Myths and Music Tibetan Monks Vesa Matteo Piludu Helsinki Department of Comparative Religion University of Helsinki

Tibetan Monks Chanting Part of the ceremony the monks do before beginning to work on a Sand Mandala. The particular mandala they are working on is for Avalokiteshvara, one of the deities of compassion.

CD: sacred chants of the Tibetan Buddhism Trance 1, track 2

Tibetan Monks

The entranced are the musitians Performing vocal and instrumental music in a mystical trance state the entranced are the musicians and the singers Instruments: Bass trumpets, drums, handbells, four drums

Overtone singing each singer produces three at once: One Voice Chord type of singing, that manipulates the harmonics chanting style that would embody both the masculine and the feminine aspects of the divine energy

Sound Vehicles The Tibetan monks believe, that in the creation of the 'One Voice Chord', the monks do not 'make' the sound. Rather, they become a vehicle through which the sacred sound may manifest

Mantra (invocation) Sanskrit word: 'the thought that liberates and protects' The sounds and words are changing the consciousness of the reciter. to unite the reciter with a particular deity or energy form. To empower the reciter to resonate and activate the chakras (focal point of energies) of the reciter.

Mantra Each sacred scripture is an invocation to a specific deity or a collection of deities. The chanters visualize these deities while creating a Mandala, a circular cosmological painting which they inwardly visualize in archetypal symbols This combination of vocalization and visualization allows the monks to become the embodiment of the energies they are invoking

Mandala

Mudras – sacred gestures practice of mudras movements and positions of the hands which have profound symbolic meaning

Tantra Mahayana: Union of wisdom and compassion for the suffering of all Tantra: uses the energies and also the passions for spiritual growth Chanting is combined with visualizing deities in the adept’s body

CHAKRAS The rites are designed to mobilize the practitioner’s psychic and physical energies Chakras seem to be the focal point of manifestation for energy which makes up the subtle body 7 as the notes

Chakras 7 as the notes

The adept may have the possibility to experience the opening of the enlightenment in his lifetime Goal