The first time I watched the lama dances, something inside of me shifted, as the purity of their form and sounds undermined the solidity of my ordinary perception, and I remember thinking to myself, “If only I could do that.” I assumed that I would never be able to. What I didn’t know was that within two years Chagdud Rinpoche would invite Lama Sonam to Rigdzin Ling to teach us ritual dance and that I would be one of several sangha members who would learn and hold the lineage.
That was ten years ago, and looking back, it is difficult to believe what was accomplished that spring of 1992. It was soon after H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s passing into nirvana. A very elaborate drubchen was being planned that would include the traditional tenth-day lama dances that are performed in Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries throughout Tibet, Nepal, and India. After a long day of gonpa work, until it was too dark to see, about ten of us would spend our evenings in the parking lot by Tibetan Treasures learning and practicing the dances to the accompaniment of Lama Sonam cymbals. Meanwhile, allday and late into the night, lamas, artists,and seamstresses worked to prepare the elaborate costumes and masks that would be worn by the dancers. Our learning the dances was just one small part of the vast display of merit being accumulated during the drubchen preparations of that spring.
When Lama Sonam taught us the dances, he did not teach on the detailed meaning of each step or any specific visualization for us to hold while we danced.Instead, he repeatedly stressed the importance of the dancer establishing and holding very pure motivation while engaging in the practice of ritual dance.The reason motivation is so important is that lama dancing is not an ordinary form of entertainment. It is a spiritual practice that the dancer undertakes as meditation, relying on the blessings of the lineage in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering and find lasting happiness. All the gestures and music of these dances are treasures of Guru Rinpoche that have been revealed by tertons for this purpose. Each element of the costumes worn—from the colors and patterns of the silk robes, to the number of beads of the bone ornaments and the particular implement carried by the dancer—has a symbolic meaning. When combined,the dance steps, costumes, music, and songs are said to have the power to free the mindstreams of anyone who sees and hears them. If one views these dances with great faith in Guru Rinpoche and the lineage lamas, then obstacles to one’s spiritual path will dissolve naturally and the blessings of Guru Rinpoche will descend like rain.
For the dancer the point is not whether one’s outward appearance is flashy or refined. A dancer may have all the correct moves,but if her mind is engaged in such ordinary thoughts as, “How Do I look? Aren’t I good?” and so on, then the impact for those watching the dance is not as powerful; in fact, it can actually turn someone away from the dharma rather than toward it. But if the motivation of the dancer is bodhicitta—the heartfelt wish that all beings be freed from suffering—then their ability to benefit those who watch the dance will be far greater. As with any of the spiritual practices we undertake, it is really your motivation that determines the extent to which we will benefit others.
One of the dancers tells a story about her experience of this. She used to worry alot about how she looked before she would dance the Jinbeb, trying to get her makeup and hair just right, and then worrying constantly about how her steps looked as she was dancing. But one drubchen her dog,to whom she was very close, got quite ill.When she was asked to dance that night,she didn’t feel her usual attachment todancing but only agreed to because no one else could. She dressed hastily, forgetting the makeup. When she danced, all she could think about was her dog. When the dance was over, Lama Sonam, who is not known for praising dancers, came up to her and told her that her dancing had been beautiful. And at that point she got it—she understood for the first time how important selfless motivation is in the dance.
Although we usually only dance within the context of a formal practice such as the drubchen, on a few occasions we have demonstrated the dances in public. Once We danced as part of a world dance presentation in Oregon. There Are all types of dances and people there, but I remember one woman in particular. She was a very serious jazz dancer who came up to us at the end and said, “There is something very different about what you are doing when you dance compared to what we are doing.” She really wanted to figure it out because it has affected her in some way.
In Brazil, the national T.V. stations often ask to film the dances at Khadro Ling. Although it lends an almost theatrical elementto the dance when you have to dodge reporters and watch for camera lenses, I believe there is some benefit to people seeing the images of the dancers flash across the screen during the evening news; it provides some connection. When the dances are performed in public situations, the impact may not be as strong, but they still have the power to affect people by turning their minds toward the dharma, touching people who would not otherwise connect with it.
In Tibet, even if lay people were unable to participate in Vajrayana practices, they would attend the day-long dance ceremonies. They believed in the power of the dances to remove obstacles and bestow blessings upon those witnessing them.
