Eighth Cham dance performance at Mani Rimdu festival. Chiwong Monastery, Solu, Nepal. Rinpoche invokes the Great Protectors and asks them to perform the activities of a Buddha. (Mahakala is blue, Ekajati has one eye, Mahadeva (Shiva) is red, and Trudo hamo (the Cemetery Deity is brown). Chiwong Monastery, Solu Khumbu, Nepal.

Preceded by a reverent monk holding burning incense guru Rimpoche makes him dramatic appearance in the form of dorje Trolli (the "Adamantine Sagging-belly'). Guru Rimpoche has seven other emanation, six of which are peaceful, while Dorje Trollo is one of the Wrathful forms he assumed to defeat the demons in Tibet. He comes from his home on the copper mountain riding a flying tiger, together with the Ghing. Having paced out his symbolic mandala, Guru rimpoche is invited to the throne and offerings are made to him, as befits the “second Buddha”. In his right hand he carries a dorje, a symbolic diamond or thunderbolt, representing indestructibly, while in his left hand he brandishes a phurba, a symbolic dagger for slaying demons, having overcome the demons, guru Rimpoche converted the to Buddhism and made them take solemn vows to protect the teachings and all practitioners. The symbolism can be interpreted on many levels; the inner ‘demons; of hatred, greed and ignorance can be overcome by the meditation on Compassion and Wisdom and transformed into Enlightenment. Chiwong Monastery, Solu Khumbu, Nepal.