Following is the sequence of dances in
Wangduephodrang festival :
 Day one : Dances by the monks
Dance of the Lord of Death and his Consort (Shinje
Yabyum)
Costume : Brocade long dress, buffalo masks
The Bodhisattva Manjusri (Jampelyang)
represents the body of wisdom of all the Buddhas. When he takes the
appearance of the terrifying Lord of Death, he becomes the Lord (Je) of the
Death (Shin) and thus is called Shinje. Being the Lord of Death, he is also
the ruler of the Three Worlds which he protects. His wrathful buffalo face
guards the four continents and blesses them before the arrival on earth of
the God of Wisdom.
The Dance of the Four Stag (Shacham)
Costume : knee-length
skirts, dear masks
Long ago when Ugyen Rimpoche was in this world, he
subdued the King of the Wind (also the Lord of the North/West direction) who
created much unhappiness in this world through his great power, by making
the sentient beings and word tremble. Ugyen Rimpoche rode the stag, which
happened to be the mount of the God of the Wind, when he subdued the earth
and he appeased all beings by establishing peace and happiness.
As a blessing, the first of the incarnation of Nam
Nying (Namkhe Nyingpo) who was Guru’s disciple, found the effigy of the face
of a stag and so the dance of the White stag came into being. During this
dance, the gratitude of the pious people is demonstrated to all the beings
destined to be converted in the future. After all the allegations of the
world have been overcome, happiness and peace will reign supreme.
Dance of the 21 Black Hats (Shana)
Costume : Large black hat, felt boots, colourful brocade long dress, no mask
The Black Hat dancers assume the appearance of yogis
who have the power of killing and recreating life. In order to lead to the
field of Buddha beings who cannot be led by peaceful means, they subdue
these enemies of the Doctrine through their external compassionate anger but
internally they have an accomplished peaceful mind. They have the appearance
of Tantrists who are good to beings through terrifying but really
accomplished acts such as killing and expelling bad spirits. By the wisdom
of their knowledge, the five poisonous sins disappeared in the sphere of
emptiness.
This dance can also be referred to as ‘Gar’ dance. It
is derived from the different traditions of the Tantras (texts of Northern
buddhism). They say that with the help of gods who have meditated deeply
upon the mantras (sacred formulas), the ‘Gar’ which are the gestures of the
dancers’ hands are transformed into mudras (sacred mystic gestures) and
their feet which pound the earth are forming a mandala (mystic geometric
figure).
The Black Hat Dancers who perform the ritual for the
earth firstly build a tantric mandala and then cut the demons into pieces.
Thus, they take possession of the earth in order to further protect it and
they dance the thunderbolt step to impress their power on it (The
thunderbolt step is a particular step in the religious dances).
Dance of the 21 Black Hats with Drums (Shana
Nga Cham)
Then when the Black Hat dancers have destroyed the
malevolent enemies who persecuted the beings and the Buddhists, they beat
the great drums of Buddhism. The sound of the drums represents the religion
itself which cannot be represented in any other way because it has no
visible form.
Dance of the Three Kinds of Ging (with sticks,
with swords, with drums) (Peling Ging Sum)
Costume : The Ging are wearing knee-length
skirts. For the dance with the sticks, they are wearing animal masks. For
the dance with the drums, and for the dance with the swords, they are
wearing colourful terrifying masks.
At Wangduephodrang, the demon Nyulema (vernacular :
Yulim) wears a yellow mask and appears with atsaras before the dance. The
origin of the happiness of all beings in the three worlds is the religion of
Buddha. To propagate this religion in the world, one must listen to the
teachings, then practice thinking and meditating in the places of
meditation. Any kinds of demons, human or non-human, who are creating
obstacles to the doctrine and who have no fast powers and bad thoughts are
called Jyungpo Nyulema. There are many means by way of magical formulas to
subdue these malevolent spirits. On this subject, the great ‘Treasure
Discoverer’, Pemalingpa, when he went to Zangtho Pelri, saw the dance of the
Three Kinds of ‘Ging’ who are emanations of Ugyen Rimpoche. This was the
blessing which explained how to subdue the demons Nyulema by magic. The deep
teachings of these dances appeared to Pemalingpa.
Thus, although all the demons Nyulema who are
creating obstacles to the religion are fleeing anywhere in the Three Worlds,
the Ging with sticks can find them, thanks to their knowledge. They catch
them with the hook of compassion, beat them with the stick of wisdom and tie
them with the noose of compassion.
