Mystic Arts of Tibet

The infinite varieties of WORLD MUSIC	TIBETAN MYSTIC MUSIC
In January 1999, departing from the usual fare of western classical music, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County co-presented with the Irvine Barclay Theatre a concert of mystical music and dance by nine monks from the Buddhist monastery of Drepung Loseling.
Click on image to see the next slide. JAVA-enabled browser required.	The concert was the culmination of a week-long ritual during which the monks painstakingly constructed a colorful sand mandala - an intricate sand painting containing mystical symbols of Tibetan Buddhist tradition representing the oneness of the universe. Shown here along with additional commentary are some of the sacred rituals.
1. This mandala is that of the Buddha of longevity or boundless life. Its creation is part of a ritual intended to bring about a healing of the mind and body, and of the world as a whole. (Working from the center outward, four monks created the mandala from millions of grains of brightly colored sand. It took all of 5 days.) 2. In very low tones, the monks chant ancient songs that have been passed from generation to generation, employing a technique - perfected in Tibet - called multiphonic singing in which each monk simultaneously intones three notes of a chord. The monks also play traditional instruments - 10-foot-long brass trumpets, horns, drums, cymbals and bells. 3. With a blade, a monk cuts a swath across the beautiful mandala - the first step in the ritual of destruction. It is symbolic of the impermanence of all things. 4. After a few more cuts with the blade, the sands are solemnly swept up with a brush into a cup .... 5. Until the mandala is no more but millions of undifferentiated grains of colored sand again. 6. Half of the sand mixture is distributed to the people who have come to participate in the ritual, and the remaining cup of sand is covered with a ceremonial cloth. 7. The monks, bearing the cup of sand, lead a procession to a nearby river. Standing on the rocks, they scatter the sand so that the waters may carry the sand's purifying and healing energies throughout the world. 8. In the evening the monks, garbed in colorful costume, take center stage and conclude the week's ritual with a performance of the mystic arts - sacred song and dance, against a colorful backdrop that recalls Tibet, their beloved homeland.

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