Ep256: Newar Buddhism - Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya 2

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 . … 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: - For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James