The Ging with the Swords purify the atmosphere
from such bad deeds as robbery, killing or the separation of one’s self from
one’s tutelary (Yidam) which are caused by the Nyulemas. The Ging
with the swords send their minds in the paradise of pure consciousness,
while they use as sacrificial offerings their body of flesh and blood.
After these demons have been vanquished, the Ging
with the drums, dance with happiness. They beat the drums of the
religion which is thus propagated.
This dance is performed to bring good luck and wish
happiness to all living beings. These dances are considered as blessings and
in all the countries, they are connected with religious ceremonies. Those
who master the practice of the two degrees of meditation must explain the
doctrine. Then when the visions have been explained, when the merit which is
represented by the devotion for the assembly of Gods has been attained and
when all sorts of black demons have been suppressed, the White Gods are
victorious and the doctrine of Lord Buddha is propagated and thus for all
living beings, joy and happiness arise.
Kyecham (accompaniment dance)
Costume : knee-length yellow skirt, bare-feet,
animal mask sword in the right hand
When King Norzang left for the north, the protectors
of the religion, guardians of the doctrine and the assembly of the King’s
tutelary deities becomes his armed companions, thanks to their various
magical powers and they openly accompanied him to war.
This is the classical explanation of this dance from
whence it takes its name. However, there is another explanation which is
closely related to the popular explanation of Phole Mole, the following
dance. Kyecham and Phole Mole are inter-related.
The son of an old man and a pretty girl got married.
They seemed to be a compatible couple, but during a fight he cut off her
nose. First their love was so great, that they could not be separated but
then they got attracted by somebody else because mind and body are not
constant. This is a universal law which says that there is no real substance
in the worldly components. Many people behave like this and bring upon
themselves suffering in this life and in one to come.
Dance of the nobleman and the Ladies (Phole
Mole)
Once upon a time, in a Kingdom called Nadem in the
North of India, there was a king called Norzang who had five hundred queens.
One day, the son of a hunter received a favour for saving the life force of
a serpent deity: he could borrow from this deity the noose which brings
anything. With it he caught the very beautiful daughter of King Driza,
called Yudrongma, who was so pretty that no girls compare with her. He
offered her to King Norzang who became passionately attached to her. When
the king stopped looking at all other queens, they could not bear it so they
asked Hari, the sacrificator , how to kill Yidrogma. Hari, by black magic,
caused King Norzang’s father to be disturbed by a dream which was in the
form of prophecy. This prophecy said that the father and son had enemies,
savage men from the north and that if they did not find a way of subduing
these enemies immediately far away from the Kingdom, it will be too late and
the kingdom will be destroyed. Then, following his father’s command, King
Norzang was to leave for the north but his wife Yidrogma was not happy and
she begged him to take her with him. The King explained to her in details
that he could not take a woman while going to war in a far country but that
his heart which was attached to her, was sad. Yidrogma as a souvenir, gave
him her ring, one of her clothes and the white silk which covered her head.
Then, he left for North and conquered the foreign enemies. Afterwards, he
returned to his country and defeated all his internal opponents. In the mean
time, Yidrogma had fled, through her magical power, to her father for fear
of being killed, while the King was away. The King welcomed her back and
once again she came to the human world where she lived happily with King
Norzang.
This is he classical explanation of the Dance of
Phole Mole, taken from the biography of King Norzang. Here is the
explanation of what really happens in this dance which is more a comical and
very crude play than a dance :
The two actors are princes, two princesses and old
couple and the clowns. The two princes are going to war and are leaving the
two princesses in the care of the old couple. As soon as they depart, the
clowns try to frolic with princesses and corrupt the old women who is also
behaving quite badly. When they return, the princes are scandalised by the
behavior of the princesses and cut off their noses as a punishment. The old
woman also has her noose cut off. Then a doctor is called to put the noses
back but the old woman smells so much that he has to use a stick because he
does not want to approach here. Finally the princes marry the princesses and
everybody is reconciled.
