Window on the world of a Tibetan monk at one of Buddhism’s most revered monasteries

Newbury Spring Festival. The Power of Compassion: Tibetan Monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery at the Corn Exchange on Tuesday, May 11. review by TONY TRIGWELL-JONES.

On Thursday, May 11, Newbury Spring Festival audiences were offered a window on the World as life as a Tibetan monk at one of Buddhism’s most revered monasteries. Celebrating 50 years at its current home in Mysore, southern India, the original temple (founded in 1447) was abandoned during the Chinese cultural revolution. Tashi Lhunpo’s spiritual leader, the Panchen Lama has been held in police custody by the Chinese since 1995, he was six years old at the time, and his whereabouts remains unknown.

The evening’s event was presented by eight monks, sharing the dances (cham) and prayers that form part of their daily routine, as well as the rituals performed to mark annual festivals and celebrations. We were guided through each act by Jane Rasch, a trustee of the Tashi Lhunpo UK Charity, whose expert commentary provided insight and context with good humour, affection and scholarly understanding.

Opening proceedings was Khandro Thensuk, a prayer for the long life of the Dalai and Panchen Lamas. Their images were placed on a shrine by five monks, in exquisitely embroidered robes, each representing a direction (North, East, South, West and the Centre), accompanied by longhorn (Dungchen) and hanging drum (Dhyangro).

a good-humoured, thought-provoking evening of entertainment, beneath a beautifully embroidered cloth depicting the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Tibet, to which our hosts and their 400 brothers dream of returning one day

Following this, the monks assembled downstage to generate compassion in Khadro Semkye, silent prayer which, with the support of Tingsha cymbals, provides the deepest forms of meditation and gives grace to relieve suffering.

In the prayer ritual Choed, monks play short flutes called Fiber Kangling made from human thigh bones in the ceremony which sees them envison removing their own limbs as offerings to Buddha and demonic ghosts, so that they can be free of all notions of self, and experience true compassion.

Later, in Bakshi, they fight death in a dance that includes the symbolic use of a dagger and human skull cap. While during the prayer Kunrick, they visualise thirty-seven deities using “mudras” (sacred hand gestures) which are believed to be powerful enough to ensure reincarnation to higher realms for those who witness them. We enjoy a codified debate, the famous Black Hat dance and finally, a somewhat mournful prayer for the environment and health for all in difficult times.

Being given the opportunity to immerse oneself in what, for many of the audience in attendance, is something of an alien culture and belief system is truly a gift. It makes for a good-humoured, thought-provoking evening of entertainment, beneath a beautifully embroidered cloth depicting the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Tibet, to which our hosts and their 400 brothers dream of returning one day.