The Big Puja: Long Life Empowerment

The final event of the week was a long life empowerment. This was given by the powerful Rinpoche who acts as the Karmapa's regent at Rumtek, who came to oversee the end of the puja / the dance (see last post). A lot of lay people showed up, even more than for the lama dance the previous day, which surprised me. It did not, however, surprise the monks, who pointed out to me how much more valuable a long life is, in the eyes of most people, than a day watching dancing.

The day was hot (well, for Rumtek anyway. Mid 80s probably...), and so people brought umbrellas to stay shaded. I've noticed that the people at Rumtek seem to have a very Seattleite temperature sensitivity, with a range of about 15* of acceptable temperatures (they do not, however, have the Seattleite drive to be outside in any available sun).

(laypeople and monks, sheltering under umbrellas)

One especially important part of the ceremony involved one of the valuable relics housed at Rumtek, a very powerful crown. It is not as powerful, I was told, as the black crown (the crown of the Karmapas), but it is still quite powerful. During the crown section of the ceremony, the Rinpoche held the crown (as you see below) while monks chanted and played instruments. 

(the crown)

Following this, the Rinpoche put on a different hat, of a style worn by all of the rinpoches (at least in the Karma Kagyu sect), and led a long prayer with more chanting and instrument playing by the monks.

(I love this angle because you can see some of the amazing paintings on the outside of the prayer hall)

And then, following the prayers, were the individual empowerments. Probably over a thousand people lined up to be empowered. Each person gave an offering of a white scarf (see yesterday's post for an explanation of these), and was then ushered on through by the line of monks managing the affair (in order to keep things moving, the monks had to have a bit of a firm hand).

The Rinpoche touched each person on the head with a metal chalice, and both the young boy you can see to the right of the Rinpoche (a tulku, a reincarnated lama, and so a Rinpoche himself) and the man to the right of him (Khenpo Kalsang Nyima, principal of the Institue) touched each person's head with what I believe were images of deities.

After everyone who wished to had been empowered, the lay people went home. The monks had one last puja in the main prayer hall, and the weeklong intensive was over. Although all of the monks I spoke to were glad of the opportunity to take part in the puja (which makes sense, because they are, after all, monks), it also seemed to be a bit of a relief that the week was over. There had been few moments to relax for the whole week, and so the monks took full advantage the rest of the day

(finally time to read and use cellphones!)

(and make silly faces!)

(and relax on the grass!)

Following the empowerment ceremony, I was told that the empowerment was connected with the Avalokiteshvara (the bodhisattva of compassion) mantra om mani padme hung. Aside from being one of the most popular mantras in Tibetan Buddhism, this is also the mantra on the prayer wheels at the monastery. 

(prayer wheels, looking especially beautiful in the gorgeous weather which followed the empowerment)

Although anyone can recite this mantra, I was told that (because I had been empowered by the Rimpoche) I had now been empowered in its use. Empowerment in the use of matras is tantric practice that I do not really understand (because tantra is complex and largely secret), but I know it's a good thing. 

After 5 days of daily posts, expect the next update with a little more delay. But it will happen soon, and it will be good. So remember to come back and check it out. Also, comments are always welcome. So if you are enjoying the posts, consider it (and a big thank you to those who have already done so!).

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

Welcome back everyone, I hope you all had a good snack. Did it make you sleepy? Well, I've got the perfect thing for that...

Firecrackers! And tricksters! Hopefully that woke you up. Now we can continue. These guys represent the winds that flow through all of us, the red are female and the white are male. If that didn't illuminate much for you, well, we're in the same boat. But aren't they cool looking?

This next is the old man dance. I never got much of an explanation for it, but I love the mask. And make sure you blow up that picture, because what is that umbrella covered with? Peacock feathers. It's completely covered in peacock feathers. This refers back to a legend that peacocks eat poisons, and the more they eat the brighter their colors will get. Metaphorically, therefore, peacock feathers represent overcoming the five spiritual poisons (see the last post), and making something beautiful out of this samsaric life.  

Next up was a break from the ceremonial dancing, with Chinese dances intended just for entertainment purposes. This is more of the legacy of the Karmapas' close relationship with the emperors of China, and not something you would see at non-Kagyu monasteries.

(monks leaping about!)

(monks dressed up as white tigers!)

(a monk backflipping over monks dressed as a white tiger!)

After the white tiger dance was an acrobatic display by a monk skilled in Chinese acrobatics and martial arts. 

(backflipping off a post!)

(jumping into a forward roll. note the fact that all of the monks behind him are taking pictures with their phones)

The next dance was the most important of the day, involving a very precious statue of Guru Padmasambavha (Guru Rimpoche), along with monks dressed as his other emanations, as well as the Buddha and other important spiritual figures.