As in other aspects of spiritual practice, the blessings of the dance can manifest in surprising and often humorous ways. Most Of the experienced dancers have horror stories of hats or masks falling off, robes and shoes coming undone, or hearing the audience laughing at them. Yet for those of us that this has happened to—at least for those who dared to dance again—the experience is an absolute blessing. You learn that whatever else happens, if you can keep your motivation pure and selfless, the impact of your dance can benefit beings. Rather than there being a sense of “me” or “my” when we dance, we ride the blessings of the lineage, freed of any sense of self. If we can do this much, these blessings are quite palpable.
One drubchen, which was attended by Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, I was dancing the Jinbeb with four other dancers in front of the mandala in the shrine room. This is a dance that I have done innumerable times, but as we finished the main steps and began the exit, I looked out at Namkha Rinpoche and my mind went totally blank. I stopped dancing—which we tell dancers never to do. I looked around at the other dancers; I could not think, but rather than feeling embarrassed, I felt a great wash of blessings in having had my concepts temporarily dissolve.
A few years ago, when I watched the video of us dancing that first year, I was surprised at how unpolished and awkwardour movements looked, because that hadn’t been my experience at the time. The costumes and masks were so splendid that outwardly there was a feeling of grandeur beyond ordinary reality.Inwardly, there were the blessings of the lama, who perceived or unrefined gestures so purely that he was able to convince us we could dance. I remember how as we dressed for the BlackHat dance that first time, Rinpoche came into the dressing room to tie on our hats: it was as if he were empowering us to do the dance as he did so.
Whenever I find myself criticizing a dancer’s style or the way a costume looks, or trying to figure out who it is behind a mask, it reminds me that I have missed the point of the Vajrayana—that all of this is pure from the beginning—the display of Guru Rinpoche’s pure land.
It isn’t necessary to learn these ritual dances in order to practice the Vajrayana fully. They require a considerable amount of both effort and time, but the dances can enhance whatever other practice one does and are a powerful method for accumulating both merit and wisdom.
Through Chagdud Rinpoche’s vision, ritual dances that originated in the high plateaus of Asia have now been established in the mountains of western North America and the hills of southern Brazil. This tradition has now become a part of Chagdud Gonpa Drubchen and includes dances from the lineages of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, Padgyal Lingpa, and H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche. A number of purely motivated and gifted dancers on both continents have taken on these lineages and are holding them.It now appears that the lineage of the dance will be carried well into the future.
By Lama Trinley
The first time I watched the lama dances, something inside of me shifted, as the purity of their form and sounds undermined the solidity of my ordinary perception, and I remember thinking to myself, “If only I could do that.” I assumed that I would never be able to. What I didn’t know was that within two years Chagdud Rinpoche would invite Lama Sonam to Rigdzin Ling to teach us ritual dance and that I would be one of several sangha members who would learn and hold the lineage.
That was ten years ago, and looking back, it is difficult to believe what was accomplished that spring of 1992. It was soon after H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s passing into nirvana. A very elaborate drubchen was being planned that would include the traditional tenth-day lama dances that are performed in Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries throughout Tibet, Nepal, and India. After a long day of gonpa work, until it was too dark to see, about ten of us would spend our evenings in the parking lot by Tibetan Treasures learning and practicing the dances to the accompaniment of Lama Sonam cymbals. Meanwhile, allday and late into the night, lamas, artists,and seamstresses worked to prepare the elaborate costumes and masks that would be worn by the dancers. Our learning the dances was just one small part of the vast display of merit being accumulated during the drubchen preparations of that spring.
When Lama Sonam taught us the dances, he did not teach on the detailed meaning of each step or any specific visualization for us to hold while we danced.Instead, he repeatedly stressed the importance of the dancer establishing and holding very pure motivation while engaging in the practice of ritual dance.The reason motivation is so important is that lama dancing is not an ordinary form of entertainment. It is a spiritual practice that the dancer undertakes as meditation, relying on the blessings of the lineage in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering and find lasting happiness. All the gestures and music of these dances are treasures of Guru Rinpoche that have been revealed by tertons for this purpose. Each element of the costumes worn—from the colors and patterns of the silk robes, to the number of beads of the bone ornaments and the particular implement carried by the dancer—has a symbolic meaning. When combined,the dance steps, costumes, music, and songs are said to have the power to free the mindstreams of anyone who sees and hears them. If one views these dances with great faith in Guru Rinpoche and the lineage lamas, then obstacles to one’s spiritual path will dissolve naturally and the blessings of Guru Rinpoche will descend like rain.
