Mani Rimdu

Mani Rimdu is a 19-day sequence of sacred ceremonies and empowerments culminating in a public festival lasting for three days. It is an opportunity for Sherpa and Tibetans to gather and celebrate together with the monastic community.

Mani Rimdu is a re-creation of legendary events; the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet by the great saint Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). Through the dances, symbolic demons are conquered, dispelled, or converted to Dharma Protectors, as positive forces clash with those of chaos. The dances convey Buddhist teaching on many levels from the simplest to the most profound.

The monks who perform the dances, first take vows at an empowerment ceremony with Trulshig Rinpoche. During the dances they become deities, rather than ordinary people. Because the dances are regarded as sacred, they can only be performed in the context of Mani Rimdu, and not for ordinary entertainment. Trulshig Rinpoche explains, “seeing Mani Rimdu is like receiving a blessing”.