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)

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)