For the dancer the point is not whether one’s outward appearance is flashy or refined. A dancer may have all the correct moves,but if her mind is engaged in such ordinary thoughts as, “How Do I look? Aren’t I good?” and so on, then the impact for those watching the dance is not as powerful; in fact, it can actually turn someone away from the dharma rather than toward it. But if the motivation of the dancer is bodhicitta—the heartfelt wish that all beings be freed from suffering—then their ability to benefit those who watch the dance will be far greater. As with any of the spiritual practices we undertake, it is really your motivation that determines the extent to which we will benefit others.
One of the dancers tells a story about her experience of this. She used to worry alot about how she looked before she would dance the Jinbeb, trying to get her makeup and hair just right, and then worrying constantly about how her steps looked as she was dancing. But one drubchen her dog,to whom she was very close, got quite ill.When she was asked to dance that night,she didn’t feel her usual attachment todancing but only agreed to because no one else could. She dressed hastily, forgetting the makeup. When she danced, all she could think about was her dog. When the dance was over, Lama Sonam, who is not known for praising dancers, came up to her and told her that her dancing had been beautiful. And at that point she got it—she understood for the first time how important selfless motivation is in the dance.
Although we usually only dance within the context of a formal practice such as the drubchen, on a few occasions we have demonstrated the dances in public. Once We danced as part of a world dance presentation in Oregon. There Are all types of dances and people there, but I remember one woman in particular. She was a very serious jazz dancer who came up to us at the end and said, “There is something very different about what you are doing when you dance compared to what we are doing.” She really wanted to figure it out because it has affected her in some way.
In Brazil, the national T.V. stations often ask to film the dances at Khadro Ling. Although it lends an almost theatrical elementto the dance when you have to dodge reporters and watch for camera lenses, I believe there is some benefit to people seeing the images of the dancers flash across the screen during the evening news; it provides some connection. When the dances are performed in public situations, the impact may not be as strong, but they still have the power to affect people by turning their minds toward the dharma, touching people who would not otherwise connect with it.
In Tibet, even if lay people were unable to participate in Vajrayana practices, they would attend the day-long dance ceremonies. They believed in the power of the dances to remove obstacles and bestow blessings upon those witnessing them.
As in other aspects of spiritual practice, the blessings of the dance can manifest in surprising and often humorous ways. Most Of the experienced dancers have horror stories of hats or masks falling off, robes and shoes coming undone, or hearing the audience laughing at them. Yet for those of us that this has happened to—at least for those who dared to dance again—the experience is an absolute blessing. You learn that whatever else happens, if you can keep your motivation pure and selfless, the impact of your dance can benefit beings. Rather than there being a sense of “me” or “my” when we dance, we ride the blessings of the lineage, freed of any sense of self. If we can do this much, these blessings are quite palpable.
One drubchen, which was attended by Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, I was dancing the Jinbeb with four other dancers in front of the mandala in the shrine room. This is a dance that I have done innumerable times, but as we finished the main steps and began the exit, I looked out at Namkha Rinpoche and my mind went totally blank. I stopped dancing—which we tell dancers never to do. I looked around at the other dancers; I could not think, but rather than feeling embarrassed, I felt a great wash of blessings in having had my concepts temporarily dissolve.
A few years ago, when I watched the video of us dancing that first year, I was surprised at how unpolished and awkwardour movements looked, because that hadn’t been my experience at the time. The costumes and masks were so splendid that outwardly there was a feeling of grandeur beyond ordinary reality.Inwardly, there were the blessings of the lama, who perceived or unrefined gestures so purely that he was able to convince us we could dance. I remember how as we dressed for the BlackHat dance that first time, Rinpoche came into the dressing room to tie on our hats: it was as if he were empowering us to do the dance as he did so.
