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Inner Traditions 2002 ISBN #089281918-9 Ellen Pearlman has been a student and practitioner of Buddhism for over thirty years. It is through these studies that she became interested in Tibetan Sacred dance - an interest that we can all benefit from through the creation of this wonderful book. Tibetan Sacred Dance provides us with an arm-chair journey through the world of Tibetan life - part Buddhism, part everyday life. I was equally impressed with the text presentation and the photographs - vibrant, moving energy with a purpose. Through the words we see the background of the Tibetan Buddhist culture, through the photographs (black and white as well as full color), we see the intent displayed through song and dance. One of the first things that struck me was that Tibetan Buddhism carries within it the seeds of the ancient shamanistic Bon religious tradition that was already in Tibet when Buddhism was introduced. Bon seems to have been assimilated into the Buddhist tradition, rather than being overtaken by it. A small but interesting note. A second very interesting note was the two kinds of Tibetan dance: the Cham (or lama) dance performed by the monks, and the Achi Lhamo, or folk dance performed by and for the people. Cham serves a sacred, ritual purpose, and is used by all four of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism - Nyamgna, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug. The Achi Lhamo is performed for the people as entertainment, and to act as an oral history for retelling myths and legends. Pearlman does an excellent job of describing the instruments used to accompany the dancers and singers, as well as describing the different types of dance that are performed. The accompanying pictures are vivid and infused with the energy of life, and all of the emotions that make up life. She starts out by describing the Black Hat dance, a dance done by the monks to tell the story of Lang Darma (838 C.E.). It is used to illustrate the concept of killing for the sake of others, of thus dispelling a greater evil and saving thousands of lives. Page 11 shows a stunning picture of a Black Hat dancer wearing a Sakya style ritual hat - one can easily imagine how this dance could take your breath away! According to Pearlman, the story of Tibetan sacred dance parallels the story of Buddhism in Tibet. These sacred traditions were passed down in the oral tradition, from master to student, in the form of initiations and secret teachings. The symbolism contained in the teachings comes from both the Bon and the Buddhist traditions. The Bon followers believed in the elemental nature of life, and in the shaman that interceded for them with the spiritual world. Pearlman describes in detail the Vajrakilya, the Dance of the Three Sided Ritual Dagger. This is a dance done traditionally in seven stages, with combinations of 13, 17, 21 or 23 monks, often playing their own drum. Impurity is transformed into purity through this dance. On page 20 is an intricate, stunning color photograph of Vajra Kilya, the "Magic Dagger Deity". As with other representations in this book, I found that by taking the time to study each of the symbols and elements in the picture that I gained a greater understanding of the world of ritual and ceremony. There is another very cool dance that come under the Cham category, and that is the Skeleton Dance. The dancers are costumed as skeletons, which represent the impermenance of life. There are three major types of Skeleton Dance: those portraying protecting monsters or protectors of the cemetery, those dancers wearing masks in place of the rainbow fans and those who dance holding a stick with a red spiral shape and wearing a skull mask. On page 48 is a painting of a Kalachakra Mandala from the Dalai Lama's personal chapel, Namgyal Monastery. It is an intricate and stunning presentation of the Kalachakra, or Wheel of Time. From my personal point of view, this painting could be used as a focus for meditation all on its own. Pearlman does a great job of explaining the basics of a mandala, the four gates, and what the purpose of the mandala is. Pearlman also goes into the training of the Cham dancers - the steps, the mudras (hand gestures), the costumes and what they represent. I was interested to see how color is represented in Tibetan costumes - as it is not always the traditional energies given to color in western thought. Red represents fire, energy and power; White represents power and peace; Yellow represents earth, increase and growth; Green represents air (having limits); Blue represents space (limitless) and Black represents wrath. Interesting aside - on page 78 we see a dancer in the guise of Wrathful Protector of Cham - and it certainly does give one pause! The original purpose of Cham was to bring down blessings, banish evil forces and to spiritually empower the population in a manner that they would understand - within the context of their own culture. The second form of sacred dance is Achi Lhamo, which is the manifestation of the folk dance and operatic traditions of the Tibetan people. Here are the heroes and heroines, villains, mythical creatures and magicians. The biggest difference between the Cham dancers and the Achi Lhamo dancers is that only the Cham dancers experience a type of meditative transformation through their dancing. The fact that this is a very internal, individual experience is one reason why the Cham dances have been allowed to be viewed by western audiences - the dance itself, while sacred, is not the key - the individual spiritual transformation is, and t hat is not manifested in an outward manner. Examples of the Achi Lhamo form of dance are the story of Prince Norsang (a religious story about the life of a small kingdom in southern India); Drowa Sangmo (the story of King Kala Wangpo of Mon, which is present day northeast India); Gyalsa Bhelso (the eighteenth century story of the reign of King Songtsen Gampo); and King Gesar of Ling (an important epic warrior story). There are so many well done side bars, photographs and other graphics in this book that I recommend taking your time going through it. Stop and enjoy what you find - there is so very much knowledge here that is yours for the asking. I recommend this book for those who are interested in Tibetan culture, the Tibetan arm of Buddhism, or in sacred dance per se. It is a loving and well researched presentation of one woman's journey into this world, showing both joy in and respect for her subject.
Bonnie Cehovet
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