Dance of the Stag and the Hounds (Shawa Shachi)
Long ago, Jetsun Milarepa (1040-1123) was deeply
meditating in a hermitage called Nyichangkurta on the border between Nepal
and Tibet, when he heard a man shouting and dog barking. He went out of his
cave and saw a red haired stag who was sweating from all over his body and
was trembling with fear. Because of his great compassion, Milarepa sang a
religious song and the stag having forgotten his fear laid down on the right
of the Lama. Chasing the stag, a red dog arrived running as fast as
lightening and full of fiery wrath. For the dog also, Milarepa sang a
religious song and immediately he allayed the temper and the passion of the
dog. The dog laid down on the left of Lama and here were both the stag and
the dog, lying down like mother and son. Following the dog, a hunter called
Gonpo Dorji arrived. He was a frightening, fierce and strong man, carrying a
bow and arrows. When he saw Milarepa, the stag and the dog, he became
enraged. He told Milarepa, ‘you protect the stag and the dog, let us see if
you can protect yourself from this arrow’, and bow broke into pieces, the
string of the bow was cut and the arrow was turned against himself. Gonpo
Dorji, your arrow is returned, now listen to my song’. As Milarepa was
singing, a violent regret for whatever actions he had done before was born
in him and he confessed his bad deeds. He promised to take an oath not to
sin again, he practiced the religion and attained full realization.
This dance is generally performed like a play in two
parts. The first part takes place the first day while the second part is on
the second day of the Wangduephodrang Tshechu. Usually, there are two dogs
and not just one like in the above story. The first part is quite comical;
the hunter’s servant appears first and jokes with the clowns. Then comes the
hunter crowned with leafed and carrying a bow and arrows. He is accompanied
by his two dog. These dancers are wearing knee-length yellow skirts and dog
masks. The servant jokes very irrespectfully with his master who, before
going hunting must perform some good-luck ritual. The priest who is called,
performs the ritual in ways contrary to the Buddhist tradition, while the
atsaras and the servant go on with their jokes.
The second part is more serious and bears religious
connotations.
Milarepa appears, wearing a long white dress, white
hat and holding a pilgrim’s staff. Cupping his right ear with one hand, he
sings in soft and plaintive voice. The two dogs, the stag and the hunter,
one after other, arrive at the spot and are instantly won over by the songs.
Their conversion is symbolized by a stretched rope over which the dogs and
the hunter jump. This part exhibits some fine acrobatics.
Day Two
Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds (Durdag)
Costume : white skull masks, short shirts and
boots
There are eight large cremation grounds at the
periphery of the symbolic mandala where the assembly of secret tantric
deities reside. In these grounds, dwell numerous beings who are bound by
oath to protect the religion (Chhokyong). Among them are the Lords of the
Cremation Grounds. True to the oath they have taken, these lords subjugate
demonic enemies who violate the doctrine. They offer their vanquished foes
to the gods of the Mandala who reduce them to a mere name.
Dance of the Terrifying Deities (Tungam)
Costume : beautiful brocade dresses, boots
and terrifying masks
This spectacular and dramatic dance symbolises the
liberation by death of those who can not led to the path of the Buddha
through peaceful means. The core of the dance depicts the sacrificial
killing.
First, the dancers representing the gods circle the
bad spirits and ensnare them in a box. Then the main god, who holds the
phurba (the ritual dagger), kills them. He thus saves the world from
them and at the same time delivers them into salvation. This is the only way
by which the men and the asuras (half-gods) who become enemies of
Buddhism, can be converted.
Hence, Ugyen Rimpoche, who is the emanation of all
the Buddhas, took the form of Dorje Dragpa, ‘Fierce Thunderbolt’ to
liberate such bad spirits and usher them into the superior sphere of bliss.
This incredible feat brought happiness o the human world and helped increase
faith in non-illusionary acts.
Dance of the Raksha from the monastery of Dole
(Dole Raksha Cham)
Costume : The Raksha has a black mask with
horns and a yellow skirt.
The 4th temporal ruler of Bhutan, Tenzing
Rabgye (1680-1695) wished to do good to his subjects of Shar, Wang and They.
