Conscious Choice: Mystical Monks Materialize in Chicago

March 2003

Mystical Monks Materialize in Chicago

Tibet's Holy Men Share their Positive Energies Through Entertainment

by Terry Loncaric

We are living in times of explosive rage and unrest. The President has set an agenda for war with Iraq and invoked all the patriotic buzzwords as an excuse to bring down a dictator who should have been confronted a long time ago.

Even on the most basic levels, people are not resolving conflicts very peacefully. Kids shoot one another. Neighbors hire lawyers to handle their disputes. Motorists erupt angrily at other drivers who get in their way.

The peaceful message of Buddhism makes sense in these times of turmoil. It’s not a surprise the Dalai Lama implored the monks from Tibet’s Drepung Loseling Monastery, where he once lived, to spread the Buddhist message of healing and enlightenment. The Dalai Lama knew the monks who lived at "The Hermitage of the Radiant Mind" were truly holy men.

The Drepung Loseling Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, was established two years ago to provide a place to arrange the monks’ American tours and to safeguard their rich Tibetan culture. Obviously, Americans were ready for the friendly young monks. Some 50,000 people swarmed the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to listen to the first peaceful chants of the holy men.

The monks have become celebrities because of their charisma, their peaceful nature, and their friendship with actor Richard Gere, who has helped finance their concert tour. The Buddhist monks have become to Eastern music what Ladysmith Blackmambazo, the vocal ensemble on Paul Simon’s "Graceland" album, has been to African music.

The monks raised their profile when they performed the soundtrack for "Seven Years in Tibet" and "Kundun," two trendy Buddhist flicks. They also endeared themselves to American audiences when they appeared in concert with such artists as Sheryl Crow, Kitaro, Paul Simon and REM’s Michael Stipe. The Buddhist monks are considered top 10 artists on the American New Age charts.

Coming to Chicago

Chicago audiences will have the opportunity to see what all the fuss is about when The Mystical Arts of Tibet, an ensemble of 10 monks, presents "Sacred Music/Sacred Dance for World Healing" on March 22 at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, Illinois.

So many people have become familiar with Buddhism through Phil Jackson and Tiger Woods, who use Zen practices to sharpen their concentration. But from a global perspective, the blessings of Buddhism resonant in a wider context.

"The world is in need of healing right now," says Blythe Rainey Cuyler, manager of the Hemmens. "What better way to experience this than through an enlightening production. This is entertainment with a message."

Right after the bombing of the World Trade Center, The Mystical Arts of Tibet ensemble packed the National Museum of Asian Art with a stirring program to heal the nation. Greg Kruglak, the chairman of the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture, arranged this performance and remembers feeling extremely moved by the emotional audience response. "The museum had more people coming to this than any other event," Kruglak recalls. "People just came in, sat down, and meditated with the monks. I’ve never seen anything like it. People really came away with a feeling of the deep traditions that lie behind this culture."

Apparently, the monks are winning the hearts of audiences with their enthusiasm and their gentle, loving spirit. "They’ve put together a performance people really enjoy and they work very hard," Kruglak says. "Some of the dances are aerobic workouts. They wear elaborate costumes with headgear. By the end of the show, they are drenched in perspiration."

The monks chant, sing, and dance for two hours. A narrator explains what the holy men are trying to invoke in their beautiful, syncopated movements. Audiences enjoy listening to the monks sing in multiple pitches and create their own strange harmonies. According to Buddhist beliefs, throat singing is something only holy people are capable of doing. "Many people have never heard this before," Kruglak remarks. "The sound is profound. It’s like coming from the center of the Earth. It’s not like a rock concert. You know it comes from some holy place."

During the performance, the young Tibetans take the audience on a journey toward peace, healing, and transformation. The audience becomes swept up in the hypnotic chants. Kruglak says the monks are cool, young guys, who wear digital watches and love basketball, but unlike Westerners, they don’t become attached to their gadgets.

"There is a quality of openness and kindness about them that is quite genuine," Kruglak says. "Their culture is mostly a reflection of their religion. It is a way of life for them."

Forces of the Universe

During the program, the audience feels like they are in mystical Tibet because the monks perform against a towering backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains and an ornate Buddhist palace. The monks seek wisdom and compassion and often express respect for the environment in their ethereal chants.

They perform "The Dance of the Black Hat," a dance that honors the Earth. "It’s a very powerful dance because the purpose of it is to cleanse the earth of its negative energy," Kruglak relates. "Everything about their performance is about understanding the forces of the universe."

For Tibetan Buddhists, the performance is also a way of teaching the world about their sacred, ancient culture. A million Tibetans died during Mao Tse Tung’s cultural revolution. After the Chinese invasion of Tibet, 90 percent of the Buddhist monasteries were destroyed and Tibetans were driven out of their land. During the mass exodus, 130,000 Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, settled in India. Less than 20,000 Tibetans ended up in North America.

Kruglak said the Tibetan culture has always been in danger of extinction. That’s why Tibetans relish the opportunity to step out of the shadows and share their peaceful way of life with the world.

"One of the things we do is promote peace and healing by sharing our culture," says Lobsang Tenzin, director of the Drepung Loseling Institute, an educational arm of the Mystical Arts of Tibet tour.

"The whole Tibetan culture is based on our understanding of the interconnectedness of the earth and living things," relates Tenzin, a native of Tibet. "Our nonviolence comes out of our understanding of that interconnectedness." Buddhists respect the environment because they have a relationship with all living things, adds the former monk. "Most ancient communities respected the Earth because we lived without all these sophisticated tools. We realized how much we depended on the Earth."

Tenzin says every song and dance the monks perform is inspired by a mystical experience and some of these visions occurred thousands of years ago. "The Tibetans believe when you perform the chants, you are sending prayers for peace and healing that really come from the depth of your heart," he reveals. "Our minds have tremendous collective power. We believe in the transmission of positive energy. That’s why the Tibetans have so many sacred ceremonies."

The Buddhists believe love and compassion will lead to true enlightenment and material comforts are merely a detour, says Tenzin, a professor of religion at Emory University. "The West has made a tremendous advancement in technology and the material world, but these don’t entirely meet our needs," he reflects. "We have to sooner or later cultivate inner contentment, love, and compassion for our fellow human beings."

The appeal of Buddhism for many Westerners is it’s more a religion of practice than dogma, says Charles Strain, a professor of religion at DePaul University. "Buddhism is for people who are willing to commit to the long haul," says the Chicago professor. "It’s a process you are involved in for the rest of your life. Thich Naht Hanh (a Vietnamese monk and author) says do not cling to any ideology, not even a Buddhist ideology. Religious dogmas can create walls between people."

The Buddhists believe all of us share the earth so we must learn how to live peacefully on this planet, Strain says. "One of the key teachings of socially engaged Buddhism is that you are you because I am who I am. We are all responsible for one another; therefore, we all share the flaws of one another. Buddhism asks us to look at the complex causes of social injustice. The Buddhists believe we all accept responsibility for not making war happen."

Terry Loncaric is a Chicago-based writer. She is the author of The Healing Powers of Laughter (Abbey Press).

To Support the Mystical Arts of Tibet:

The Drepung Institute supports the tour of the Mystical Arts of Tibet and provides programs, photo exhibits, and educational material on the ancient Tibetan culture. They also assist Tibetan refugees. The Institute is affiliated with Atlanta’s Emory University.

Inquiries may be directed to both organizations, 2625 Piedmont Road, Suite 56, Atlanta, GA 30324.

Information on performance dates and other cultural activities is available by calling
404-816-5635 or at www.mysticalartsoftibet.org.

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