From the time Buddhism entered the mythical land of the snows, Tibetans have expressed their spiritual devotion and celebrated their culture with dance. This book--lavishly illustrated with color and rare historic photographs depicting the dances, costumes, and masks--is the first to explore the significance and symbolism of the sacred and secular ritual dances of Tibetan Buddhism.

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.

In January 2000, two Ambassador taxis twisted their way up the narrow road leading towards Dharamsala in the Himalayan foothills of northern India - the home-in-exile of the Dalai Lama. In one taxi was a fourteen-year-old boy, the 17th Karmapa, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism. The boy's arrival in Dharamsala was the culmination of an extraordinary escape which had brought him 900 miles across the Himalayas, in conditions of high danger, from the monastery in Tibet where he had lived since he was seven years old. Fascinated by this charismatic young figure, Mick Brown travelled to Dharamsala to meet him, and found himself drawn into the labyrinthine - not to say surreal - web of intrigue surrounding the 17th Karmapa's recognition and young life.

Achieve balance, connect to Spirit, and tap into the sacred power of dance with 365 daily movement meditations. Throughout human history, people all over the world have recognized dance as an age-old yet timeless connection to Spirit. In celebration, to mark moments of change, and in times of despair, dance has been used to seek the Divine, connect with the Earth, and call into being the sacred energy we each possess within ourselves. In Sacred Dance Meditations, Carla Walter, PhD, offers readers 365 dances--one for every day--rooted in traditions from around the globe. From Polynesia to Peru, each dance is different in origin and technique but connected in common purpose: as sacred conduits for hope, love, connection, community, and spirituality. Walter provides a theme each new day, drawn from mystical and spiritual principles that originate from pre-colonial religious traditions. Descriptions, video links, accessibility modifications, and invitations for deeper reflection allow the reader to engage their Spirit fully with the sacred power of dance, carrying it in their heart as they move throughout each day. Readers who want a more active style of meditative practice will discover powerful regenerative healing and a new way to awaken. Broken up day by day and month by month, Sacred Dance Meditations makes it simple and gratifying to practice each day's dance and fulfill its intended theme. Readers can begin at any "point of entry" section, and work their way throughout the year with a time commitment of just ten to twenty minutes a day. Importantly, each dance is designed to supplement any existing (or non-existent) religious or spiritual practice, allowing all to tap into the Divine through the spirit of dance.

A first-hand description of the Mani Rimdu festival of Tibet and Nepal, an event which encapsulates the Himalayan Buddhist experience.

Both Buddhism and dance invite the practitioner into present-moment embodiment. The rise of Western Buddhism, sacred dance and dance/movement therapy, along with the mindfulness meditation boom, has created opportunities for Buddhism to inform dance aesthetics and for Buddhist practice to be shaped by dance. This collection of new essays documents the innovative work being done at the intersection of Buddhism and dance. The contributors--scholars, choreographers and Buddhist masters--discuss movement, performance, ritual and theory, among other topics. The final section provides a variety of guided practices.