Maybup Mask

The dance of this mask is one of the most interesting events during the festival (Tshechu) and it is extremely didactic.

The mask represents a sinner dressed all in black with a black mask, holding a basket containing a piece of meat that symbolises his sins and crime he committed while he was alive. The Lord of the Dead (Shinje Choekyi Gyelpo ) followed by his attendants, the white god and the black demon who live with all beings and bear witness to their actions. The Lord of the Dead is a wrathful representation of Avalokiteshvara, the deity of compassion. Next begins the judgement proper. The Lord of the Dead listens to his story, then has his actions weighed on a scale. The good actions are symbolised by white pebbles, the bad ones by black pebbles. The white god tries to save the sinner by emphasising his good actions, whereas the black demon describes the man’s wicked actions in detail. In the end, the sinner is sent to hell to the great joy of the black demon who accompanies him on the road to hell, symbolised by a length of black cloth.

Watching this mask dance or having this in your home remind you of the after action for sins or crime you commit at when you are alive. It remind you to be kind, helpful, compassionate and happy with less greed.