Abstract
The Dance of the Guru's Eight Aspects	by	Cathy Cantwell
Back to Table of Contents | Back to Abstracts
Abstract - The Dance of the Guru's Eight Aspects
The Dance of the Guru's Eight Aspects (Guru mTshan brgyad 'chams) is a ritual dance which derives from the visions of the thirteenth century Tibetan master Guru Chos-dbang. Its performance at the small rNying-ma-pa monastery in Rewalsar in Himachal Pradesh is described, along with the accompanying recitations of praises. The account is put into its context as a Buddhist tantric practice by a discussion of the tradition of 'chams, the general VajrayAna principles which underlie it, and the specific tantric ritual practices performed by the monks in preparation for the dances. How interpretations of the VajrayAna imagery shed light on its meaning and the significance of the concept of ''Liberation through seeing'' are explored. This paper presents an account of a Tibetan ritual dance - 'chams - as performed at a small rNying-ma-pa monastery in Himachal Pradesh, Northern India. My purpose is not only to describe but to relate the dance to its wider historical and religious tradition and to indicate its symbolic significance.
Top of page
Back to Table of Contents | Back to Abstracts