Dr. Rabin Man Shakya
Nepal Oregon News
Portland, Dec 3, (Nepal Oregon News): Each Charya dance, through bodily gesture and energy and directed movements invokes a different deity, such as Nairatma, Manjushree, Pancha Buddha, Vajra Yogini and so on.
Co-founder of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara and noted Charya Guru Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya said this while giving a virtual guest lecture on 'Sacred Dance of Nepal' organized by Department of Religious Studies and Religious Studies Graduate Council of University of the West, California on Thursday, Dec 2, 2021.
In Sanskrit, Charya Nritya means dance as a spiritual discipline, said Rev Guru Vajracharya adding that this is an ancient Vajracharya Buddhist dance tradition that until recently was unknown outside the circles of initiates who perform it.
Attributing to the causes of hidden culture and hidden nature of the Charya dance, he said:"Non-Buddhist governments in the past centuries have been apathetical to the cause of development of Buddhism in Nepal." Despite the hidden nature, it still survived and it is alive. That is the beauty about Nepal, Vajracharya stated.
Underscoring the importance of Charya nritya, Rev Vajracharya who is also a scholar on Newar Vajrayana Buddhism, said:"This sacred dance is one of the religious arts of the Tantric Buddhist priests of the Kathmandu valley who perform it as part of their esoteric meditation and rituals since before the time of the Buddha."
Touching on Charya giti, he said:"Charya giti also tells us about the iconography of deities and yoginis, about what they are holding in their hands and what they are wearing." Charya giti focuses on compassion, liberation, enlightenment and transformation, he said.
In Portland, we have created more than 50 Charya dances. But there are thousands of Charya dances. My father late Ratna Kaji Vajracharya had collected 556 Charya songs in a book that had volume 1 and 2. Likewise, my brother is also collecting the Charya songs to the number of 1,500, Guru Prajwal said.
Musical instruments used in Charya dance and Chharya giti are Taa (two little cymbals) and Damaru (Kanta Dub Dub), the Guru added. Throwing light on iconography of Buddhist deities, Prajwal Vajracharya, also the senior most Pujari at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, said:"Every little thing the deities hold in their hands have a lot of religious and esoteric meaning. Actually, Charya dance is really an important aspect of life in Newar Buddhist tradition."
The veteran Charya Guru made it clear that Charya dance is not just a dance, it is a teaching, it is a preaching as well as a philosophy which teaches you a lot of things to move forward in life.
Dwelling on Dharma teaching, he said that raga, dwesha and moha (desire, anger and ignorance) are the most formidable enemies of human beings, according to the Newar Vajrayana Buddhism.
Guru Prajwal's lecture on sacred dances of Nepal presented comprehensive details on Pancha Buddha (Vairochana, Amitabha, Ratnasambhava, Amoghasiddhi, Akshovya), Manjushree, Nairatma, and other deities.
Similarly, the talk zeroed in on the visits of Vipashwi Buddha, Shikhi Buddha, Vishwobhu Buddha, Krakuchanda Buddha, Kashyap Buddha and Kanakmuni Buddha to the Nepal Mandala.
Prajwal's talk also shed light on ancient and medieval Mahasiddhas like Shantikaracharya - the first Bajracharya Guru of the Nepal Mandala and Surat Bajra Bajracharya, Manju Bajra Bajracharya and so on.
Earlier, giving a brief introduction of the guest speaker to the zoom audience, Dr Miroj Shakya of the University of the West said that the university was pleased to have an interaction with Rev Prajwal Vajracharya on sacred dance of Nepal.
Prajwal Vajracharya is a senior priest from one of the Vajrayana Buddhist lineages of Nepal. He is also a ritual master of both the Charya nritya tradition and other ritual forms performed by the Newar Vajrayana lineage.
University of the West (UWest) is a private Buddhist university in Rosemead, California. It was founded in 1990 by Hsing Yun, founder of the Taiwan based Buddhist Order Fo Guang Shan and Hsi Lai Temple, the North American Order headquarters. The school offered its first class in spring of 1991.
