TAPESTRY of Sacred TIBETAN Music

1. Sakya Tenphel Ling presents TAPESTRY of Sacred TIBETAN Music BY JAMCHEN LHAKHANG MONASTERY NEPAL Apr 15 Fri and Apr 16 Sat 6 to 8.15pm Esplanade outdoor Theatre

2. Tapestry of Sacred Tibetan Music April 15 and 16 2011 Esplanade Outdoor Theatre April 15 FriDAY Monks from jamchenlhakhang • 6.00 – 7.00pm Nectar (Water) Blessing to Officiate Opening of Tapestry of Sacred Music • OFFERING AT SEA with Naga Puja (Cleansing of Environment and Naga Peaceful Offerings through Smoke Puja) • 7.00 - 7.40pm SERKYEM (GOLDEN LIBATION) with Torma Offering (to the Dharma Protectors to protect all sentient beings from harm from destructive forces and be wish fulfilling. • 8.00pm – 8.20pm DEDICATION: Observing ONE minute of SILENCE for victims of the earthquake-Tsumani disaster in Japan. Chanting together ”PRAYERS FOR THE HAPPINESS OF ALL BEINGS.”

3. Tapestry of Sacred Tibetan Music April 16 Saturday Wealth diety: namtoeseyChhayang • 6.00 – 7.00pm • NAMTOESEY CHHAYANG Ritual (Universal Wealth Puja) • 7.15 – 8.15pm • KANGSO (MAHAKALA PUJA) with Torma offering (Making Torma offering to the Dharma Protectors to protect all sentient beings from all malignant forces and fulfil the wishes in accord with the Dharma All are welcome to an evening of unique rare Tibetan music and chanting

4. Tapestry of Sacred Tibetan Music • Jamchen Lhakhang is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Institution in Boudna, Nepal. It holds regular Tibetan Buddhist Rituals (called Puja) and Chants. These esoteric practices, originated in Tibet, can be traced back to more than five hundred years The Gar Shabdrung of the JamchenLkhakhang Monastery will be heading an entourage of monks to perform these ancient rituals at the Esplanade open theatre for two evenings

5. Tapestry of Sacred Tibetan Music The evening program begins with the Grand Entrance of His Eminence Gar Shadrung Rinpoche and His entourage of monks. This is accompanied by ceremonial procession music of Gya Ling announcing His arrival His Eminence Gar Shabdrung of Jamchen Lhakhang Monastery The Tibetan ‘Trumpet’ - GYA LING - His Eminence will perform the Nectar (Water) Blessings for the open ceremony

6. The Naga Puja Naga are serpent-like creatures that live in the deep mainly in the sea, and also under the earth and around us without being seen. They are powerful beings that can inflict negativities like diseases and all sorts of obstacles, but also can enhance the positive aspects of our life like wealth and long life. Therefore we make offerings to them and appease them from harming us through performing peaceful ritual. Naga beings are sensitive and clean creatures and only venture out and gather on certain days. Therefore we seek them out at sea on Naga Days (April 15 and 16 are Naga Days), be vegetarian and perform ritual music and chant to attract them. The Lamas then offer blessed conical-shaped food tormas make of margarine together with other offering stuffs to the nagas. OfferingAt Sea

7. Universal Wealth Ritual Namtoesay Chhayang Bodhisattva RinchenMangnyi (Sanskrit means Bahuratna)the multi-faced jeweled Bodhisattva, with his skilful means, emanated as the wealth deity, Namthoesey or Vaishrawana, one of the Four Guardian Kings to help sentient beings through the special proficiency of wealthshowering in the material and spiritual aspect of life. The link with this Bodhisattva was established by The 16th throne holder of Nalendra Monastery in Tibet (the predecessor of JamchenLhakhang, Nepal) in a pure vision of the deity. In order to draw out the altruistic intention of the Bodhisattva, LhatsunKhyentseRabten, the 17th throne holder of Nalendra Monastery composed this sacred Chhayang ritual, invoking the activities of the wealth deity Namthoesey, which became one of the main wealth deity’s rituals of the monastery. Their unique wealth magnetizing chant to the 8 wealth goddesses coupled with music from various instruments can instil new experience to the beholders. OFFERINGS

8. Sacred Tibetan Music Drumming, blowing and chanting Chanting with long horns ready BENEFIT in propitiating to this Bodhisattva through Chhayang Ritual Chhayang is a ritual that draw wealth and prosperity, and dispel poverty of the world. Therefore the power of this deity and its ritual with chants, music and hand gestures, magnetize wealth, luck and fortunes all the time through regular propitiations.

9. Rhapsody of Sacred Tibetan Music Protection and Offerings Seeking protection is the basic instinct of all living souls for the sake of survival and continuity. In the Buddhist fraternity especially the Vajrayana, Protector Rituals play a very important role in the preservation of the Buddhist Culture. These Protector Rituals are normally wrathful in nature. With very skilful methods, the Tibetan Buddhist Ritual Culture has developed in its more than one thousand years of history a very unique form of propitiating to the Dharma Protectors. This ritual or puja called Kangso expresses the sound of music to the protectors through the shrieking call of the Kangling, the droning of the long horn, the racy thumps of the drum, clashing of the Romo and the sound manifestation of a horde of other musical instrument. Coupled with the Tibetan chants and mudras, can lift a beat or two in our heart and mind. Do come and be an audience to witness this rare moment of the unification of the sound of chant and music offer to the protectors. Silnyen Rolmo playing

10. Torma Offerings to all The night of Rhapsody of Sacred Tibetan Music ends with The Making Torma of offering to the Dharma Protectors to protect all sentient beings from all malignant forces and fulfil the wishes in accord with the Dharma Presented by the monks from Jamchen Lhakhang, Nepal Silnyen, Bell, Romo, Drum, Gya ling and Chant An Assembly of monks chant and play various musical instruments

11. Sarva Mangalam The End The Singapore Buddha Sasana Society, Sakya Tenphel Ling