Tsam is
one of the Buddhist rituals and its origination and development are inevitably
connected with Buddhist devotees and nations. In Mongolia, the tsam was
introduced at the beginning of the 18thcentury from India through
Tibet. For instance, the first tsam in Mongolia was performed in Erdenezuu
Monastery in 1786s. Tsam performance could be seen as a dance from artistic
point of view, but in depth it is a secret tantric ritual, which has very subtle
meaning. It is a religious ritual with a secret meaning and its rules and
meaning were studied by knowledgeable Buddhist monks, who reached certain
levels of realizations and they performed them by abiding by strict rules.
Tsam
dances are spectacles of sublime and mesmerizing beauty, of colour, motion and
sound that serve as public performances as well as divine offerings. Tsam
dancers meditate, pray and softly chant while performing. Their dancing is a
"meditation in action," creating a sacred space with a particular
felt mood or vibration, and is also an active prayer with a particular target.
Tsam can also be seen as a "shamanic" kind of exorcism or purification
of a given place or time – or better, a Buddhist "blessing" or
energizing-event designed to uplift and make virtuous the audience's mind. Tsam
dancers are seen to embody or "channel" the Divine beings – their
created space is that of a Deity's presence in its own transcendent palace and
grounds.
Mongolia's rich tradition of Tsam dances not only rivaled those performed in Tibet but may have in fact surpassed them in splendour, elegance and size. The Tsam costumes and masks seen in Ulaan Bataar's museums are absolutely breathtaking. His.Holiness the 8th Jetsun Dampa would often oversee an enormous Tsam dance performed for New Year celebrations that would count thousands of participants and would culminate with a carnavalesque parade through downtown Ulaan Bataar, highlighted by an Indian elephant pulling Buddha Maitreya's divine carriage.
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