Therefore, he ordered a bridge to be made on the Wangdue river by a mason
named Dragpa from the village of Rinchengang. In 1685, this builder along
with the people of Shar, Wang and They began the construction of the bridge
but what the men built during day time, the demons destroyed at night. As
the bridge could not be completed, the men wondered what to do. The 2nd
Je Khenpo, Seunam Oezer (1672-1689) who was at that time residing in
Wangduephodrang Dzong, had a dream, one night a black man appeared and told
him, ‘the bridge can not be completed now because the demons are creating
obstacles. To find a solution to this problem, a new dance which had never
been shown here before has to be performed, you will invite everyone to see
it. At the time demons will also come to see it and their attention will be
turned away from the bridge. After you have established the middle pillar of
the bridge in the water, you will immediately perform the consecration. In
this way the demons will not be able to do any more harm.’ Then the Je
Khenpo remembered that during the construction of Wangduephodrang Dzong
there had been a prophecy given by Yeshy Gompo to the Shabdrung. The Je
Khenpo realised that this was also a prophecy from Yeshy Gompo. Immediately,
he sent messengers to fetch the dancers, masks and costumes from the
monastery of Dole. When the dances were performed in the Dzong, many
villagers came to see the festival and the water-deity of Wangdue bridge
also came with his retinue of demons. As their attention was turned away
from the river, the pillar of the bridge was built in the water and the
consecration was at once performed by Je Khenpo. At the moment, in the
Dzong, all the other dancers were finished but the Raksha dancer as if he
was agitated by the protectors of the religion (Chhokyong), did not enter
the dancers’ dressing room, and went on performing alone number of dances
such as Bja Cham, Teucham, Gyucham, Kansi, Gosi, until the work on the
bridge was completed. Once the construction of the bridge was completed, he
disappeared without a trace. By the time, the villagers dispersed and demons
went back to their places, the construction was over, the construction
ceremony was finished and the demons were powerless. That is how the order
of the 4th temporal ruler, Tenzing Rabgye was carried out and the
bridge with three points of support built by the mason Dragpa was completed.
For the happiness of the Bhutanese people and in
order to prevent the earth and water deities from doing any mischief, one
mandala (diagram) dedicated to the Buddha Mitrupa (Akshobya) was placed in
the middle of the bridge.
 Dance of the Rakshas and the Judgement of the Dead (Raksha Mangcham)
This is based on the Bardo Thoedrol (Book of
the Dead), a text hidden by Guru Rimpoche and rediscovered Karma Lingpa in
the 14th century. This is one of the most important dances of the
tshechu and is watched carefully by many old people in preparation for their
own death.
When all beings, die, they wander in the Bardo
(intermediate state) waiting to be led by the love of the Buddha into the
pure fields where no suffering exists. However, the Buddhas assume both
peaceful and terrifying forms. Those who didn’t adore the Buddhist doctrine
do not recognize the Buddhism in their terrifying form and are frightened
and can not be led into the paradises.
Shinje Chhogyel, Lord of Death, estimates the value
of the white and black deeds during the judgement. Also present are the
White God and Black Demon who live with every being from birth, and all the
helpers who emanate under numerous forms. These include; the ox-headed
justice minister, the wild hog-headed helper who takes account of the black
and white deeds, the Khyung-headed bird who holds a small sword to cut the
root of the three poisons (ignorance, envy, anger) and a big hammer to
destroy the rocky mountains of sins, a lion-headed helper holds a lasso
representing love and an iron chain representing compassion, the fierce
bear-headed helper holds the magical noose binding the means and wisdom
together and a saw to cut selfishness, a serpent-headed helper holds a
mirror reflecting all actions, and the monkey-headed helper weighs them on a
scale.
All these helpers are called rakshas and they
separate the black actions from the white actions of all beings. The
frightening Court of Justice cannot be avoided by the damned beings. But
after enduring certain sufferings, their sins are washed away and they are
purified. This dance shows everyone that if they devote themselves to
virtuous actions, they will be sent immediately to the pure fields and
paradises. Then after life, when they have to cross the Bardo and meet the
helpers and the assembly of peaceful and terrifying deities, they recognize
them as incarnations of Buddha and are delivered from the frightening Bardo.
The dance is like a play and lasts over two hours.
First is the long dance of all the rakshas, the helpers of Shinje. Then
Shinje himself appears, symbolised by a huge puppet holding a mirror. The
White God and the Black Demon enter with them. The judgement begins. The
Black Demon and his helpers perform a dance. The sinner, dressed in black
and wearing a red hat, is frightened and tries to escape but is recaptured
each time. From his basket a freshly severed cow’s head is taken, implying
that the sinner was responsible for killing it. As the judge weighs his
actions, the White God sings of the merits of the man and the Black Demon
expounds the sins. Finally a black strip of cloth symbolising the road to
hell is spread and the sinner is sent to hell.
After a general dance everyone sits again. Another
man arrives, clad in white and holding a prayer flag and a ceremonial scarf.
