Karen Greenspan

Featured in: Favicon

nationalmssociety.org Favicon

dancemagazine.com Favicon

lionsroar.com Favicon

tricycle.org Favicon

buddhistdoor.net Favicon

dancetabs.com Favicon

fjordreview.com

Articles

Buddhist Nuns of Dorangthang Dance a New-Age Vision of Dakini Activity

Nov 29, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Karen Greenspan

About a half-hour drive outside of Bhutan’s warm and sun-drenched winter capital Punakha lies Dorangthang Nunnery, near the village of Lobesa. The land belonged to the renowned Lama Sonam Zangpo (1888–1982), a direct disciple of the Tibetan master Togden Shakya Shri (1853–1919) and a main student of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche (1904–87). The name “Dorangthang” means “grinding stone” and refers to a very large rock that marks the location of a site designated in a prophecy that the lama received.
Celebrating Dance Magazine Award Honoree Shen Wei

Nov 23, 2024 | dancemagazine.com | Karen Greenspan

This week we’re sharing tributes to all of the 2024 Dance Magazine Award honorees. For tickets to the awards ceremony on December 2, visit store.dancemedia.com. Shen Wei blends art forms like watercolors. He is accomplished in not just multiple forms of dance but also painting, set design, costuming, film, architecture, calligraphy, and poetry—all of which he integrates into his artistic practice. “Making art gives meaning and value to my life and brings magic to the world,” he says.
The Jangchung Choeling Nuns Visit 'Tibet House'

Sep 6, 2024 | tricycle.org | Karen Greenspan

In the main gallery of Tibet House in New York City, five nuns huddle over a central table, diligently creating a sand mandala of the female Buddha of Compassion, Green Tara. The group—including Geshema Yeshi Sangmo, Venerable Thukten Dema, Venerable Sonam Dolma, Venerable Chung Dolma, and Venerable Sherab Dolma—are on an eleven-month tour across the United States, raising funds for their home base, Jangchub Choeling Nunnery.
Preserving the Sacred Treasures in Our Care with Treasure Caretaker Training

Aug 27, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Karen Greenspan

At the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City, veteran art conservator, consultant, and founder of the non-profit organization Treasure Caretaker Training, Ann Shaftel, recently led a “Preservation Retreat for Women Treasure Caretakers.” The information-packed, four-day program, funded by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism, was offered free of charge—specifically for women, who are seeking knowledge on caretaking of tangible and intangible heritage treasures.
Interview with Choreographer Aakash Odedra

Jul 27, 2024 | tricycle.org | Karen Greenspan

New York’s Lincoln Center recently held its now annual India Week (7/10–14)—a festival celebrating the country’s cultural vibrancy through music, dance, literature, and more. The crown jewel among the festival’s events was the US premiere of “Samsara,” a dance work by the British-born Indian choreographer Aakash Odedra.
Tsechu in Sikkim: The Guru’s Gift

Jul 11, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Karen Greenspan

I can still hear the horns—the resounding signal of the start and, seven-and-a-half days later, the closing moments of the Tsechu Puja at Ralang Monastery. At first blast, the sound stirs excitement and anticipation. At the end, the strains pierce the heart with the realization that the grand event is over and dissolved into memory. I arrived early. In fact, the only other arrivals at that point were 13 nuns from the nearby Keku Dagmo Chosling Nunnery.
The Pamo (Heroines) of Karma Drubdey Nunnery

May 29, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Karen Greenspan

My initial introduction to cham, the sacred dances of Himalayan Buddhism, was in Bhutan in 2011. I was informed that these ritual dances were only performed by men─either monastic or lay, but always men. I soon learned that this tradition was also the norm among other Himalayan communities.
Holding Avalokiteshvara Holding Avalokiteshvara

May 20, 2024 | tricycle.org | Karen Greenspan

Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is a time of great significance for Tibetans and other Himalayan communities in the region and in the diaspora. In the buildup to, celebration of, and weeks following the new moon, monastic centers in the Himalayas perform a host of religious activities to usher in the new year. The purification rituals, which take place before Losar, cleanse the environment of obstacles for the coming year.
Untying the Knot in ‘The Monk and the Gun’

Feb 21, 2024 | tricycle.org | Karen Greenspan

Spoiler Alert: This piece discusses several plot details of The Monk and the Gun. Bhutanese filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji, creator of Lunana: A Yak the Classroom (2019), has brought another gem from his Himalayan homeland to the big screen. I recently caught an early showing of his latest film, The Monk and the Gun (2023), at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Rainbows and Relics Manifest in the West

Jan 26, 2024 | buddhistdoor.net | Karen Greenspan |Tsultrim Allione

We received the call to practice for the well-being and long life of our lama. He had come home from the hospital refusing further care and was taking only small amounts of water as he began the transition from this life. On 24 October 2023, the great and beloved Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche, Chöd master and lineage holder of Padampa Sangye’s Pacification of Suffering (Zhije) Tradition, numerous Chöd lineages, and the Longchen Nyingthig, entered into parinirvana.