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)

Naamsangiti - One of the Most Important Preachings of Lord Buddha, says Vajracharya

Nepal Oregon News reporter

"In Vajrayana Buddhism, Manjushree Naamsangiti is one of the most important preachings of Shakyamuni Tathagata. It consists of 167 verses and mantra sentences," Pundit Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, co-founder of Portland's Nritya Mandala Mahavihara (NMM) said at a Naamsangiti Recitation ritual in the zoom organized on Thursday, Jan 28, 2021 to mark the Full Moon Day. 

15 people from Canada, Hong Kong, Nepal, California and Oregon took part at the Naamsangiti Recitation ritual through the zoom.

It is to be noted that Nritya Mandala Mahavihara has been organizing Manjushree Naamsangiti Recitation on every full moon day of the month since July of the last year. Also, Naamsangiti is recited daily at the Mahavihara during the month of Gunla (Nepal Sambat Lunar Calendar).

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, said Prajwal Vajracharya adding "That's why NMM is dedicated to protect, promote and preserve these sacred things."

When we talk about about Naamsangiti, we need to offer our prayers not only to Tathagat Buddha, but also to Maha Manjushree Bodhisattva and Vajrapani Bodhisattva, said Prajwal.

Vajracharya added:"Naamsangiti is the quintessence of Buddhism because it summarizes all the Buddha's teachings."

The far-reaching importance of Naamsangiti lies on the fact that Manjushree Bodhisattva is the embodiment of all knowledge, Prajwal went on saying.

Naamsangiti was taught by Tathagata Buddha to one of his disciples Vajrapani Bodhisattva and his followers to lead them to enlightenment, Vajracharya stated.

"Reciting of Naamsangiti is useful for mitigating stress and tension and gaining health," he said.

Throwing light on the importance of Naamsangiti, Vajracharya offered a traditional lore: "There is a Khun Bahal (a Vihara of thieves) at Watu Tole in Kathmandu. The Bahal was controlled by spirits, ghosts and spooks. In ancient times, the thieves and criminals used to be sent at this Khun Bahal for the punishment. All of them were found dead the next morning inside the Bahal. Khun Bahal was just like a notorious haunted house. One day, a thief was also sent to that Bahal, but surprisingly, he was found alive and kicking the next day. The thief revealed that he was chanting Naamsangiti all night."

 

Sadhana Practice Brings Positive Changes in Life

Nepal Oregon News reporter

At a time when the whole world is bogged down in coronavirus crisis and so many countries are facing tumultuous political and economic dilemma, more and more people in the world are going for meditation, yoga and Sadhana. 

Sadhana practice brings positive changes in life and it has lots of benefits for mental as well as physical health.

Sadhana is also performed for attaining detachment from worldly things. Sadhana is a Sanskrit word that means spiritual exercise. Sadhana is a spiritual practice in  which the practitioner invokes a divinity, identifying and absorbing it into himself - the primary form of meditation in Vajrayana Buddhism.

Sadhana practice is one of the many activities which has continuously been conducted by Portland's Nritya Mandala Mahavihara for last several years.

Likewise, a regular Sadhana practice was also held in the zoom on Wednesday, Jan 27 at the Nritya Mandala Mahavihara in Portland.

Twelve people from Oregon, California, Hongkong and Canada participated at the Sadhana practice in the zoom.

Speaking on the occasion, before the beginning of Sadhana practice, Pundit Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya threw light on the importance of Chakra in Sadhana.

In Sanskrit, Chakra means 'wheel' or 'disk' which indicates the shape of human energy points that unite mind, body and spirit.

In Newah Buddhism, the God is inside the mind of a human being. If you practice Sadhana, you can salvage yourself from stress, sorrow and other worldly problems, said Vajracharya.

Buddha has salvaged the entire mankind by practicing 16 Sadhanas. Sadhana's relevance has been mentioned in Lalitbistar too, Vajracharya added.

According to Pundit Vajracharya, there are five kinds of Chakra: (1) Mahasukha chakra (2) Vishuddha chakra (3) Anahata chakra (4) Svadhisthana chakra and (5) Muladhar chakra.

Mahasukha chakra (Root chakra), according to Vajracharya,  helps us to balance the bliss (anand) and happiness.

Likewise, Vishuddha chakra's (Throat chakra) function is to help us find aunthentic self-expression, Vajracharya went on saying.

Similarly, speaking about Anahata chakra (Heart chakra), he said   that this chakra's function is to help us tap into unconditional love.

Regarding Svadhisthana chakra (Sacral chakra), Vajracharya stated that this chakra's function is to help us regulate our emotions, feelings and hankerings for worldly things, so as not to be guided or misguided by them.

