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A form of Buddhist dance that existed on the Indian
sub-continent more than a thousand years ago, has returned after
being preserved in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet.
In the lush green
countryside of Mysore State, in Karnataka, there is a Tibetan colony
where several Buddhist monasteries have been developed closely
resembling those in their native homeland. One of these, known as the
Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery has, since its inception in the early
1960’s grown to become a village in its own right. In fact, it
is essentially a college of Buddhist studies and young monks from all
over India and the world come here to study and practice their
religion.
There is not just this
one Tibetan temple here but four while a fifth, said to be one of the
largest in the world, is under construction. Their Abbot is Penor
Rinpoche, a highly trained monk from Tibet who, assisted by various
other monks, some known as Khenpo (truly learned), look after the few
hundred monks in his care. Their time is not only spent studying such
subjects as languages and Buddhist philosophy but also in practicing
the rituals of their religion and looking after the monastery with
its various needs. Funding comes from the faithful not just in the
Tibetan community but also from abroad where sponsors include wealthy
Chinese disciples from Hong Kong and the Hollywood star, Stephen
Segal.
The four temples that can
be seen at present are in themselves works of art. They contain many
statues and paintings which serve to awaken the memory of the
founders of the order. Initially, this was Padmasambhava who came to
Tibet from India in the eighth century, a little over a thousands
years ago.
During his years in
India, prior to his journey to the high mountain land of Tibet in the
north, Padmasambhava stayed for some time in the kingdom of Zahor.
This was in eastern India and historians are not sure exactly where
except that the kingdom was probably in what is now Bengal. Its
people were some of the most exceptionally gifted spiritually if
accounts are accurate and among the mystical arts practiced was
dance. This might sound strange to an adherent of the more
disciplined southern school of Buddhism, known as the Hinayana, but
to those of the northern school, any genuine form of artistic
expression could become a means to enlightenment. Buddha is regarded
as having experienced dance and shared it with his disciples.
Around this time, there
are said to have been three teachers of dance, one of them a
princess, the others both male. Padmasambhava must have been a good
student for not only did he learn the dances, he also taught them to
the Tibetan people who remember and practice them to this day,
although it is likely they have developed them with the passing of
the centuries. The dances are not regarded as entertainment but
rather religious ceremonies. They form part of an extensive series of
religious rituals and prayer that every year is performed by the
monks of Namdroling Monastery. The first of these is a dance
performed in both the morning and the afternoon to the sound of
chanting monks whose deep throated voices add a further mystical
dimensions to the scene. The dancers wear round flat-topped hats made
of metal and painted black; on their top, is stuck a peacock feather
which has been considered an object of meditation for thousands of
years. Around the feather is a gilded design of painted metal
portraying lacking flames while there is a sun and moon attached to
the cup shaped base from which flow brightly coloured scarves that
hang down the back of the monk dancer. The group makes slow
movements, gesturing with their arms and carefully moving their feet.
The dance may seen monotonous, and in a sense it is, but the chanting
evokes both the peaceful and later the wrathful aspects of the
Buddha’s nature, allowing those present to momentarily gain a
little experience of it. You can not have the good without the bad
and, for the Buddhist, they amount to the same ultimately, being a
duality that requires transcendence.
The next dance is not
held until over a week later. This time, a group of 16 dancers come
out clothed in beautiful garments, which make much use of silk
brocade and the Chinese influence here is unmistakable. One cannot
see the dancer’s faces since these are covered by locks of thin
black hair that falls down in front of them. In their left hand is a
bell, rung occasionally, while in the right hand is a curiously
shaped object known as a dorjay and considered to represent a
thunderbolt. They slowly move around in a circle as the chant master
utters monosyllabic sounds; with their hands and arms they make
gestures and perform similar actions with their feet and legs.
The next day sees the
last of these archetypal series of movements. A golden masked figure
appears and starts to dance; after awhile, others of this deity’s
retinue join him so that there are in all 25 of these dancers moving
around the courtyard. In the centre of the state, a small figurine
has been placed and the central figure starts to make gestures over
it, initially with a dagger and then a sword with which he cuts up
the prostrate form. This is the climax of the proceedings in which
the false identity man has of a separate self, is symbolically
dissolved into a more universal view. There is still more dancing and
this time, the dancers form a line, one end of which leads to the
centre of the stage, the other to the exist one by one, the figures
dance out.
All the while, robed
monks have been grouped around the courtyard and on the next day,
that of the full moon, they become the centre of a grand spectacle
which involves almost all the members of the monastery. Four mandala
designs are made in the main courtyard over which pyres are
constructed. Then the assembly start to enter, forming circles as
they move around to take their place. A fire ceremony gets underway.
Soon the rest of the monks appear, encircling those already present.
Some carry banners while they walk around, coming to a stop only when
all have found a place to sit. From a balcony, the Abbot looks down,
directing those less experienced.
It is a fitting end to
days of ceremonial activities, of chanting in the temples and even
the classrooms, for many different prayers go on simultaneously. It
is difficult not to be touched by such an occasion. Eventually the
monks finish their prayers and file out of the courtyard, their
celebrations over for another year although their many rituals
continues unabated. In the afternoon, there is a special blessing for
the many that have gathered.
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