What to bring for lama dancing.....

Please wear long skirt or trousers and a top that allows easy arm movements. Comfortable flexible shoes are important. If you have or can borrow a bell and damaru, bring those. For more background, read below:

His Eminence Chagdud Rinpoche introduced Tibetan lama-dancing to his Western sangha in North America, and these practices are now continued by sanghas in North and South America. The direction and inspiration so kindly offered by Chagdud Rinpoche was followed through by Lama Sonam Tsering and Lama Jigme, who over the years spent many many hours training students, including some who went on to become instructors themselves, such as Lama Thrinley, the author of this article.

For those who will be privileged enough to receive some training from Lama Jigme, the following extracts from Lama Thrinley's article may help to explain some of the philosophy and experience involved in lama-dancing. The full article can be found in Spring 2002 edition of Windhorse, the newsletter of Chagdud Gonpa.

Extracts from "Establishing the Lama Dances in the West"

-- an article by Lama Thrinley

"When Lama Sonam taught us the dances, he did not teach on the detailed meaning of each step or any specific visualisations 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 mindstream 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, in 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 our motivation that determines the extent which we will benefit others........

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 dances  as part of a world dance presentation in Oregon. There were all types of dances adn 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 becuase it had affected her in some way....

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.....

Whenever I find myself criticizing a dancers's style or the way a costume looks, or trying to figure out who 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."