Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, June 18, (Nepal Oregon News): A five-week live online course on Kurukulla Singing and Dancing is being organized by the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara from June 3 to July 1, 2022. The Kurukulla Singing and Dancing Course was conducted by Guruji Prajwal Vajracharya, co-founder of the Mahavihara.
25 participants from eight countries -- Nepal, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil, Colombia, Italy and Germany -- are taking part at the five-week long Kurukulla Charya Dance Course which is held each Friday for one hour, said Vajracharya a veteran Charya Nritya Guru. Each class every week kicks off with a short Dharma talk by Guruji Vajracharya.
Speaking during the online course, Prajwal, one of the senior Charya Nritya Gurus in the world, said:"This Charya dance is named after the deity -- Kurukulla devi. Kurukulla charya dance is one of the ancient classical dances of Nepal. This dance is performed especially as a devotion to the female Buddha -- Kurukulla, he added.
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| (Prajwal Guru's student LiAnne Hunt performing Kurukulla charya dance at Nritya Mandala Mahavihara) |
Giving some introductory details about Kurukulla devi, Prajwal, a 35th generation Vajrayana priest, said:"Deity Kurukulla is a quintessence of lovely sentiments and enchantment."
Kurukulla dance shows beautiful mixture, strong sense of entrancing, said Vajracharya who is also the Chief Pujari at Nritya Mandala Mahavihara, the first and only one Newar Buddhist Vajrayana temple in the West.
Kurukulla is a princess. She is also an incarnation of Vajrayogini. Kurukulla is the only deity who is worshipped in the process of Tantric rituals for enchanting and entrancing (Mohani Yayegu), Vajracharya further said.
Underscoring the importance of jewelry in Charya dance and stating that they are associated with six paramitas (transcendental perfection of Buddhism), Vajracharya said that Devi Kurukulla is also adorned with different jewels, bones and flowers. He went on saying that Kurukulla also wears a tiger's skin in this Charya nritya.
Kurukulla is one of the main yidam practices in Tibetan Buddhism as well, Vajracharya, a ritual master of the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition of Nepal, said adding:"Kurukulla is a fully awakened female Buddha and a magnetizing Dakini."
Throwing light on the iconography of Kurukulla devi, Rev Guruji Vajracharya who is also a scholar on Newar Vajrayana Buddhism, said:"Kurukulla is a female deity whose body is usually depicted in red garments and red jewelry. Kurukulla devi who is also known as Ugra Tara has four hands. Two of her left hands are depicted as holding a flowery arrow on a flowery bow and two of her right hands are depicted as holding a hook and noose of flowers."
Laying emphasis on Kurukulla as one of the important Tara deities, Guruji Vajracharya said:"Kurukulla is a female Buddha who enchants with her beauty, weaponry and powers of magnetizing."
In Kurukulla charya dance, symbolic movements of fingers, hands and legs are skillfully timed with general body movements and facial expressions, the scholar on Charya nritya said.
Also on June 17, 2022, Prof Dr Myrinda Shaw, author of books on Vajrayogini and Buddhist Gods and Goddesses, was a guest lecturer for the participants of the course for half an hour. Prof Dr Shaw threw light on different forms of the deity Kurukulla.
The five-week Kurukulla Singing and Dancing will be wrapped up on Friday, July 1, 2022 with the sacred initiation ritual of Devi Kurukulla.
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Vajracharya Honored with WNO-USA Award for Contributions to Newar Culture and Heritage
Portland, June 15 (Nepal Oregon News): A special award of appreciation by World Newah Organization - USA was presented to Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya for his dedicated support and contribution to Newah culture and heritage through continued service and promotion in the USA and abroad.
