In this interview I am once again joined by Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, a tantric priest in a centuries old Newari Buddhist family lineage and master of the religious dance tradition of Charya Nritya.
Prajwal Vajracharya explores the history of Newar Buddhism, a rich form of Varjayana practiced in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. Prajwal Vajracharya recounts the history of the religion, from its periods of suppression and secrecy up to its complex modern day interactions with 1960s hippies and Tibetan Buddhist refugees.
Prajwal Vajracharya details the distinctive ritual practices of Newar Buddhism, which contain cultivation practices for ten paramitas, and explains the use of sacred sounds and the alphasyllabry.
Prajwal Vajracharya also reveals distinctive mudra and mantra practices, explains the many esoteric uses of the mala prayer beads, and decodes the rich deity artwork for which the region is renowned .
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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep256-newar-buddhism-prajwal-ratna-vajracharya-2
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
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Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
01:05 - Suppression of Newar Buddhism for 800 years
03:56 - Secret family lineages
04:52 - Distinctive ritual practices of Newar Buddhism
06:23 - 10 Paramita system
09:05 - Why perform daily ritual?
09:48 - Learning to perform ritual
11:28 - The power of ritual
13:00 - Sacred sounds and the alphasyllabary
14:54 - Decoding the symbolism of sacred deity art
16:50 - Daily practice
17:34 - History of Nepal’s Buddhist textual tradition
20:08 - Buddha’s birth and past life activity in Nepal
21:56 - Lost in Tibetan translation
23:14 - Guru Rinpoche activities in Nepal
24:18 - Secret practices under Gorkha rule
25:42 - Frustrations publishing about Charya dance
26:55 - Gendun Chophel
27:55 - Lack of scholarly evidence and destruction of Buddhism in Nepal
28:49 - Modern revival
29:44 - History of the Tibetan refugee community in Nepal
31:54 - Opening to the hippies in the 60s
33:17 - Lack of interest in Newar Buddhism among Tibetan lamas in Nepal
36:03 - Sectarian rivalry and racism
39:33 - How to use a mala
40:44 - Subtle anatomy and mudra
41:08 - Elemental and energetic significance of each finger
43:38 - Mudra uses the whole body
44:44 - The 3 important mudras
46:50 - Inner mudra
47:32 - The flower mudra
48:08 - Making mudra into meditation
49:32 - A gradual path
51:18 - Future mudra discussions
51:56 - A call for more research into Newar Buddhism
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To find out more about Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, visit:
- https://www.dancemandal.com/
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
