By: Todd Lewis
Introduction
An American scholar
of Buddhism, I have written many articles about Newar history and its
contemporary traditions, including the contributions of modern
Vajracarya panditas. In studies directed to Buddhists in other nations
and international scholars who concentrate on Buddhism, I often point
out how surviving Newar culture is a great and important treasure. But I
sometimes wonder if Newar Buddhists, especially those in the Kathmandu
Valley have taught historians a great deal about the development of
Buddhist art in South Asia and in Tibet. Even more precious have been
the texts copied by earlier generations of Newar scholars and preserved
in Newar viharas; these have provided one of the greatest collections of
ancient Sanskrit Buddhist (and Hindu) literature left in the world.
Along with other scholars such as John Locke and David Gellner, I have
also sought to show how the surviving traditional practices of Newar
Buddhists contribute to understanding the history of Mahayana doctrine,
rituals, and festivals.
Having
done research within the Kathmandu community for the last 15 years, I
have also seen the continuing decline of the older Mahayana tradition
and noted that Newars who regret this seem unable to change it. My paper
seeks to draw upon my long friendship with Kathmandu traditions and
studies of Buddhism in other societies to *think out loud* on how Newar
Mahayana Buddhism can find new life, adapt to the modern world, and even
contribute to the world’s betterment.
Is
Reform a Correct Buddhist Attitude? Does The Dharma Support Blindly
Following the Past? In many modern Buddhist communities - Burma,
Thailand, Japan - individuals have adapted their traditions to the
changing modern world, sometimes in ways not foreseen in the ancient
texts. Such an adaptive attitude, while it might not be reverent to
“timeworn tradition,” can still find strong support on two points
drawn from the Buddhist sutras:
-
Since
life is inherently impermanent (anitya), every community must
inevitably change and not “live in the past”; and
-
There
is very high value placed upon preserving the Dharma as a vibrant
force in the world.
Newar Buddhists
should carefully consider whether it is better to blindly hold on to
their old traditions or to make the changes needed so that their
grandchildren will still have a living culture of Mahayana Buddhism to
guide their lives. Or is it the case that the middle-age generation of
today will be the one to lose the faith of their grandfather?
Many
of the problems within the Newar Samgha are rooted in the householder
ideology that dominates the Sakya and Vajracarya castes, especially the
practice of allowing the most elderly men to be group leaders. However
much we owe respect to elders, we must also admit the truth that today
the oldest are not usually the best informed group or most highly
motivated individuals to make changes for the long-term betterment of
the Dharma. Thus, while preserving a sincere regard and ceremonial
veneration for elders, it is the younger generations of Buddhist
householders who must make both wise and decisive changes.
In
the remainder of this essay, I will discuss a two-fold strategy to
address the problem: the first is to look to elsewhere in the world to
learn how Buddhists and non-Buddhists have responded successfully to the
modern situation; the second is to begin by defining exactly what
resources Newar Buddhists possess today and how to draw upon them.
How Have Other World Traditions Been Revitalized? Answer: New
Institutions
Religious
people have always found it most effective to attempt change by acting
together, not as isolated individuals. The global record is clear that
it is only effective new institutions that have revived the traditions
of Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists. Undoubtedly, the Mahayana
Buddhists of Kathmandu must create a new institution (we’ll call it a
vihara) that will focus the energy of reform, devotional practice,
patronage, and learning. While this institution must find widespread
support in the community and attract its funds, this does not exclude
the need for a few devoted upasaka-s to get it started. The need for
institutional innovation, then, is the first point to learn from the
outside world; I’ll add other specifics below and outline a possible
structure.