Whenever I find myself criticizing a dancer’s style or the way a costume looks, or trying to figure out who it is behind a mask, it reminds me that I have missed the point of the Vajrayana—that all of this is pure from the beginning—the display of Guru Rinpoche’s pure land.
It isn’t necessary to learn these ritual dances in order to practice the Vajrayana fully. They require a considerable amount of both effort and time, but the dances can enhance whatever other practice one does and are a powerful method for accumulating both merit and wisdom.
Through Chagdud Rinpoche’s vision, ritual dances that originated in the high plateaus of Asia have now been established in the mountains of western North America and the hills of southern Brazil. This tradition has now become a part of Chagdud Gonpa Drubchen and includes dances from the lineages of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, Padgyal Lingpa, and H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche. A number of purely motivated and gifted dancers on both continents have taken on these lineages and are holding them.It now appears that the lineage of the dance will be carried well into the future.
By Lama Trinley
The first time I watched the lama dances, something inside of me shifted, as the purity of their form and sounds undermined the solidity of my ordinary perception, and I remember thinking to myself, “If only I could do that.” I assumed that I would never be able to. What I didn’t know was that within two years Chagdud Rinpoche would invite Lama Sonam to Rigdzin Ling to teach us ritual dance and that I would be one of several sangha members who would learn and hold the lineage.
That was ten years ago, and looking back, it is difficult to believe what was accomplished that spring of 1992. It was soon after H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s passing into nirvana. A very elaborate drubchen was being planned that would include the traditional tenth-day lama dances that are performed in Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries throughout Tibet, Nepal, and India. After a long day of gonpa work, until it was too dark to see, about ten of us would spend our evenings in the parking lot by Tibetan Treasures learning and practicing the dances to the accompaniment of Lama Sonam cymbals. Meanwhile, allday and late into the night, lamas, artists,and seamstresses worked to prepare the elaborate costumes and masks that would be worn by the dancers. Our learning the dances was just one small part of the vast display of merit being accumulated during the drubchen preparations of that spring.
When Lama Sonam taught us the dances, he did not teach on the detailed meaning of each step or any specific visualization for us to hold while we danced.Instead, he repeatedly stressed the importance of the dancer establishing and holding very pure motivation while engaging in the practice of ritual dance.The reason motivation is so important is that lama dancing is not an ordinary form of entertainment. It is a spiritual practice that the dancer undertakes as meditation, relying on the blessings of the lineage in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering and find lasting happiness. All the gestures and music of these dances are treasures of Guru Rinpoche that have been revealed by tertons for this purpose. Each element of the costumes worn—from the colors and patterns of the silk robes, to the number of beads of the bone ornaments and the particular implement carried by the dancer—has a symbolic meaning. When combined,the dance steps, costumes, music, and songs are said to have the power to free the mindstreams of anyone who sees and hears them. If one views these dances with great faith in Guru Rinpoche and the lineage lamas, then obstacles to one’s spiritual path will dissolve naturally and the blessings of Guru Rinpoche will descend like rain.
For the dancer the point is not whether one’s outward appearance is flashy or refined. A dancer may have all the correct moves,but if her mind is engaged in such ordinary thoughts as, “How Do I look? Aren’t I good?” and so on, then the impact for those watching the dance is not as powerful; in fact, it can actually turn someone away from the dharma rather than toward it. But if the motivation of the dancer is bodhicitta—the heartfelt wish that all beings be freed from suffering—then their ability to benefit those who watch the dance will be far greater. As with any of the spiritual practices we undertake, it is really your motivation that determines the extent to which we will benefit others.
One of the dancers tells a story about her experience of this. She used to worry alot about how she looked before she would dance the Jinbeb, trying to get her makeup and hair just right, and then worrying constantly about how her steps looked as she was dancing. But one drubchen her dog,to whom she was very close, got quite ill.When she was asked to dance that night,she didn’t feel her usual attachment todancing but only agreed to because no one else could. She dressed hastily, forgetting the makeup. When she danced, all she could think about was her dog. When the dance was over, Lama Sonam, who is not known for praising dancers, came up to her and told her that her dancing had been beautiful. And at that point she got it—she understood for the first time how important selfless motivation is in the dance.