The same scene is re-enacted and at the conclusion a white strip of cloth,
symbolising the road to heaven, is deployed. Fairies elaborately dressed in
brocade and bone-ornaments come to fetch him. At the last moment, the Black
Demon, furious at having lost a being, tries to grasp the virtuous man but
the White God protects him.
Dance of the Drums from Dramitse (Dramitse Nga
Cham)
Costume : animal masks and knee-length yellow
skirt, big drums and curved drum sticks
The name is derived from the place in Eastern Bhutan
where the nun-daughter of Pedmalingpa, Choiten Zangmo, meditated in the 15th
century. Her brother, the learned Lama Kunga Gyeltshen, not only saw Guru
Rimpoche several times and heard his teachings but also visited the
celestial abode, Zangtho Pelri.
While there, the attendants of Guru Rimpoche took on
the form of a hundred peaceful and terrifying deities. Wielding a big drum
in one hand and the curved drumstick in the other, they performed a dance
that left a lasting impression upon Lama Kunga Gyeltshen.
On his return to Dramitse, the lama established the
tradition of the dance he witnessed, to complement other drum dances
composed by the ancient Discoverers of Treasures like Sangye Lingpa and
Ugyen Lingpa.
In the heaven of Zangtho Pelri where reside beings
with accumulated merit, the dancers are decorated with splendid jewels. The
mere sight of the dance is enough to vanquish black demons and allow the
white gods to reign supreme. Men and Gods are happy and gain Buddhahood, the
ultimate objective.
Shawa Shachhi - Lencham : Dance of the Stag
and the Hounds (IInd part)
In the first part of this dance (Day 2, No. 13) the
saint Milarepa encounters the stag and the hunter and his dogs in hot
pursuit. This part depicts the conversion of the hunter, Gonpo Dorji, to
Buddhism.
When Gonpo Dorji arrives at the spot where Milarepa
has his dogs and the stag seated peacefully on either side, he thinks the
sage has cast a spell on the animals. Gonpo Dorji, who is fierce, strong and
frightening in appearance, is enraged at the sight. Saying, ‘you protect the
stag and the dog, let us see if you can protect yourself from this arrow’,
he lets fly a poisonous arrow.
In the next instant, Gonpo Dorji’s bow shatters, the
bow string snaps and the arrow turns towards himself. Gonpo Dorji cannot
believe what he sees until Milarepa tells him: ‘Gonpo Dorji, your arrow is
returned, now listen to my song’.
As the song wafts through the forest, Gonpo Dorji is
filled with deep remorse for his past actions and confesses his bad deeds.
He promises never to sin again and becomes a practitioner never to sin again
and becomes a practitioner of the religion. In time he attained full
realism.
Day Three
At dawn, the ‘Thongdrol’, the thangka which brings
liberation by sight is displayed till approximately 8 A.M. A religious
ceremony called ‘Shugdel’ is performed by monk body of Wangduephodrang
Dzong. The Royal Troupe of Masks and Folk Dances performs also in front of
the thangkaa dance called ‘Religious Dance with Guitar’ (Dranyen Choeshey).
Afterwards, the thangka is rolled and folded and is kept out of sight in the
Dzong until the next festival.
The ‘Thongdrol’ is a huge wall-hanging, a thangka’
which brings liberation ‘Drol’ be seeing it.
The ‘Thongdrol’ of Wangduephodrang is beautifully
made and represents the eight manifestation of Guru Rimpoche. It was
completed and shown first time in 1984.
The display starts at dawn and the monk-body perform
‘Shugdel’, a blessing and offering ceremony which takes place when five
elements are joined together : an accomplished place, i.e., Bhutan, an
accomplished master, i.e., Guru Rimpoche, an accomplished retinue, i.e., the
monk-body, an accomplished time, i.e., when religion flourishes,
accomplished offerings, i.e., fruit, flower, tea, incense, food etc.
All the official and the public go next to the
‘Thongdrol’ and touch it with their head, thus receiving a blessing. Later a
dance is performed in front of it by the Royal troupe in the 17th
century costumes : the Dance with Guitar.
Dance with Guitar (Dranyen Cham)
Costume : elaborate and heavy woolen clothes
(traditional felt boots, long black skirt, brown coat) sword and circular
head-dress. They are holding a guitar called ‘Dranyen’.