Defining the
Wealth of the Buddhist Community
Let us now make an
assessment of what resources the Newar Buddhist community possesses
today and how new initiatives can utilize them. First, we can say that
the Mahayana samgha still has a group of learned men who know a vast
repertoire of rituals, meditation practices, and literature. These
include older vajracarya men but also young ones who have studied with
them and who want to continue their tradition. Moreover, the city’s
samgha-s still possesses many courtyards and shrines that contain
beautiful icons, elegant ciba: dyahs, and wood carvings. Second, there
is also a great deal of faith in the community at large. Many people
still enjoy the bajan-s, reciting dharani-s, reading avadana-s, and
talking about points of Buddhist philosophy. Third, there is a great
deal of business acumen, management wisdom, and wealth in the lay
community. These must be harnessed to figure out how to move into the
future on firm financial and institutional grounds. Back to the time of
the Buddha, upto modern Japan, Thailand, and even recently in Mainland
China. It has been wise and generous merchants who have acted to insure
the modernization of the Dharma. The success of the Digu Khyah Samiti
among the Uray of Kathmandu community regularly finds itself in the
midst of several lakhs of tourists who each year pass through the city
streets and temple courtyards. There are also several thousand resident
foreigners, many of whom are interested in Newar Buddhism. The Asian
tourist arrivals include many Buddhists and many westerners are
interested in local Buddhism. Wealthy foreigners come to Nepal depending
upon local travel agents who must entertain them. But despite tourist
interest and proximity, the local tradition benefits little from them.
What to do? I suggest that the Newar Buddhist community must become less
shy and reach out to offer the Dharma to these visitors: this is needed
both out of a Buddhist respect for them as other beings who come from
far away to have contact with the Newar triratna and also based upon the
need to elicit their financial support as patrons.
Fifth,
there are other foreign connections that Newars can draw upon. These
include new international foundations that are dedicated to the survival
of the world’s spiritual traditions; and who would welcome a chance to
support well-conceived community initiatives; and there is the
population of Newar Buddhists who are now residents in the United
States, Europe, etc. who have almost no connection with the faith back
“home” in Nepal.
The
remaining discussion will describe more specifically how to draw on
these resources. To emphasize how reform can still serve traditional
spiritual goals, it is organized with reference to the triratna.
Buddha
Visitors, like
Newars, find the Buddha in the baha-s, at Svayambhu, and in the caityas.
Almost everywhere in the world, tourists expect to give some dana to
support the sacred places they enjoy seeing, as making donations is part
of all world religions. Newar Buddhists must adopt this world standard,
and use it to benefit the Mahayana tradition. The community should
organize a system of entrance dana fees to these sites, with a large
enough charge to pay for entrance monitors. This is what Buddhists from
Thailand to Kyoto (Japan) have done to maintain their viharas.
In addition to Svayambhu, there should be a series of baha-s (The
18 Mu Bahas ?) which foreigners can enter with a pass that could be
purchased and dispensed by travel agents and by the monitors at the baha-s.
Of course, each local samgha must receive a portion of the fee to keep
its courtyard clean, restore images periodically, etc. There would
initially need to be a good map drawn showing the location of the each
baha in the group, and this would also provide some historical
information and iconographic identifications, and indicate the opening
and closing times.
Dharma
One of the most
curious features of Newar Mahayana Buddhism is how the samgha has almost
entirely abandoned its classical duty of preaching the Dharma. But today
there are fewer and fewer public sessions devoted to this activity;
furthermore, in the vratas and samskaras hat many layfolk still observe,
the guruju will usually not render the story (vratakatha) clearly or
engage the intellect of the participants by connecting the Dharma with
the rituals. It is this failure to touch the minds of the young that
especially weakens the tradition today; in all other aspects of their
lives, the young must place great emphasis on education and mastering
the intricacies of scientific knowledge. When carefully explained,
Mahayana doctrine elsewhere (Asia, Europe, and in America) has shown
that it has a powerful attraction for the young and educated. Making the
Dharma alive again, the modern vajracharya gurujus must take the
“guru” in their title seriously. I would like to make a further
proposition on Newar teachers spreading the Dharma. Again, it is based
upon modernizing by returning to the roots of the faith: all the sutras
indicate that the Buddha preached his Dharma for the good of all human
beings, sending his first disciples in the four directions to preach in
local dialects. I am not sure when, perhaps it was when caste laws were
introduced by the Malla kings, but how strange it seems that the Newar
samgha would stop acting for the benefit of all humanity, but just for
Newars alone. My suggestion is that Newars learn from the Tibetans and
the great global revival of their faith: by extending the Dharma to all
humans in the world, Tibetan Buddhism has benefited greatly. Tibetan
lamas now lead a global tradition with viharas in nearly every country
of the world. As there is no one nation, ethnic group, or caste who
“owns” the Dharma, the Newar samgha should not keep their faith to
itself any more. I suggest that Newar Buddhists seek connections with
sincere non-Newars who wish to learn about their Mahayana tradition.
