Bhutanese dancers take culture on tour to save monastery

Tucked away in the majestic, commanding presence of the Himalayas, the oldest Buddhist monastery sits overlooking the beautiful countryside of Bhutan, the last intact Buddhist country in the world. But after 500 years, the walls of the Gangteng Monastery are crumbling.

The future of the monastery lies in the hands of his Holiness, Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche, the ninth Gangteng Tulku to own the monastery. So in 1996, he initiated a program to save the monastery through the traditional dances of Vajrayana Buddhism, hoping to raise money by spreading the message of happiness across the globe.

Tonight, the Pema Lingpa Treasure Dances grace the stage of the Music Recital Hall, spreading the peace and happiness that is said to touch all who witness them.

The group will be performing dances that were developed in the eighth century by Padmasambhava, the Indian saint who established Buddhism in Bhutan and Tibet. The dances, which are performed in religious ceremonies to this day, were developed further by Pema Lingpa in the 15th century.

Many of the traditional dances portray legendary tales of heroes and heroines, the conquest of wicked demons and the inner conflicts of personal spirit.

Tshewang Wangchuk, a wildlife biology student from Bhutan, welcomed the group to Missoula, cooking a traditional Bhutanese dinner for them when they arrived last night.

“They’ve been on the road for some time,” Wangchuk said.

In their 2007 North American Tour, the group has traveled through Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico and finally to Helena, Mont. The long months of dancing in different venues across the United States are sure to have them missing the comforts of home, Wangchuk said.

“We feel they would be missing their chilies,” Wangchuk said.

A small scorching-hot chili pepper native to Bhutan also grows well in Missoula, but the warmth in the room wasn’t solely generated from the cuisine. The members of the group huddled in cozy circles, winking as they passed to make any stranger feel welcome.

Shauna Ianson, the tour coordinator, took a moment over dinner to explain the way in which these people make gross national happiness their primary goal.

“It is about learning how to be together harmoniously,” she said.

A few years back, the Bhutanese government acquired new technology that helped them log faster, but soon they found that parts of the forest were dying. In response, the government placed regulations on the use of excessive logging to preserve Bhutan’s natural environment. Their culture is one that works to keep things in harmony, trying to find balance in everything they do, she said.

Wangchuk said that in working to preserve their original cultures and homelands, Missoula and Bhutan are very similar.

“In the wake of globalization, every place is trying to look the same. Therefore, we lose a lot of values in our traditional system,” Wangchuk said. “There’s so much pressure from globalizing forces. [Missoula and Bhutan] are both small societies in touch with what’s going on around us and thinking about conscious living, trying to save open space and giving back to the community. In that sense we share a lot of similarities.”

Bhutan’s ancient system of sustainable agriculture has drawn many University of Montana professors and students over the years, and UM is in the process of signing an agreement with the Bhutanese government that will allow a loosely defined exchange program.

Jeanne Loftus, assistant to the director for UM International Programs, said the agreement would allow professors and students an exchange opportunity for research and geography studies. The University currently has three exchange students from Bhutan.

The group will return home at the end of November, and on Jan. 1, a consecration ceremony will be held in celebration of the work that has been finished on the main chamber of the monastery.

Ianson said the tour has been a wonderful journey, a chance to learn about and appreciate a culture that is way ahead of American ideologies on harmony.

“They sing with everything that they do,” she said. “If they sang all the folk songs they knew, they would be singing straight for two weeks.”

When asked if the tour would continue in the years to come, Ianson said that there is still a need to spread awareness about the country, even after the monastery is finished.

“The Chinese keep trying to claim chunks of the North. They say it’s part of Tibet, therefore it’s theirs to claim,” she said. “To preserve it, it will have to have a strong voice.”

The show will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and $20 general admission, and will be available at the door.