Touring Tibetan Monks Bring Harmony to U.S.

In a country where the mingling of art, religion and politics in any combination generates almost instant controversy, it may be hard to understand a more holistic tradition, such as that of the Tibetan Buddhists of the Drepung Loseling Monastery. Lamas from the monastery, however, have been giving us plenty of opportunity to learn from them. A group of monks is currently in Pasadena with the Mystical Arts of Tibet program, one stop on their fifth 100-city tour of the U.S. since 1988.

The tour, which overlapped this week’s visit to Pasadena by the Dalai Lama, has three main purposes. Through the creation, performance and exhibition of Tibetan sacred arts, the monks hope to contribute to world healing, raise awareness of their culture, which is endangered in its native land, and raise funds for the Tibetan refugee communities in India.

“For us, spiritual values are very important in every facet of life,” says Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, the U.S. representative of the monastery and director of the tour. “Even the most secular ceremony--or what seems secular--has some elements of spirituality.”

Founded in 1416 near Lhasa in Tibet, Drepung Loseling at one time housed as many as 15,000 monks. In 1959, however, it was closed by the Communist Chinese and most of the monks were executed or imprisoned. About 250 monks escaped to rebuild their institution in exile in southern India, where they now number more than 2,500.

Of the sacred arts tour elements, creation is represented by a colored sand mandala under construction at the Pacific Asia Museum since last Sunday. Formed of geometric shapes and traditional spiritual symbols, the lamas believe the mandala invokes positive energies on behalf of world healing. After a closing ceremony Thursday, the sand will be swept up and released in a foothill stream to carry its blessings around the world.

The exhibition aspect is covered by a show of sacred objects from the Dalai Lama’s personal collection. Although this exhibit is now in Atlanta, before beginning five years of travel throughout North America, the Pacific Asia Museum has put up a complementary exhibit from its own Tibetan collection.

The performance centerpiece of the tour events, popularized by a best-selling recording from the 1988-89 tour, is a “Sacred Music, Sacred Dance” sampler, which will be presented tonight at Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The rest of the schedule includes talks and liturgical ceremonies, as well as a rare outdoor performance Sunday afternoon at the Pasadena City Hall, a setting closer to the Tibetan courtyards where many of the dances traditionally take place than the usual Western concert hall.

The pieces on the program are condensed extracts from much longer ceremonies. The program also includes an example of the intense debating encounters characteristic of Tibetan monastic inquiry.

A veteran of the first tour, Geshe Lobsang says that such projects have always been something of a leap of faith. “We had no idea how people were going to respond,” he recalls, “but it was overwhelming.”

The dances on the program, such as the Black Hat Dance, embody Buddhist teachings and employ colorful costumes sewn by the monks. The instruments accompanying the dances are quite distinctive, but it is multi-phonic singing for which the Loseling lamas are most famous musically. Through long training, some voices can resonate overtones to the point that chords can be heard from a single powerful singer.

This vocal technique is unique to five monasteries of central Tibet, among which Drepung Loseling was preeminent. This particular style is difficult to imitate, but other elements of Tibetan monastic ceremonies have been represented in performances by other organizations.

Or misrepresented, as Geshe Lobsang believes in the case of the U.S.-touring Tibetan Song and Dance Ensemble of China, which presents the official Chinese version of Tibetan culture.

For the Loseling lamas, it is the central spiritual meaning of what they do that is paramount. “Buddhist sacred chantings are usually the expression of some deep experience of an enlightened mind,” Geshe Lobsang says. “Sometimes they put it in words or even dances. Melody and those things are not considered as important in performance as to arrive at a similar experience.”

Indeed, as arcane as multi-phonic singing may seem, a performance by the lamas of Drepung Loseling is not about technique.

“From the beginning, it was made very clear to us that you are going to perform this to bring some benefit to the listener,” Geshe Lobsang says intently. “We don’t have much to give just for aesthetics or physical skill, so we must give our hearts.”

* “Sacred Music, Sacred Dance,” Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Saturday, 8 p.m. $15-$20. (818) 449-7360 or (213) 480-3232. Festival of Tibet, Pasadena City Hall Rotunda and Garden, 100 N. Garfield, Sunday, noon-5 p.m. $4 (children, free). The sand mandala and Tibetan exhibit is on view at the Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7. Closing ceremony Thursday, 6 p.m., reservations required. $50. (818) 449-2742.