancient roots of Dharani are still obscure, Dr Shakya said that their emergence may partly be connected to indigenous mantric lore that found its way first to Atharvaved and then to both early Bramhanic and Buddhist spell literature.

Throwing light on the historical importance of Dharanis, Dr Shakya said that Dharani literature has existed for over two millennia in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition.

Typically used to prevent misfortune, remove obstacles, heal  and protect, Dharani are also used in life cycle rituals and other practices, Dr Shakya added.

But, sometimes, Dharani were also used for bad intentions like exorcism and witchcraft, he stated.

Dr Shakya also discussed origin and evolution of Dharanis  in India and Nepal and their widespread use by Nepalese Buddhist practitioners.

Lots of sounds while reciting Dharani are believed to come from other Lokas such as Deva Loka, Ashura Loka, Naga Loka etc, Dr Shakya went on saying.

According to Dr Shakya, the days and dieties are interrelated in Dharani reciting:

Vasudhara - Sunday

Vajra Vidarini - Monday

Ganapati - Tuesday

Usnisavijaya - Wednesday

Parnasavari - Thursday

Marici - Friday

Grahamatrika - Saturday

Dr Miroj Shakya is an associate professor and co-chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of the West in Rosemead, California. He is part of the Rare Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscript Preservation Project and Sanskrit Language Working Group, and editor of the "Catalog of Digitized Rare Sanskrit Buddhist Manuscripts."

Tuesday's Dharani reciting was participated by 12 people from Canada, Hong Kong, California and Oregon.

At the end of Dharani recitation, Dr Shakya answered to many questions and comments from participants like Dr Tina Ho (Hong Kong), Anastasia Roderick, Andrea Wollein, Daya Shakya and Dr Rabin Man Shakya.

(Nepal Oregon News writer Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in USA)