Tibetan Sacred Temple Music

Eight Lamas from Drepung - Tibetan Sacred Temple Music

Drepung Monastery was established near Lhasa, Tibet, in 1416 A.D. by Jamyang Choje, and until the recent Chinese Communist destructions stood as the largest monastic institution in the world. At its zenith it housed almost 8,000 Buddhist monks. Famous for its spiritual and academic intensity, it acted as a training ground for some of the finest traditions of sacred art, music and dance to be found in central Asia. As such, it attracted students from the dozen kingdoms surrounding Tibet, including Inner and Outer Mongolia, Manchuria, Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan, and so forth, who, after completion of their studies would return to their homelands and act as important teachers of the Tibetan spiritual traditions. In particular, Drepung was famous for its role in leading the Great Prayer Festival of Lhasa, sometimes attended by as many as 50,000 monks and nuns.

With the forced closure of all major Tibetan cultural institutions following the Chinese invasion of 1959, several hundred lamas of Drepung managed to escape to India. Here they worked diligently to preserve their spiritual, cultural and academic traditions, eventually rebuilding their monastery in Karnataka Statem India. (liner notes)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Invoking Kindness thru Sound {7:15}

2. Purifying the Environment {11:52}

3. Mandala Offering {10:10}

Side 2

1. Dance of the Skeleton Lords {10:39}

2. Palden Llamo Offering {6:51}

3. Prayer for Peace {5:47}

4. Dedication of Merit {0:47}

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