The
wonderful ritual traditions of Mahayana Buddhism are found nowhere else
in the world. There are many Buddhists, including Japanese and
westerners, who would be eager to learn about and study religious art.
In addition, there are also those of other faiths, including hundreds
college exchange students who study in Nepal each year, who would find
their own spiritual understanding deepened by exploring Newar Mahayana
Buddhist beliefs and practices. And again, all these foreigners would
expect to be patrons, contributing needed funds and energy to help
revive the Newar Mahayana tradition.
Samgha
Given the current
state of the older tradition and the new initiatives needed to
revitalize Mahayana belief and practice, it is clear that only a new
institution do what is necessary. I recommend that a new vihara be
created that is dedicated to reviving learning both within the
traditional Mahayana samgha and that reaches out to the wider community.
Funded by local and outside wealth, the new vihara will support a core
of devout and learned young gurujus to study, practice, and connect
their tradition with the modern world. Its mission could include the
following: The new vihara must offer incentives for practicing
vajracaryas to retain and extend their learning about both Dharma and
ritual so as to regain the lay community’s respect. It could promote
the jajmans’ acceptance of paying sufficient dana to certified
experts, and even develop a system of subsidies to support gifted
younger vajracarya ritualists.
(*) Perhaps a new
earned title must be created by the learned Newar samgha elders, a king
of “Ph.D;” akin to the Tibetan “Geshe” that would announce an
individual’s status as master of major rituals, meditation, and the
Navadharma texts. These individuals would then earn their livelihood by
training other students in the samgha and sustain the intellectual
revival of Mahayana teaching for the years ahead.
(*) The new vihara
must convince existing groups of traditional Newar Buddhism - local
samghas, the De Acarya Guthi, officials at Svayambhu - that some
practices simply must be changed. The pass system of contributions for
entrance at major sites must win support on every level, including
finding agreement on how to implement it with the local government and
tourist authorities.
(*) I recommend that
families offering Panca Dana should direct their dana to the new vihara
and deserving scholars, not merely rewarding the first persons in line.
(*) The new vihara
could also begin a publication in Newari and English to publicize its
work.
(*) The new vihara
could organize a yearly tour by certified vajracarya master(s) who would
visit Newar Buddhist families across the United States. These expatriot
Newars have no way to fulfill their traditional Buddhist ritual duties
samskara-s, vratas etc., especially for their children, and they could
sponsor the tour. While meeting the need for these rituals, and giving
meditation instruction, this guruju as representative of the new vihara
would also raise dana funds for the institution in Kathmandu. The
Internet could be used to locate these individuals, who number in the
thousands.
(*) Through this
vihara, connections should be established with outside devotees, as
discussed above. As the vihara proved its worthiness and expanded its
programming, it would undoubtedly attract resident foreigners and others
who would come to Nepal to participate in its programs. Their dana,
along with the dana of local devotees, would build up an endowment that
would support the vihara’s growth.
How then to begin?
First, there must be a committee of respected founding directors who
will design its first programs, raise funds locally, communicate with
the prominent traditional organizations (De Acarya Guthi, etc.), and
keep strict accounts of activities and finances. In addition to
respected Vajracarya and Shakya panditas, another key figure on the
founding board of directors should include an administrative manager. To
facilitate the relationships outside the circle of Kathmandu Newars, a
foreign board of advisors, including Newars living outside Nepal, should
also be appointed who would help establish connections with devotees in
other countries, advise on organizational matters, and raise funds.
In a spirit of
friendship and concern, I have raised many suggestions on the revival of
Newar Buddhism, subjects I have discussed informally with friends in
Kathmandu over the years. To make the changes needed to revive Mahayana
Buddhism, Newars need to study the modern world and make changes in some
of the older practices. For Newar Buddhists, to reach outward offers the
punya reward of making the compassionate doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism
newly alive in modern Nepal, and the additional punya of enriching
others across the world with the enduring wisdom of Newar practice. In
the Mahayana sutras, it is often stated by the Buddha that only by
striving to save others energetically can a bodhisattva attain
Samyaksambodhi. For the Newar Mahayana community, the same challenge is
there: only by looking outward and connecting with the outside world
beyond the Himalayas can they revive their Mahayana faith. Elsewhere
Mahayana Buddhists have generated compassion (karuna), skill-in-means (upaya),
and insight (prajna) to adapt and save the Dharma: can Newar Buddhists
unite to do so?
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