The Big Puja: Lama Dance Day (1/2)

Because of the speed of my internet, I have broken the Lama Dance Day post into 2 parts, rather than depriving you of pictures. I picked the natural breaking point of lunch, so I encourage you (after reading to the end) to go and eat some samosas, pakoras, and momo. This will help you to capture the full experience.

For the day of the dance, the prayer hall was decked out in its finest, with curtains at the front to create a sort of 'back-stage' space for the dancers.

(The early photos were taken by my friend Sherab Tenzin, because I was not yet awake...)

(the prayer hall in the misty morning, pre-dance)

The first dance was an appeasement of the local gods, who might have been offended if left out of the celebration. It happened early, and so was sparsely attended by laypeople.

(the dancers emerge)

(the perspective from the prayer hall)

(the first dancers' costume, taken inside the prayer hall in front of a statue of Guru Rimpoche)

The dancing was accompanied by a variety of musical instruments, along with chanting. The instruments and the chanting master were mic'd, and play through large speakers at either end of the prayer hall, another case (in a long line) of the mixing of traditional expression with new technology.

(the brass section)

(and the percussion)

A very powerful Rimpoche, one of the 4 regents / heart sons of the Karmapa, came for the dance, and can be seen in the center in the picture below (behind the gauze curtain). The following day he was to conduct a long life empowerment for the monks and the lay community, but even on the day of the dance he was often blessing people or doing divination for them (using dice).

(the front of the prayer hall, in between dances)

Although much of the meaning behind the dances could not be explained to me, because as tantric practice it is considered both secret and a little dangerous, I was told that the dances could be seen together as the path of an individual on the road to enlightenment. Each element represents some part of the universal human psyche, isolated and externalized. In this way, even beyond the spiritual benefit of seeing the dances (which I was told was great), I was told that there is a psychological benefit as well (in a listening-to-a-myth or reading-a-really-good-novel kind of way).

(dancers in skull masks)

Some of the dancing did get a little acrobatic, though for the most part the movement was slow and intentional, rather than quick and showy.

(flip!)

This next dance was for Mahakala, a wrathful deity who is a protector of the Buddhist Dharma. The five skulls atop each mask symbolize the five spiritual poisons (ignorance, attachment, aversion, pride, and jealousy), and in his hands each dancer carried a sword and a piece of wood painted to look like a cup made from a fragment of human skull. Tibetan Buddhism, especially tantric practice, uses a lot of symbolism that at the surface level seems violent and, well, anti-Buddhist. But to practitioners these symbols are metaphorical, and the enemies so violently defeated are, as often as not, the things inside ourselves which prevent us from attaining enlightenment. There is nothing that Mahakala's sword loves to cut more than ignorance. 

(the lead dancer emerges)

(the line of dancers)

(the differences in costume between the lead, front, and the others)

Following the first Mahakala dance, there was a second, with different costumes, masks, and props.

Although the dance fell on a Monday, quite a number of laypeople showed up to watch, and more came as the day progressed. There was a special section, shaded and off to one side, set aside for VIPs, which included sponsors and important members of the lay community.

Many of the laypeople came very dressed up, in traditional Nepali, Tibetan, and Sikkimese garments. I wanted to snap some pictures of these, but it felt kind of rude (especially given the spiritual significance of the day). However, next time the opportunity arises I will try to take some pictures for you guys. In a place where the day-to-day clothing of the lay population seems nearly identical to what I would expect to find in the US, it's even more striking to see how different the outfits get on special occasions.

(monks watching the dance)

Lay vendors came to sell food, as well, and the monks took full advantage (even though they, unlike laypeople, had lunch provided for them).

Ok, that's all for now. But there's still a whole half-day of dancing left! Acrobats! Golden statues! So do make sure to come back. Also, comment to let me know what you think. It helps me keep doing this.