(the front of the procession. the man at the side in the fringe-y hat is apparently the most skilled diviner at the monastery)

(horns, heralding the emergence of the statue)

(the precious statue, followed by the other emanations)

The procession led out to a semi-circular arrangement of fancy chairs, so that the emanations and other important figures could sit for the next part and last part.

This was reenactments of all of the ritual dances that had happened previously, in shortened form, for the statue. 

After the dances, laypeople came forward to present the statue with white scarves, which serve (like the water offerings from an earlier post) to stand in for other offerings (in this case, they stood in for the flowers that are offered to honored guests). They also presented the statue, and the monks around the statue, with monetary offerings. 

When all of the lay people who wished to had presented prayers and offerings, the procession picked up and reentered the prayer hall. And the dance was over. 

But this wasn't the end of the week's events, or even (despite the costumes, masks, and acrobatics) the most well attended of them. That was to come the next day, with the long life empowerment. 

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.

The Big Puja: Momo Making

Because so many laypeople come to see the lama dance, and attend the long life empowerment, Nalanda Cafe required more than its usual supplies. So what's quick to eat, pleases everyone, and can be made ahead of time, assembly-line style? Momos. Hundreds and hundreds of momos. 

(For those of you who don't know, momos are a Himalayan dumpling. They come with a variety of fillings, and almost always a chili pepper dipping sauce.)

As the cafe is otherwise occupied during the day, the momo making had to happen at night. A whole team of monks, lay-cooks from the town, and I assembled to bring it all together.

(setting up, one of the monks carrying a giant bowl of meat for the meat momos)

Unlike my previous dumpling making experiences, the momos here are not made with premade wrappers. Every single wrapper had to be individually pulled off of the giant mound of dough, rolled into a ball, and rolled out into a round wrapper.

(the whole team. wrapper-rollers threw the rolled-out wrappers to the momo-makers, so at times the air was thick with flying dough)

One of the monks was a master momo maker, so I got him to be my momo teacher. I was not the most promising of students, but I did my best. And at the very least I don't think my momos got any worse as the night went on. I definitely need more practice...

(my momo making face)

The momo-making party went quite late into the night, especially for the monks who had gotten up at 5 (none of these monks were involved in the puja, but they are still early risers). 

(exhausted monks, post momo-making)

(a monk loading momos into a steaming tray, like a boss)

Momos managed, we all headed off to bed. Come back next time for lama dance!

The Big Puja: Lama Dance Practice

This past week was filled with a weeklong, dawn to dusk puja (prayer). Everyday the monks would rise to begin praying at 4 am, and continue (with very limited breaks, sometimes eating on their benches in the prayer halls) until as late as 7:30 pm. At the urging of several monks, I attended everyday, though never for longer than a couple of hours at a time. 

A more detailed explanation of what this puja consisted of, and its often very specific goals, can be read in the letter below.

I helped to translate it, turning a very literal translation into something that sounds more like natural English. I've helped with translation projects before, but I've never had to ask questions like "so, are you hoping for enlightenment for the formless evil spirits, or are you trying to get rid of them, like the natural disasters?" 

Some pictures were taked inside the prayer hall, and I will try and get my hands on some of those to show you guys what it consisted of (instruments! hats! cakes!). Until then, though, I have plenty to share of the events which surrounded the actual prayer.

One of these was the erection of a giant flagpole, completely covered in prayer flags. This happened simultaneously with the erection of a similar pole at the Karmapa's main monastery in Tibet.

(the pole. it took dozens of people to pull it upright, with many lay people coming from the surrounding area to help)

Although a number of laypeople came to pray during the puja, using the layperson's prayer hall at Rumtek, the big draws were the events on the final two days: a ritual dance performed by lamas of the monastery and Institute, and an empowerment ceremony by a powerful reincarnated Rimpoche ('precious person').

The day before the actual dance event, the lamas got together to practice. They wore everyday level monk finery, rather than the elaborate costumes and masks they would wear the next day, but it was still an interesting spectacle.

(the prayer hall at the monastery was dressed up for the occasion)

The outfits, including the heavy looking shoes, are apparently based on Imperial Chinese fashions. The Karmapas were historically very close to the emperors of China, and so the Kagyu lineage has an unusually high number of influences from China, especially the Imperial court.

For the day of the practice, the audience was mostly monks of the monastery and Institute, though you can see some tourists and some members of the lay community came out to watch as well.

The complex design painted on the ground in the picture below, which includes a stylized lotus flower, conch shell, and wheel of the dharma, was made to celebrate a new chanting master at the monastery. Chanting masters lead prayers, and have to memorize dozens of texts.

This post, like the dance practice itself, was just a taste of what's to come. Get ready for intricate costumes, beautiful masks, acrobatics, and peacock feather covered umbrellas! 

(Though first, because I'm going chronologically, get ready for momo making...)