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who is the reincarnation of
Ugyen Rimpoche and of Thuje Chenpo brought under his control, according to a
prophecy of Ugyen Rimpoche, this large Southern Land of Four Approaches (an
ancient name of Bhutan) and he blessed it. He protects his subjects like
sons by the heavy golden yoke of civil law. As, if he was crushing them
under his feet, he conquered many foreign enemies and he was victorious in
all directions.
He built marvelous temples and places and made
beautiful chortens, statues and religious books, supports of the faith. He
imposed very strict rules upon the newly established monk-body which forms
the base of the doctrine and also upon the tantric college which is the
essence of doctrine. He supported like the Three Jewels the admirable
community of the monks who practice together the moral training; to listen,
to think, to explain, to understand and to meditate the basic texts which
are contained in the Three baskets (the Buddhist Canon), essence of the
Buddha’s doctrine.
The generous donors who give offerings to the gods
and gifts to the people believe in the result of their actions. Because of
the power of their generosity, monks and laymen will be happy in this life
and the life to come. This dance of the guitar is performed in a cheerful
state of mind during the festival.
Dance of the Heroes (Pachem)
Costume : knee-length yellow skirt and golden
crown. The dancers hold a small bell (drilbu) and a small drum (Damaru).
The great ‘Treasure-Discover’ Pemalingpa arrived in
the presence of Ugyen Rimpoche, at the summit of the Zangtho Pelri, in the
middle of a marvelous palace of lotus beams which reflected the wisdom large
and deep as the sky, without obstacles. There he saw Ugyen Rimpoche, the
Lord who leads the beings of the three worlds, sitting among his
assistantsin the centre of a limitless mandala which was made of lines of
rainbow beams. In the mandala, the assembly of the sages, of the tutelary
deities, of the heroes (Pawos) and the heroines (Kandom Pamo) were dancing
in the forms of various emanations of the peaceful and terrifying deities.
All sorts of dances were performed and all sorts of harmonious melodies
which are the sounds of the religion of the Great Path (Northern branch of
Buddhism) were sung. Among this congregation, the assembly of the peaceful
heroes and heroines is the most important. They are as numerous as the
moving clouds in order to celebrate the deep and large religion and their
function is to lead the believers who die into the presence of Ugyen
Rimpoche.
Dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds (Durdag)
Costume : white skull masks, short shirts and
boots
There are eight large cremation grounds at the
periphery of the symbolic mandala where the assembly of secret tantric
deities reside. In these grounds, dwell numerous beings who are bound by
oath to protect the religion (Chhokyong). Among them are the Lords of the
Cremation Grounds. True to the oath they have taken, these lords subjugate
demonic enemies who violate the doctrine. They offer their vanquished foes
to the gods of the Mandala who reduce them to a mere name.
Dance of the Ging and Tsholing
Costume : The Tsholing wear long colourful
dresses and terrifying masks. The Ging wear orange skirts, terrifying black
and orange masks with a flag on top, and hold a big drum and a curved
drumstick.
On the occasion of the consecration of the Samye
Monastery in Tibet, Guru Rimpoche initiated this dance to show the people of
Tibet the Zangtho Pelri, his realm.
The dance depicsts the paradise of Ugyen Rimpoche
from where all the incarnations of Ugyen Rimpoche, essence of all the Budhas,
are sent to the Three Worlds. In the middle of a great palace is seated
Ugyen Rimpoche. On his right the holy men are Tibet and India are seated in
a row and on his left the learned men (Pandits) from Tibet and India. In all
the intermediate zones are the 108 ‘Treasure Discoverers’ (terton) who are
his incarnations, and also his twenty five disciples, including the king of
Tibet Trisongdetsen.
In the centre of a rainbow, the assembly of tutelary
deities (Yidam), heroes (pawos) and fairies (Kandoms), peaceful and
terrifying, as if by magic, sing, dance and spread from the clouds three
kinds of offerings. It is these offerings that grant both the ordinary and
extraordinary realisation.
All the protectors of the religion, male and female,
in their fierce form, are guarding the four outer dooars while the four
Guardian Kings of the directions command an army of eight classes of
spirits. These subdue all the demons who create obstacles to the Doctrine of
Buddha. All these wonders have been personally observed by the ‘Treasure
Discoverer’ Pemalinga.
Besides, a long time ago in Tibet, in order to
introduce Buddhism, King Trisongdetsen built a large monastery in Samye.
Ugyen Rimpoche, by showing hi magical powers through incarnations, subdued
all the demons who were preventing its construction. Thus he fulfilled a
religious commitment to the King.
