20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Visible and hidden in Tibetan ’chams 573greater part of monks. It means that the magic core of ’chams remainedunattainable and hidden.Contrary to Bhutan, Mongolia, Buryatia or Kalmykia, during itshistory, ’chams in Tibet had more or less strict form. As I said, ’chams’smystical nature remained unknown to Tibetan lay-people for centuries andit took much time the outward or the so-called attractive side to become abackground. But what does this outward side includes?The so-called stage which was strictly measured; ’chams masks andcostumes for different gods and characters (depending on the scenario);’chams musical instruments; ’chams special objects (like sor for example),and last but not least – dances, music, pantomimes, interludes, etc.I mentioned scenario. It is obvious that Padmasambhava did not useany scenario for his exorcism in Samye monastery. The first ’chams infact was not ’chams – it was a kind of shamanic ritual or just miracle.The first ’chams had elements which looked as they were dance steps, butvery strange dance steps. I suppose that was the reason Padmasambhava’sritual later on to be called ’chams. The above-mentioned scenario appearedafter Padmsambhava passed away and his pupils decided through ’chamsto respect him and struggle all eventual enemies of Buddhism. Theirdecision was the main reason ’chams to be canonized in Tibet and in someneighbouring countries.Canonization of ’chams relates to the whole ritual, on one hand, andto every its part, on the other hand. In Mongolia and Buryatia for examplethe order of the appearance of the masks, their costumes, the very natureof every role or dance was regulated. In every Mongolian and Buryatmonastery, one could find a special book on ’chams written in Tibetanor translated from Tibetan into Mongolian. Such a handbook contained adescription of the dances, their aim, one can say – the whole scenario ofthe procession, the text of the magical formulas or invocations, which themonks performing the gods read while dancing.In Mongolia ’chams naturally came from Tibet. For the first time itwas brought into monastery of Urga – the residence of Urga choutuchta –in 1811 (15). Later on, it spread in the rest of Mongolian monasteries. Inevery one of them, there was a special day for organizing ’chams, evena special scenario. Nevertheless everywhere in Mongolia ’chams washeld with the common purpose: to score the enemies of Buddhism andvirtue by showing them a clear existence of the earth of Buddha and toprotect the believers from all these ill-meaning creatures. Like in Tibet,Mongolian ’chams mainly consisted of divine service, the point of whichwas to pronounce magic spell against the enemies of Buddhism and to