Although we usually only dance within the context of a formal practice such as the drubchen, on a few occasions we have demonstrated the dances in public. Once We danced as part of a world dance presentation in Oregon. There Are all types of dances and people there, but I remember one woman in particular. She was a very serious jazz dancer who came up to us at the end and said, “There is something very different about what you are doing when you dance compared to what we are doing.” She really wanted to figure it out because it has affected her in some way.
In Brazil, the national T.V. stations often ask to film the dances at Khadro Ling. Although it lends an almost theatrical elementto the dance when you have to dodge reporters and watch for camera lenses, I believe there is some benefit to people seeing the images of the dancers flash across the screen during the evening news; it provides some connection. When the dances are performed in public situations, the impact may not be as strong, but they still have the power to affect people by turning their minds toward the dharma, touching people who would not otherwise connect with it.
In Tibet, even if lay people were unable to participate in Vajrayana practices, they would attend the day-long dance ceremonies. They believed in the power of the dances to remove obstacles and bestow blessings upon those witnessing them.
As in other aspects of spiritual practice, the blessings of the dance can manifest in surprising and often humorous ways. Most Of the experienced dancers have horror stories of hats or masks falling off, robes and shoes coming undone, or hearing the audience laughing at them. Yet for those of us that this has happened to—at least for those who dared to dance again—the experience is an absolute blessing. You learn that whatever else happens, if you can keep your motivation pure and selfless, the impact of your dance can benefit beings. Rather than there being a sense of “me” or “my” when we dance, we ride the blessings of the lineage, freed of any sense of self. If we can do this much, these blessings are quite palpable.
One drubchen, which was attended by Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, I was dancing the Jinbeb with four other dancers in front of the mandala in the shrine room. This is a dance that I have done innumerable times, but as we finished the main steps and began the exit, I looked out at Namkha Rinpoche and my mind went totally blank. I stopped dancing—which we tell dancers never to do. I looked around at the other dancers; I could not think, but rather than feeling embarrassed, I felt a great wash of blessings in having had my concepts temporarily dissolve.
A few years ago, when I watched the video of us dancing that first year, I was surprised at how unpolished and awkwardour movements looked, because that hadn’t been my experience at the time. The costumes and masks were so splendid that outwardly there was a feeling of grandeur beyond ordinary reality.Inwardly, there were the blessings of the lama, who perceived or unrefined gestures so purely that he was able to convince us we could dance. I remember how as we dressed for the BlackHat dance that first time, Rinpoche came into the dressing room to tie on our hats: it was as if he were empowering us to do the dance as he did so.
Whenever I find myself criticizing a dancer’s style or the way a costume looks, or trying to figure out who it is behind a mask, it reminds me that I have missed the point of the Vajrayana—that all of this is pure from the beginning—the display of Guru Rinpoche’s pure land.
It isn’t necessary to learn these ritual dances in order to practice the Vajrayana fully. They require a considerable amount of both effort and time, but the dances can enhance whatever other practice one does and are a powerful method for accumulating both merit and wisdom.
Through Chagdud Rinpoche’s vision, ritual dances that originated in the high plateaus of Asia have now been established in the mountains of western North America and the hills of southern Brazil. This tradition has now become a part of Chagdud Gonpa Drubchen and includes dances from the lineages of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, Padgyal Lingpa, and H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche. A number of purely motivated and gifted dancers on both continents have taken on these lineages and are holding them.It now appears that the lineage of the dance will be carried well into the future.
By Lama Trinley
The first time I watched the lama dances, something inside of me shifted, as the purity of their form and sounds undermined the solidity of my ordinary perception, and I remember thinking to myself, “If only I could do that.” I assumed that I would never be able to. What I didn’t know was that within two years Chagdud Rinpoche would invite Lama Sonam to Rigdzin Ling to teach us ritual dance and that I would be one of several sangha members who would learn and hold the lineage.
That was ten years ago, and looking back, it is difficult to believe what was accomplished that spring of 1992. It was soon after H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s passing into nirvana. A very elaborate drubchen was being planned that would include the traditional tenth-day lama dances that are performed in Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries throughout Tibet, Nepal, and India. After a long day of gonpa work, until it was too dark to see, about ten of us would spend our evenings in the parking lot by Tibetan Treasures learning and practicing the dances to the accompaniment of Lama Sonam cymbals. Meanwhile, allday and late into the night, lamas, artists,and seamstresses worked to prepare the elaborate costumes and masks that would be worn by the dancers. Our learning the dances was just one small part of the vast display of merit being accumulated during the drubchen preparations of that spring.
