 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
           
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   |
||
| About the Music: Sacred Mantras for Peace & Happiness | ||
| This is a very special CD that has been in the making since 1991. At that time, I was traveling as the medical doctor for the Anthropologist, Joan Halifax. I was fortunate to have as my tentmate, Lama Ngawang Tsultrim Rinpoche. During our time together we visited his Father and his Monaster, Tolu Tharling. It was at Tolu Tharling that the Fire Puja Ceremony on the second CD was recorded. | ||
| Additionally, I was blessed
to be able to attend the famous Mani Rimdu Festival at Chiwong Gompa
Monastery. Chiwong Gompa was founded in 1923 by Sangye Lama, a wealthy
Sherpa from Solu, who endowed he monastery with a large portion of
his family's land. Government land reformers reduced this considerably,
but Chiwong remains one of the few monasteries in Nepal able to provide
its monks with a grain allowance which is a great benefit to those
from poorer families. (From the Mani Rimdu booklet of Chiwong Gompa Monastery) |
||
| The Mani Rimdu is a 19-day sequence of secret ceremonies and empowerments culminating in the public festival which lasts 3 days. It is an opportunity for Sherpas and Tibetans to gather and celebrate together with the monastic community. Mani Rimdu is a re-creation of legendary events; the establishment of Buddhism in Tebet by the great saint Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). Throughout the dance, symbolic demons are conquered, dispelled, or converted to Dharma Protectors as positive force clash with those of chaos. The dance convey Buddhist teachings on many levels from the simplest to themost profound, for those who do not have the opportunity to study and meditate extensively. | ||
| The Monk who perform the dances first
take vows at an empowerment ceremony with Trulzhig Rinpoche, and during
the dances they become deities rather than ordinary people. Because
the dancers are regarded as sacred they can only be performed in the
context of Mani Rimdu, and not for ordinary entertainment. Trulzhig
Rinpoche explains, "To see Mani Rimdu is like receiving a blessing."
(From the Mani Rimdu Booklet of Chiwong Gompa Monastery) |
||
| The sounds on the Invocation and the space between the Sacred Chants are from my recordings of the Mani Rimdu Festival. | ||
| Please welcome the chants and soundscapes into your hearts and spirit. | ||