BiographyGYUTO MONKS
TIBETAN TANTRIC CHOIR “I have had the opportunity to work with the Gyuto Monks on several occasions, without any question, they represent the spirit and culture of Tibet at its highest level”
- Philip Glass "The Gyuto Monks allow us access into the realm of being. Their sound shows the depth of the human spirit's compassion. It is one of the most extraordinary examples of extended voice on this planet." - Mickey Hart The monks of Gyuto have perfected a special type of chant in which each monk sings not a single note but an entire chord. “This remarkable, transcendentally beautiful sound,” notes Robert Thurman, Chair of the Dept. of Religion, Columbia University, “is thought to arise only from the throat of a person whohas realized selfless wisdom.”
“Some people may ask ‘Why are they performing publicly what should be esoteric rites?’ Perhaps these people feel that secret teachings should not be turned into a theatrical spectacle. But they need not be concerned. The secret interior path and its processes are things which the ordinary eye cannot perceive.” – H.H. The Dalai Lama With the suppression of Tibet by the Chinese government, in 1959, Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Gyuto Tantric University joined the Dalai Lama, in fleeing their homeland and setting up a government-in-exile in northern India. The Gyuto Monks have been chanting in their multi-tonal style since the founding of the Gyuto Tantric University in 1474.
After hearing the extraordinary multiphonic chanting of the Gyuto Monks in 1987, Grateful Dead percussionist, Mickey Hart, resolved to bring the monks to America and make them available to a wider audience. This resulted in tours in 1988, 1991, and 1995. The sold out, 22 city, 1988 tour culminated with a remarkable performance before 5,000 at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The performance was filmed and later released as a feature on the Discovery Channel (featured Kitaro, and Philip Glass).
The liturgical arts of Tibetan Buddhism, developing over many centuries in relative isolation on the high plateaus on their mountain-ringed land, are extraordinarily rich and unique. Many varied Buddhist traditions of India have been preserved only in Tibet, and are therefore a cultural treasure of mankind. Distinct sects and traditions developed in Tibet and now coexist in exile: that of Gyuto Tantric College/Monastery is one of the most esoteric, complex and awe-inspiring. For 500 years, the Gyuto College prospered at the National Cathedral in Lhasa with 900 or more monks in residence. Now exiled to India by the Chinese annexation of Tibet, the Gyuto leaders have reestablished a monastery near Bomdi-La, India.
Preparation for membership in a monastic order normally begins in childhood and requires many years of training. This training includes memorization of extensive liturgical texts, learning yogic techniques of meditation and visualization, and the cultivation of one or more liturgical arts – chanting, instrumental performance, dance, painting, mask making, and more. Often one becomes the disciple of a specific revered master. Studies in history, philosophy, logic, arts, and Buddhist scripture can continue beyond ordination in formalized collegiate settings, leading to the degree of geshe, equivalent intellectually and culturally to our Ph.D.
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