When Lama Sonam taught us the dances, he did not teach on the detailed meaning of each step or any specific visualization for us to hold while we danced.Instead, he repeatedly stressed the importance of the dancer establishing and holding very pure motivation while engaging in the practice of ritual dance.The reason motivation is so important is that lama dancing is not an ordinary form of entertainment. It is a spiritual practice that the dancer undertakes as meditation, relying on the blessings of the lineage in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering and find lasting happiness. All the gestures and music of these dances are treasures of Guru Rinpoche that have been revealed by tertons for this purpose. Each element of the costumes worn—from the colors and patterns of the silk robes, to the number of beads of the bone ornaments and the particular implement carried by the dancer—has a symbolic meaning. When combined,the dance steps, costumes, music, and songs are said to have the power to free the mindstreams of anyone who sees and hears them. If one views these dances with great faith in Guru Rinpoche and the lineage lamas, then obstacles to one’s spiritual path will dissolve naturally and the blessings of Guru Rinpoche will descend like rain.
For the dancer the point is not whether one’s outward appearance is flashy or refined. A dancer may have all the correct moves,but if her mind is engaged in such ordinary thoughts as, “How Do I look? Aren’t I good?” and so on, then the impact for those watching the dance is not as powerful; in fact, it can actually turn someone away from the dharma rather than toward it. But if the motivation of the dancer is bodhicitta—the heartfelt wish that all beings be freed from suffering—then their ability to benefit those who watch the dance will be far greater. As with any of the spiritual practices we undertake, it is really your motivation that determines the extent to which we will benefit others.
One of the dancers tells a story about her experience of this. She used to worry alot about how she looked before she would dance the Jinbeb, trying to get her makeup and hair just right, and then worrying constantly about how her steps looked as she was dancing. But one drubchen her dog,to whom she was very close, got quite ill.When she was asked to dance that night,she didn’t feel her usual attachment todancing but only agreed to because no one else could. She dressed hastily, forgetting the makeup. When she danced, all she could think about was her dog. When the dance was over, Lama Sonam, who is not known for praising dancers, came up to her and told her that her dancing had been beautiful. And at that point she got it—she understood for the first time how important selfless motivation is in the dance.
Although we usually only dance within the context of a formal practice such as the drubchen, on a few occasions we have demonstrated the dances in public. Once We danced as part of a world dance presentation in Oregon. There Are all types of dances and people there, but I remember one woman in particular. She was a very serious jazz dancer who came up to us at the end and said, “There is something very different about what you are doing when you dance compared to what we are doing.” She really wanted to figure it out because it has affected her in some way.
In Brazil, the national T.V. stations often ask to film the dances at Khadro Ling. Although it lends an almost theatrical elementto the dance when you have to dodge reporters and watch for camera lenses, I believe there is some benefit to people seeing the images of the dancers flash across the screen during the evening news; it provides some connection. When the dances are performed in public situations, the impact may not be as strong, but they still have the power to affect people by turning their minds toward the dharma, touching people who would not otherwise connect with it.
In Tibet, even if lay people were unable to participate in Vajrayana practices, they would attend the day-long dance ceremonies. They believed in the power of the dances to remove obstacles and bestow blessings upon those witnessing them.
As in other aspects of spiritual practice, the blessings of the dance can manifest in surprising and often humorous ways. Most Of the experienced dancers have horror stories of hats or masks falling off, robes and shoes coming undone, or hearing the audience laughing at them. Yet for those of us that this has happened to—at least for those who dared to dance again—the experience is an absolute blessing. You learn that whatever else happens, if you can keep your motivation pure and selfless, the impact of your dance can benefit beings. Rather than there being a sense of “me” or “my” when we dance, we ride the blessings of the lineage, freed of any sense of self. If we can do this much, these blessings are quite palpable.
