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 .

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep256-newar-buddhism-prajwal-ratna-vajracharya-2

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

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

…

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