Speaking about Muladhar chakra (Root chakra), Vajracharya remarked that this chakra which is the foundation of our body, helps us to maintain a sense of groundedness and inner stability.

Pundit Vajracharya also underlined the importance of praying Avalokiteshvara and Padmanatesvara in Sadhana practices. 

Dharani Recitation Contributing to Protection of Heritage

Nepal Oregon News reporter

Many Portlanders and people across America and abroad have been practicing Dharani recitation at Nritya Mandala Mahavihara (NMM) in Portland, USA on a weekly basis continuously for over a year.

In the beginning, Dharani recitation was conducted in person at the Mahavihara  in 2019 but soon after the coronavirus pandemic, the Dharini recitation was conducted through the zoom.

There is no doubt that the NMM's Dharani recitation - which is the only one chanting program of this kind in the West - has proved to be a significant leap forward in contributing to the protection of heritage.

Dharani recitation was always led and chanted by Pundit Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya of the Mahavihara followed by other participants.

A regular Dharani recitation was held on Tuesday, Jan 26, 2021 by the Mahavihara on the zoom. In the beginning, Guru Bandana was chanted by Guruju Prajwal.

After that, Graha Dasha Ya Paath, Saptavidhan Puja - The Seven Limb Prayer (from the Bhadracharya desana),Dharani (Buddha, Bodhisatvas's Mantra and Dharanipada) recitation and Prajnaparamita Hridayam Sutra were chanted by  Sangha member Naveena Shakya followed by other participants.

Zoom participants included Dr Tina Ho (Hong Kong), Hom Shrestha (Canada), Dina Shakya (California), Matt Bourgeois, Gabriel Quitslund, Uppa Shakya (Oregon).

Earlier, speaking about Dharma awareness among the youth, Pundit Prajwal Vajracharya stressed the need for parents' encouragement and involvement in inculcating the value of Dharma on youths' mind.

Throwing light on the role of Dharma in the everyday life of human beings, pundit Vajracharya also added that it can help in many ways to reduce the impact of stress and pressure of life.

Newar Buddhist Temple in Portland, USA Greets New Year 2021 with Purification Rituals amid Covid-19 Pandemic

Dr Rabin Man Shakya

(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.

(Gabriel Quitslund and Alexei Dobry during puja)

(Naveena Shakya, Joshua Proto and Prajwal Vajracharya during puja)

(Joshua Proto and Prajwal Vajracharya during puja)

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(Naveena Shakya, Alexei Dobry and Gabriel Quitslund performing rituals.)

(Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in America)

World Newah Organization (WNO) Launches Online Nepal Bhasa Dictionary

By Nepal Oregon News reporter

Portland, Dec 6 (Nepal Oregon News): A virtual program was organized on Saturday Dec 5, 2020  by World Newah Organization (WNO) for launching Nepal Bhasa online dictionary. Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya was the chief guest on the occasion.

WNO's chief Season Shrestha delivered the welcome speech, while Dipesh Shakya showed the demo of the online dictionary on the occasion.

President of Newah Dey Daboo Naresh Tamrakar and a number of Newah personalities representing different Newah organizations across the world expressed their views.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Shakya said that KMC is ready to cooperate and collaborate with the WNO during his tenure.

Mayor Shakya said that the activities of the WNO for the promotion and preservation of Nepal Bhasa is praise-worthy.

The program, which was conducted by WNO secretary Rasmila Prajapati, was also addressed by WNO founder member Daya Ratna Shakya.

"English to Nepal Bhasa Dictionary" said in a statement that this is a community enabled online English to Nepal Bhasa dictionary.

The statement went on to say:"Before submitting, please check our database and make sure the words that you are submitting ars not already in the database. The translation will appear online once approved by the admin." 

Meanwhile, a two day Global Newah Conference is to be organized by WNO on Dec 30 and 31, 2020.

Twenty three Newah personalities from 12 countries are going to present working papers at the zoom program to be organized on the occasion of the WNO's tenth anniversary.

A Global Newah Conference was held in Kathmandu two years ago by the WNO which was established ten years ago with the objective of uniting the Newahs living across the world.

This year, the two-day WNO conference is being organized through zoom because of the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

*Also, please read a relevant article entitled "World Newah Organization (WNO) and the issue of Newah unity" published in the Nepal Oregon News on Dec 25, 2024.

Newar Buddhist temple 'Nritya Mandala Mahavihara' celebrates its eleventh anniversary in Portland, America amid pandemic

Dr Rabin Man Shakya

Portland, Nov 11 (Nepal Oregon News): Nritya Mandala Mahavihara (NMM), which is the only Nepalese Buddhist temple in the West celebrated its eleventh anniversary in Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The eleventh anniversary of the Mahavihara started with the Kush Puja in the morning at the Mahavihara. The rituals of Kush Puja was performed by Mahavihara's co-founder and priest Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya.