One drubchen, which was attended by Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, I was dancing the Jinbeb with four other dancers in front of the mandala in the shrine room. This is a dance that I have done innumerable times, but as we finished the main steps and began the exit, I looked out at Namkha Rinpoche and my mind went totally blank. I stopped dancing—which we tell dancers never to do. I looked around at the other dancers; I could not think, but rather than feeling embarrassed, I felt a great wash of blessings in having had my concepts temporarily dissolve.
A few years ago, when I watched the video of us dancing that first year, I was surprised at how unpolished and awkwardour movements looked, because that hadn’t been my experience at the time. The costumes and masks were so splendid that outwardly there was a feeling of grandeur beyond ordinary reality.Inwardly, there were the blessings of the lama, who perceived or unrefined gestures so purely that he was able to convince us we could dance. I remember how as we dressed for the BlackHat dance that first time, Rinpoche came into the dressing room to tie on our hats: it was as if he were empowering us to do the dance as he did so.
Whenever I find myself criticizing a dancer’s style or the way a costume looks, or trying to figure out who it is behind a mask, it reminds me that I have missed the point of the Vajrayana—that all of this is pure from the beginning—the display of Guru Rinpoche’s pure land.
It isn’t necessary to learn these ritual dances in order to practice the Vajrayana fully. They require a considerable amount of both effort and time, but the dances can enhance whatever other practice one does and are a powerful method for accumulating both merit and wisdom.
Through Chagdud Rinpoche’s vision, ritual dances that originated in the high plateaus of Asia have now been established in the mountains of western North America and the hills of southern Brazil. This tradition has now become a part of Chagdud Gonpa Drubchen and includes dances from the lineages of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, Padgyal Lingpa, and H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche. A number of purely motivated and gifted dancers on both continents have taken on these lineages and are holding them.It now appears that the lineage of the dance will be carried well into the future.
By Lama Trinley
The first time I watched the lama dances, something inside of me shifted, as the purity of their form and sounds undermined the solidity of my ordinary perception, and I remember thinking to myself, “If only I could do that.” I assumed that I would never be able to. What I didn’t know was that within two years Chagdud Rinpoche would invite Lama Sonam to Rigdzin Ling to teach us ritual dance and that I would be one of several sangha members who would learn and hold the lineage.
That was ten years ago, and looking back, it is difficult to believe what was accomplished that spring of 1992. It was soon after H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s passing into nirvana. A very elaborate drubchen was being planned that would include the traditional tenth-day lama dances that are performed in Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries throughout Tibet, Nepal, and India. After a long day of gonpa work, until it was too dark to see, about ten of us would spend our evenings in the parking lot by Tibetan Treasures learning and practicing the dances to the accompaniment of Lama Sonam cymbals. Meanwhile, allday and late into the night, lamas, artists,and seamstresses worked to prepare the elaborate costumes and masks that would be worn by the dancers. Our learning the dances was just one small part of the vast display of merit being accumulated during the drubchen preparations of that spring.
When Lama Sonam taught us the dances, he did not teach on the detailed meaning of each step or any specific visualization for us to hold while we danced.Instead, he repeatedly stressed the importance of the dancer establishing and holding very pure motivation while engaging in the practice of ritual dance.The reason motivation is so important is that lama dancing is not an ordinary form of entertainment. It is a spiritual practice that the dancer undertakes as meditation, relying on the blessings of the lineage in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering and find lasting happiness. All the gestures and music of these dances are treasures of Guru Rinpoche that have been revealed by tertons for this purpose. Each element of the costumes worn—from the colors and patterns of the silk robes, to the number of beads of the bone ornaments and the particular implement carried by the dancer—has a symbolic meaning. When combined,the dance steps, costumes, music, and songs are said to have the power to free the mindstreams of anyone who sees and hears them. If one views these dances with great faith in Guru Rinpoche and the lineage lamas, then obstacles to one’s spiritual path will dissolve naturally and the blessings of Guru Rinpoche will descend like rain.
For the dancer the point is not whether one’s outward appearance is flashy or refined. A dancer may have all the correct moves,but if her mind is engaged in such ordinary thoughts as, “How Do I look? Aren’t I good?” and so on, then the impact for those watching the dance is not as powerful; in fact, it can actually turn someone away from the dharma rather than toward it. But if the motivation of the dancer is bodhicitta—the heartfelt wish that all beings be freed from suffering—then their ability to benefit those who watch the dance will be far greater. As with any of the spiritual practices we undertake, it is really your motivation that determines the extent to which we will benefit others.