------ Four Week Charya Nritya Dance Course on Manjushree Wraps Up ------
Portland, Dec 19 (Nepal Oregon News): A four week Charya dance and giti course "The Path of Yogic Singing and Sacred Dancing" which kicked off in the zoom on Nov 27, 2021 was wrapped up on Dec 18, 2021.
The Charya dance course which was held once a week on Saturdays was organized by Yangchenma Arts & Music, California.
Throwing light on the objectives of the four week course, Ven Guru Prajwal Vajracharya said:"The purpose of the course was to provide a basic introduction with the yogic song (Charya giti) and the accompanying sacred ritual dance of Maha Manjushree, the Buddha of wisdom."
Guru Prajwal went on saying:"Maha Manjushree, the Bodhisattva of wisdom, normally holds a sword in one hand to cut off all delusions, and a Prajnaparamita wisdom text in the other."
The Charya dance course consisted of both the practical and theoretical aspects of the Charya dance on Maha Manjushree, added Guru Vajracharya.
During the four week course, the participants were able to learn the full yogic song and the accompanying sacred ritual dance of Maha Manjushree, the Buddha of wisdom in order to cultivate wisdom and awareness in body, voice and mind.
In the first part of each weekly class, virtual participants were instructed in the oral tradition of Nepalese Ragas (musical modes) and Talas (rhythmic cycles) and were taught the traditional melodic song of Maha Manjushree.
Over the four classes, the participants were familiarized with cultivating their voices, matching the pitches of the Raga, and keeping time in the second part of the class, participants were able to learn the complete ritual dance of Maha Manjushree, and finally the song and dance were merged together.
The four week Charya nritya course on Maha Manjushree was conducted by Ven Guru Prajwal Vajracharya and Joshua Proto.
-----Durgatiparishodhana Chanting Performed-----
Portland, Dec 12 (Nepal Oregon News): A Durgatiparishodhana chanting was performed in Sanskrit and in Nepal Bhasa at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara on Saturday, Dec 11, 2021 in memory of late Gautam Ratna Vajracharya and late Mahendra Ratna Vajracharya, the elder brothers of Guru Prajwal Vajracharya.
The chanting was performed at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland, USA by Guru Prajwal Vajracharya and 25 other Sangha members while the same number of people from Nepal, Hong Kong and the USA had taken part through the zoom.
On the occasion, the Dharani and the Naamsangiti were also chanted by the Sangha members and others in the zoom.
Likewise, religious tributes were paid to Guruji's cousins Vishwo Ratna Vajracharya and Kiran Vajracharya.
Similarly, homage was paid to late Paras Muni Shakya and late Rajendra Muni Shakya, brothers of Sangha member Aniruddha Shakya, late Chiniya Lal Amatya, father of community member Kabindra Amatya and late Parbati Malla, mother of community member Sharmista Amatya.
108 butter lamps were burnt to pay tributes to the deceased souls.
-----Memorial Service Held at Portland Baha-----
Portland, Dec 24 (Nepal Oregon News): Surya Laxmi Shakya (mother of Suva Shakya, a Sangha member of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, mother-in-law of Uppa Shakya, a board member of NMM, and sister-in-law of Daya Shakya also a Sangha member and Pujari of NMM) passed away on Dec 23, 2021.
Shakya died of kidney failure at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Late Shakya was 72.
Late Shakya, who was born in 1949 in Kathmandu, is survived by husband Dharma Ratna Shakya, four sons, a daughter and 6 grand children.
A memorial service was performed on Dec 28, 2021 at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland, Oregon on the seventh day with 108 butter fed diyos and chanting of Durgatiparishodhana text.
A slide show of photos depicting late Shakya in Nepal and her visit to the USA was also held on the occasion.
The memorial service was attended by 20 American and Nepalese Sangha members at the Mahavihara and 20 other people from Nepal, Hong Kong and the USA took part from the zoom.
Nritya Mandala Mahavihara co-founder Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, president of Nepali Association of Oregon Daya Shakya, Suva Shakya from Hermiston and Seattle resident Laxman Shakya spoke about late Shakya during the memorial service.
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