Dolpo Mendrub Ritual - Dr. Marietta Kind
Kulturzentrum Songtsen House (Gubelhangstrasse 7, 8050 Zürich-Oerlikon, songtsenhouse.ch)
Picture presentation by Marietta Kind. Dolpo is one of the most remote, culturally Tibetan enclaves of Nepal with a large community that practices the Bön religion or Buddhism. The Mendrub ritual for the empowerment of medicine and for the benefit of all living beings was first performed in Phoksundo in 1996. Tibetan medicine, which has been enriched with ritual healing power, is considered extremely effective against numerous diseases and mental conditions. At the same time, the ritual fosters the community and marked the beginning of an important change in Dolpo: from a locally rooted tradition to a growing connection with the transmission lineage from Tibet and the monastic tradition in exile. Meanwhile, the ritual has been performed in numerous villages in Dolpo, in a large monastery in Kathmandu, and finally in 2024 in the largest exile monastery in Menri in India. In a way, this ritual for the empowerment or awakening of medicine can be seen as deeply rooted in local tradition - with a far-reaching impact.
Anthropologist Dr. Marietta Kind studied in Zurich and Oxford and received her PhD from the University of Zurich. She was a lecturer and research associate at the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich and later worked at the University of Bern. With her Tapriza Association, she has been supporting the Tapriza School in Dolpo and the cultural heritage of this region for 27 years. Link to the Mendrub Book.
