Items related to Monk Dancers of Tibet

Monk Dancers of Tibet - Hardcover

Ricard, Matthieu

 
9781570629747: Monk Dancers of Tibet
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 1570629749 ISBN 13: 9781570629747
Publisher: Shambhala Publications Inc, 2003

Synopsis

In the midst of the devastation that has been wrought on their culture, the monk dancers in the Shechen monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, are devoted to preserving the sacred dances central to the Tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The dances, which originated in India and flourished for centuries in Tibet, are teaching stories—each mask, costume, movement, and gesture has a specific significance and embodies the values of Buddhism. The dances are the monks' spiritual gift to the lay community.

The origin of the sacred Buddhist dance, or cham, goes back to the ninth century, when Guru Padmasambhava introduced Buddhism to Tibet. Through the ages, the practice has been advanced by great masters whose visionary experiences enriched and enhanced the dance forms. The sacred dances were then transmitted as accurately as possible by the masters' disciples from generation to generation.

The dances are now preserved in exile in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and have been presented in the West, by the monks of Shechen and other Tibetan monasteries, in the same spirit of sharing a profound inner experience. In vivid, full-color photos and illuminating text, the well-known author and photographer Matthiew Ricard reveals the painstaking preparations for and meanings behind the dances, as well as the intriguing history of this uniquely colorful teaching practice.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Matthieu Ricard is a former scientist who gave up that life to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk. He is the Dalai Lama's interpreter in French, has translated numerous Buddhist texts, and is the author of The Quantum and the Lotus, Journey to Enlightenment, and, with Jean-François Revel, The Monk and the Philosopher.

From the Inside Flap

In the midst of the devastation that has been wrought on their culture, the monk dancers in the Shechen monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, are devoted to preserving the sacred dances central to the Tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The dances, which originated in India and flourished for centuries in Tibet, are teaching stories each mask, costume, movement, and gesture has a specific significance and embodies the values of Buddhism. The dances are the monks spiritual gift to the lay community.
The origin of the sacred Buddhist dance, or cham, goes back to the ninth century, when Guru Padmasambhava introduced Buddhism to Tibet. Through the ages, the practice has been advanced by great masters whose visionary experiences enriched and enhanced the dance forms. The sacred dances were then transmitted as accurately as possible by the masters disciples from generation to generation.
The dances are now preserved in exile in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and have been presented in the West, by the monks of Shechen and other Tibetan monasteries, in the same spirit of sharing a profound inner experience. In vivid, full-color photos and illuminating text, the well-known author and photographer Matthiew Ricard reveals the painstaking preparations for and meanings behind the dances, as well as the intriguing history of this uniquely colorful teaching practice.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Shambhala Publications Inc
Publication date
2003
Language
English
ISBN 10 
1570629749
ISBN 13 
9781570629747
Binding
Hardcover
Edition number
1
Number of pages
128