Kush Puja is a Newah Buddhist Tantric ritual. The Puja is an esoteric one which usually is confined to the Newah Buddhist devotees who have been ordained with Nhikan Yayegu rituals at the shrines of the houses of the Shakyas and Bajracharyas.

Prajwal says,"Because of the pandemic, we are celebrating the temple's anniversary with social distancing and pandemic guidelines."

Kush Puja consists of different rituals with traditional and religious components. Among others, five grounding nectars in the form of five different kinds of alcohol and five different kinds of meat are used in the Puja.

In this Puja, emphasis is laid on Go Ku Da Ha Na, in which a cow is considered as a harmless creature, a dog is regarded as a sensitive animal, a horse gives continuity, an elephant is treated as a fearless creature, whereas Nara (or man) is known for his knowledge. The purpose of the Puja is to raise the consciousness of our own body and mind,  Vajracharya, the senior pujari at the Mahavihara told a journalist from Nepal Oregon News, USA.

On the occasion, 108 butter fed lamps were also lit. Similarly, refugee dance was performed by Prajwal Vajracharya and other Sangha members.

At the end of the Puja, Prajwal Guruju handed over small pieces of sacred flowers and sacred Kokha to the Sangha members and dabbed Hyaungu Sinha and Haku Sinha on their foreheads. 

Kaula (Prasad) and Samaya Baji was served to the participants of the Kush Puja on the occasion. Bulla (a Newah style soup made of fermented rice) was the center of attraction of the Samaya Baji.

The other important part of the eleventh anniversary was the performance of Charya dances.

Charya dance program was launched on Zoom because of the pandemic. Charya dancers from different parts of the USA, Nepal, Hong Kong, Brazil and Germany demonstrated their wonderful and amazing talent.

Because of the time zone difference, dancing through Zoom was arranged in the morning and in the evening. Both morning and evening sessions of international Charya dancing were moderated by Kuon Hunt, a member of the Sangha.

In the morning session of the dance program, Yamuna Baker from Germany performed Vajrayogini, Saldon Wu from Hong Kong presented Kurukulla dance, Vesta Corradini from Brazil showed Arya Tara dance whereas Anupama Dahal's students from Nepal demonstrated a Pancha Tara dance. Similarly, Bunu Shrestha (Bajracharya) from Germany performed White Tara while Prajwal Vajracharya presented a dance 'Maya Jaal.'

In the evening session of the dance program, a dance called 'Nairatma' was performed by Bunu Shrestha while Yogini Mandala was presented by Corinne Nakamura. A team of Charya dancers from Hong Kong including Tina Ho, Eliza La, Kerry Ho, Eliza Lau LY, Chin Chin Chang performed a dance 'Vajrasattva.'

Charya nritya dance 'Vajrasattva'

A dance 'Arya Tara' was presented by Shahrazad Huisman from Germany, while Kumari dance was performed by Kalpana Bajracharya from Nepal. Likewise, Annapurna dance was carried out by Uppa Shakya, USA and Sky Dakini dance was performed by Anna Shrustova, also USA. And finally, a Mahankaal dance was presented by Prajwal Vajracharya.

Sixteen offering goddess charya dance.

The vocal rendition for most of the Charya dances was provided by Joshua Proto, a Sangha member.

About 65 people had participated in the Zoom dance program in the evening and about 50 people in the morning. Among them, notable were Prof Dr Linda Iltis from Washington, Prof Dr Myrinda Shaw from California, Helen Appell, co-founder of the Mahavihara, Dr Shubhash Ram Prajapati from Washington, Dr Mahendra Man Shakya (Physics) from California, Home Shrestha a Ph D researcher from Canada, Daya Shakya, vice president of World Newah Organization and so on.

Participants on Zoom during the event

In the last 11 years, Nritya Mandala Mahavihara has continuously served the sangha or community in many ways, and credit for this goes to co-founders duo Prajwal and Helen Appell.

In fact, many of Portland's Nepalese community activists coming from different spectrums have mentioned it as one of the quintessential aspects of Prajwal's unrelenting campaign to promote, preserve and protect the Buddhist traditions of Nepal.

The Mahavihara has provided a wide range of cultural, life cycle and calendrical rituals based on Newar Vajrayana Buddhism and Newah and Nepali traditions.

NMM has offered teachings and presentations, including by recognized scholars from around the world.

It has offered instruction and organized performances of Charya dances, as well.

While the temple itself has been closed during the pandemic, NMM has continued in the same spirit with zoom classes on Dharma, Dharani, Sadhana, Sanskrit, Charya Giti singing, Charya dance and scholarly lectures.

(Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in USA)