One of the dancers tells a story about her experience of this. She used to worry alot about how she looked before she would dance the Jinbeb, trying to get her makeup and hair just right, and then worrying constantly about how her steps looked as she was dancing. But one drubchen her dog,to whom she was very close, got quite ill.When she was asked to dance that night,she didn’t feel her usual attachment todancing but only agreed to because no one else could. She dressed hastily, forgetting the makeup. When she danced, all she could think about was her dog. When the dance was over, Lama Sonam, who is not known for praising dancers, came up to her and told her that her dancing had been beautiful. And at that point she got it—she understood for the first time how important selfless motivation is in the dance.
Although we usually only dance within the context of a formal practice such as the drubchen, on a few occasions we have demonstrated the dances in public. Once We danced as part of a world dance presentation in Oregon. There Are all types of dances and people there, but I remember one woman in particular. She was a very serious jazz dancer who came up to us at the end and said, “There is something very different about what you are doing when you dance compared to what we are doing.” She really wanted to figure it out because it has affected her in some way.
In Brazil, the national T.V. stations often ask to film the dances at Khadro Ling. Although it lends an almost theatrical elementto the dance when you have to dodge reporters and watch for camera lenses, I believe there is some benefit to people seeing the images of the dancers flash across the screen during the evening news; it provides some connection. When the dances are performed in public situations, the impact may not be as strong, but they still have the power to affect people by turning their minds toward the dharma, touching people who would not otherwise connect with it.
In Tibet, even if lay people were unable to participate in Vajrayana practices, they would attend the day-long dance ceremonies. They believed in the power of the dances to remove obstacles and bestow blessings upon those witnessing them.
As in other aspects of spiritual practice, the blessings of the dance can manifest in surprising and often humorous ways. Most Of the experienced dancers have horror stories of hats or masks falling off, robes and shoes coming undone, or hearing the audience laughing at them. Yet for those of us that this has happened to—at least for those who dared to dance again—the experience is an absolute blessing. You learn that whatever else happens, if you can keep your motivation pure and selfless, the impact of your dance can benefit beings. Rather than there being a sense of “me” or “my” when we dance, we ride the blessings of the lineage, freed of any sense of self. If we can do this much, these blessings are quite palpable.
One drubchen, which was attended by Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, I was dancing the Jinbeb with four other dancers in front of the mandala in the shrine room. This is a dance that I have done innumerable times, but as we finished the main steps and began the exit, I looked out at Namkha Rinpoche and my mind went totally blank. I stopped dancing—which we tell dancers never to do. I looked around at the other dancers; I could not think, but rather than feeling embarrassed, I felt a great wash of blessings in having had my concepts temporarily dissolve.
A few years ago, when I watched the video of us dancing that first year, I was surprised at how unpolished and awkwardour movements looked, because that hadn’t been my experience at the time. The costumes and masks were so splendid that outwardly there was a feeling of grandeur beyond ordinary reality.Inwardly, there were the blessings of the lama, who perceived or unrefined gestures so purely that he was able to convince us we could dance. I remember how as we dressed for the BlackHat dance that first time, Rinpoche came into the dressing room to tie on our hats: it was as if he were empowering us to do the dance as he did so.
Whenever I find myself criticizing a dancer’s style or the way a costume looks, or trying to figure out who it is behind a mask, it reminds me that I have missed the point of the Vajrayana—that all of this is pure from the beginning—the display of Guru Rinpoche’s pure land.
It isn’t necessary to learn these ritual dances in order to practice the Vajrayana fully. They require a considerable amount of both effort and time, but the dances can enhance whatever other practice one does and are a powerful method for accumulating both merit and wisdom.
Through Chagdud Rinpoche’s vision, ritual dances that originated in the high plateaus of Asia have now been established in the mountains of western North America and the hills of southern Brazil. This tradition has now become a part of Chagdud Gonpa Drubchen and includes dances from the lineages of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, Padgyal Lingpa, and H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche. A number of purely motivated and gifted dancers on both continents have taken on these lineages and are holding them.It now appears that the lineage of the dance will be carried well into the future.
By Lama Trinley