These incarnations are manifested in the Ging and
Tsholing Dance: the inner dance called the Ging Dance is performed by the
assembly of heroes (Pawos), tutelary deities (Yidams) and fairies (Hansoms)
as well as the various terrifying deities. The outer dance called Tsholing
Dance, is performed by the protectors of the religion with their retinue of
eight classes of spirits. This dance, which brings blessings, is performed
in order to remove all obstacles to the Doctrine as well as to bring
happiness to all sentient beings. When the Ging and Tsholing performed this
miraculous and agitated dance, they discourage the external demons and
demonstrate clearly their magical powers by which they can overcome the
demons.
This dance is clearly a dance of purification before
the arrival of Guru Rimpoche. People whistle to chase away the bad spirits
and Ging hit everyone on the head with their drumsticks to chase away
impurity from the body.
The Tsholing, after having destroyed the evil spirits
symbolized by an effigy in a black box, are chased away by the Ging who stay
alone and perform a dance of victory by beating their drums.
Dance of the Eight Manifestation of Guru Rimpoche
(Gguru Tshen Gye)
The eight different forms that Guru Rimpoche assumed
in order to convert different kinds of beings into Buddhism are represented
in this dance.
Ugyen Rimpoche is the second Buddha and the
incarnations of Avalokiteshvara (Thugje Chenpo), Lord of Compassion. When he
was born the son of a poultry farmer, he vowed to guide all beings of the
world, particularly those of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. That was why he came
to these regions. When Buddha was about to enter Nirvana, he prophesized to
his disciples: ‘Don’t be sad, I will be coming from the West’. Thus he
reappeared as Ugyen Rimpoche.
When the 100,000 fairies of wisdom were begging the
Buddhas of the 10 directions to send somebody to guide all being, this was
discussed at length and then all the virtues of their body, speech and mind
were summed up in Ugyen Rimpoche. He came in order to guide he beings who
live in the age of impurity.
His activities are beyond description, However, here
is how he helped the beings of this continent through his eight
manifestations :
He was born from a blue lotus on the lake of Danakosha in
Oddhyana and was invited to become the son of King Indrabhuti. Then he was
called Guru Tshokye Dorji, ‘Diamond Thunderbolt’ born from a lake’.
He renounced his kingdom and went to receive teachings from
the Master Prabhati in the Maratika cave in Nepal. Then he was called Guru
Shakya Senge., ‘The Lion of the Shakya clan’.
After listening to all the teachings of the Vajrayana, ‘The
Diamond Path’ and after mastering the sciences of all Indian Pandits, he
obtained full realization and was able to see all the gods and tutelary
deities (yidam). The he was called Guru Loden Chogsey, ‘Guru’ who wants to
acquire supreme knowledge.
After the marriage with the daughter of the King of Zahor, he
was condemned to be burnt by the King. Through his magical powers, he turned
the pyre into a lake and converted the kingdom to Buddhism. The he was
called Guru Padmasambhava, the one ‘born from a lotus’.
When he returned to Oddhyana, the evil chiefs there wanted to
burn him. But the fire would not consume his body. So the chiefs offered him
the kingdom and its subjects. Then he was called Guru Pema Gyelpo, the
‘Lotus King’.
When he was preaching to the fairies (Khandoms) in the eight
cremation grounds, he caught the ‘life force’ of the evil deities and turned
them into protectors of the doctrine. Then he was called Nyma Yeoser, the
‘Sunbeam’.
As five hundred heretic Masters were trying to destroy the
Doctrine of Buddha, he vanquished them all through the power of his words.
He brought down the thunderbolt which burned them. He was then called Senge
Dradrok, ‘the one who speaks with a lion voice’.
When he was at Senge Dzong in Kurtoe and at Taktsang in Paro,
he was in the form of Dorje Dragpo, the ‘Terrifying Thunderbolt’. He subdued
all the evil spirits who hindered Buddhism and blessed them as guardians of
the Doctrine. He was then called Guru Dorji Drolo, the ‘thunderbolt’.
The fairy who is standing on the right of Guru
Rimpoche is Mandarava, the lady of wisdom. Ugyen Rimpoche made her his own
emanation for the benefit of the beings to be converted in the Kingdom of
Zahor.
The fairy who is standing at his left is Yeshy
Tshogyel. She represents the goddess of knowledge, mother of all the Buddhas.
She helped to establish Buddhism in Tibet for the benefit of all beings.
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