The WNO-USA Special Award was handed over to Vajracharya, who is also the co-founder of Nritya Mandala Mahavihara (NMM), by Daya Shakya, who is the patron, founding member and former senior vice president of WNO, amid a function held at the Mahavihara in Portland on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
The WNO-USA Special Award presented to Vajracharya honored a Nepali Oregonian who has modeled the attributes of a Buddhist scholar, Charya Nritya Guru and Vajrayana Ritual Master through leadership, action and community service and has shared and dedicated time, expertise and resources for support and contribution to Newar culture and heritage.
There is no doubt that the WNO - USA Special Award represents recognition and appreciation for Vajracharya's role and achievement in promoting the value of Newar culture and heritage.
Vajracharya has been honored with numerous awards by different organizations in the past.
Speaking on the occasion, Award Receipient Vajracharya expressed his gratitude to the WNO-USA for choosing him for award.
Vajracharya said:" The NMM preserves and shares the traditions of Buddhist practice, arts and culture held by the Newah people of the Nepal Mandala. Established in Portland, USA in 2009, our center is the first Newar Vajrayana Buddhist temple in the West with performance and art-making spaces, and a library of the old and new Buddhist texts."
Vajracharya, who is also chief pujari at Portland's Buddhist temple, stressed the need for exploring avenues to preserve and promote Newah arts, rituals, culture and heritage.
Patron and founding member of WNO Daya Shakya threw light on the objectives and activities of the global Newah forum and said:"WNO is an international platform of the Newah people scattered across the world to champion the cause of strengthening and consolidating Newah solidarity and promoting Newah culture, heritage and identity."
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Recital of Naamsangiti Marks Jya Punhi at Portland's Newar Buddhist Temple
Portland, June 15 (Nepal Oregon News): Jya Punhi or Jya Purnima was observed by Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland, USA by reciting Naamsangiti at the temple on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Naamsangiti reciting, which was led by temple's chief pujari Pundit Prajwal Vajracharya, was followed by Gabriel Quitslund, Anna Shustrova, Tsechen (an American), Riyaz Khan, Daya Shakya, Aniruddha Shakya, Naveena Shakya and Dr Rabin Man Shakya.
Likewise, 15 other people from USA, Hong Kong and Canada took part at the Naamsangiti Recital program from the zoom.
It is to be noted that Nritya Mandala Mahavihara has been organizing Manjushree Naamsangiti on every full moon day of the month. Also, Naamsangiti is recited daily at the Mahavihara during the month of Gunla (Nepal Sambat Lunar Calendar).
Reciting of Naamsangiti is useful for mitigating stress and tension, gaining health and removing obstacles. Anything you do on the auspicious day of Purnima will be successful, said Prajwal Vajracharya.
He added:"The far-reaching importance of Naamsangiti reciting lies on the fact that Manjushree Bodhisattva is the embodiment of all knowledge and wisdom."
Shedding light on different manifestations of Lord Manjushree, Vajracharya said:"Arpachana Manjushree, Manjughosha, Vagishvara Manjushree, Manjuvajra and Manjushree Naamsangiti are the important manifestations of Lord Manjushree."
Naamsangiti is the quintessence of Buddhism because it summarizes all the Buddha's teachings, he further said.
Stressing the need for preserving traditions, he said:"At a time when a lot of heritage, historical and religious scriptures are on the verge of extinction, disseminating the sacred Tantras and preachings is essential to keep them alive. That is why the Mahavihara is dedicated to protect, promote and preserve these sacred traditions."
At the end of Naamsangiti recitation, dinner was provided to all the in-person participants at the Mahavihara by Prajwal Guruji.
Meanwhile, regular Dharani recitation was conducted by the Mahavihara on every Tuesday while Sadhana practice and Buddha Bhajan singing were held each Wednesday. Similarly, Charya giti singing practice was also organized every week on Friday.
Similarly, different pujaris have been performing daily Nitya Puja at the temple in the morning every day while the Nitya Puja at night is ritualized everyday by Prajwal Guruju himself.
(Rabin Man Shakya is one of the few Nepalese journalists in the USA)
