Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Loseling monastery transformed Crowell Concert Hall last Saturday into a Buddhist temple in performing intimate rituals central to their religious practice. Their program, “The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music, Sacred Dance for World Healing,” was the culmination of their four day residency at Wesleyan, coinciding with the three-year anniversary of Sept. 11.
One monk narrated the event, explaining the history of the monastery, the spiritual context of each performance, and the motivation of the monks to travel and display their rituals. The Drepung Loseling monastery was an important spiritual center in Tibet until the Chinese invasion in 1959. Only 250 monks were able to escape, re-establishing their monastery in South India.
The monks began the program with jolting, fascinating instrumental and vocal sounds meant to invoke the forces of goodness. The narrating monk cheerfully admitted that the layering of cymbals and drums with the surprising sounds of low and high horns is cacophonous. In addition to the instrumentals, the famous multi-phonic singing of the monks, who are able to hold three notes simultaneously, added another layer to the music.
“[The music is] amorphic, cacophonous at first, but it grows on you,” said Aaron Reuben ’07, who attended every event surrounding the monks’ residency.
Next, the monks performed the ritual of “Tentru Yultru,” in which they pour water over a mirror while chanting multi-phonically. The mirror represents the world and its beings, which are symbolically purified and healed by pouring sacred water.
After the ritual, two monks emerged in elaborate costume and performed the dance of “Shanak Garcham,” meant to eliminate negative energies from the world. Accompanied by instruments, the two monks energetically danced in tandem.
A lively ritual debate, called “Taskal,” followed the dance. After explaining that the debate was rehearsed and there were no real hurt feelings, anger, or crying onstage, the monk introducing the piece explained to the audience the meanings of some of the responses and words heard repetitively. In this form of analytical meditation, monks engage one another in spiritual inquiry. Stomping, laughing, clapping, and yelling, the monks passionately debated and even feigned physical struggle when things got heated.
“All of our classes should be like that. We should sing and dance and be engaged and have fun,” said Lily Walkover ’07, inspired by the vitality of the monks.
Following the animated debate was the “Senggey Garcham,” or Snow Lion Dance, believed to promote harmony in the environment. In this performance, a giant two-manned, puppy-like snow lion romped about the stage. The whimsical snow lion wagged its tail, flapped its jaw and charmed the audience with its antics.
The performance took on a more serious tone in the ensuing numbers, which included a dance symbolizing death, named “Durdak Garcham,” a meditative musical piece called “Dakzin Tsarchod,” and a dance performed by five women representing mystical beings. To close the evening, the monks lit incense in a ritual known as “Sangso Shijo,” allowing the aroma to spread outward in ten directions. They impelled the audience to meditate on sending direct positive energy to world peace and people who died on Sept. 11.
All the rituals felt genuine and unadulterated, hardly even adapted to the stage.
After the incense ritual, the monk who narrated the performance explained the group’s motivation for going on tour. Knowing that their actions have a large impact on the people they encounter, the monks feel that they have a role in facilitating global healing. In addition, they tour to raise awareness about the situation in Tibet. The Tibetan civilization is quickly becoming endangered, as one out of every 20 Tibetans die at the hands of Chinese nationals. Unable to study their own language, Tibetans are on the brink of cultural extinction. The monks urged the audience to financially support the work of the monastery as well as write our representatives in Congress and President Bush about the human rights situation in Tibet.
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