Tibetan Ritual by The Nyingmapa Sect Philips (6586 007) Publication date 1971

 Tibetan Ritual

by The Nyingmapa Sect
Philips (6586 007)

Publication date 1971
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~ Unesco Collection MUSICAL SOURCES Be Prius  
Tibetan Ritual  

Unesco Collection MUSICAL SOURCES  


CEREMONIAL, RITUAL, AND MAGIC MUSIC II-1  


Tibetan Ritual  


Invocation to the goddess Yeshiki Mamo (Tantric Puja) by the  
Lamas of the Nyingmapa Monastery (Dehra Dun)  


Recordings: M. Junius and P.C. Misra with the authorisation of  
the private secretariat of H.H. the Dalai Lama. |  


Tibet, an immense plateau at a height of four thousand metres,  
isolated from the rest of the world by almost impenetrable  
mountain-ranges, has throughout the centuries maintained  
ahighly autonomous civilisation and only very gradually  
assirnilated some influences from India and China. Since  
prehistoric times Tibetan religion has represented a synthesis  
of the great currents of the Asian civilisations of which it has  
preserved and harmonised the essential teachings. At the basis  
of this religion we find a prehistoric animistic and shamanistic  
stratum with its profound awareness of the constant presence  
of the supernatural world and the significance of rites and  
music as means of communication with the spirits. At a later  
age there appeared Dionysiac Shaivism, which was a religion  
observed from India to the Mediterranean until the second  
millennjum B.C., the symbolism of which has remained the  
basis of Tibetan iconography and philosophy. While Aryan  
Vedism had practically no lasting influence on Tibet, Bud-  
dhism was subsequently, in the eighth century, to become the  
official religion. By this time Buddhism had in India already  
asstmilated the ancient Shaivism and its magic ritual. This  
character became even more marked in Tibet, where Buddhism  
is a transposed Shaivism and the various Buddhas and their  
wives are the exact equivalents of the Tantric deities of India  
and ancient Tibet. It is this form of Buddhism that is called  
the Great Vehicle (Mahayana).  


The sounds of the instruments used in Tibetan rites do not aim  
to be the expression of a personal and human art, but to form  
complexes of sound evoking associations and rhythms that  
express the cosmic nature of the world and seem to come from  
the depths of the universe. The voices are carefully trained  
to produce sounds of a very low pitch, because the low  
sounds are the most disembodied, the nearest to the divine.  
The mantras (magic ritual formulas) are accompanied by  
bells (tilwu) and hour-glass drums (daru). In representations  
the goddess carries a bell in her left hand and adrum in her  
right hand, and the same applies to the chanters. Between the  
sung phrases one hears the horns (kangling) of silver and gold  
and the long trumpets (radong) of silver and copper whose  


Printed in Holland.  


sounds “‘destroy with their thunder the pains of a myriad |  


hells.” There are also oboes (jaling), cymbals (buchen or  
komo), and large drums (nga) struck with sticks.  


The ritual that we give here in its entirety is an invocation to  


the goddess Yeshiki Mamo, whose attributes are those of the.  


Hindu goddess Kali (the power of time and death). Yeshiki  
Mamo is one of the nine Sungma (guardians of the faith). In  
order to protect the sacred traditions the Sagma can assume  
terrifying forms. :  


Yeshiki Mamo lives in the red-rock mountains; she herself is of  
a reddish-brown colour and is surrounded by a haze of smoke.  
She has a mouth, two arms, and appears to be ina fury. With  
her one eye, called Yeshikisen, she sees the whole universe, the  
heavens, and the hells. A single-pointed tooth projects from  
her open mouth, her tongue is rolled backwards, and her  


roaring is mingled with the mantras HUM and JO. Her hair is  


black, and from her skull a single iron spike stands up. The  
milk that flows from her single breast is the elixir of immor-  
tality (amrita). In her right hand she holds asceptre that  


terminates in a human head. With her left hand she fights her.  


enemies. Near her is a wolf, her slave. Her crown is made of  
five skulls, and her necklace of human heads. The skin of  
aman serves as her mantle. A rainbow adorns her forehead;  
her skirt is of tiger-skin; human corpses are heaped under her  
left foot which is in a forward position and her right foot  
which is raised.  


The ritual is divided into nine sections:  

1. The protection of the goddess is implored. She is reminded  
of her duties.  

2. One explains how to attract her presence and cause her to  
remain.  

3. Explanation of the manner in which homage is to be paid  
to her. |  

4. She is venerated with water in silver cups, lights, flowers,  

incense, and nourishment (representing the five elements).  

. Hymns of praise.  

. Promises to fulfil her wishes.  

. Pardon is asked for the errors of the faithful.  

. Requests addressed to the goddess.  

. Offerings (Tangrachhoto). —  


oOo Om™N oO Ol  


The monasteries of Tibet have now been dispossessed, and the  
monks expelled. Some monasteries, however, have succeeded  
in re-establishing themselves in India around the person of the  
Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism. The  
monks recorded here belong to the Nyingmapa community  
(‘the elders’’), the oldest of the four Tibetan sects, founded  
by Guru Padmasambhava who in the eighth century was invited  
by King Tisong Detsen to teach the Buddhist religion in Tibet.  


6586 007 ©  


PHILIPS  


UNESCO COLLECTION “MUSICAL SOURCES” edited  
for the International Music Council by the  

International Institute for Comparative Music Studies  
and Documentation, Berlin/Venice  

Editor: Alain Daniélou  

Production Assistant: Jacques Cloarec  


Modal Music and Improvisation, VI-1  
Iranian Dastgah 6586 005  


Modal Music and Improvisation, VI-2  
Northern India, Vocal Music 6586 003  


Modal Music and Improvisation, VI-3  
Arabian Music, Maqam 6586 006  


Religious Psalmody, IV-1  
Jewish Music 6586 001  


Art Music from South-East Asia, |X-3  
Royal Music of Cambodja 6586 002  


Art Music from South-East Asia, | X-2  
Java, Historic Gamelans 6586 004  


Art Music from South-East Asia, | X-1  
Bali, Court Music and Banjar Music 6586 008  


IIlustrations on front: 1: Jaling; 2: Buchen; 3: Radong;  
4: Kangling; 5: The ten-faced Mahakala (tutelary genies).  
Recent painting in traditional style - Nyingmapa monastery;  
6: Lekhden, tutelary genies. Recent painting in traditional  
style - Nyingmapa monastery; 7: Namse, the tutelary genies of  
wealth. Recent painting in traditional style. - Nyingmapa  
monastery.  


Photographs: M. Junius  


PHILIPS  


686 007.1 L  
MADE INHOLLAND  


MUSICAL SOURCES  
Ceremonial, Ritual, and Magic Music  


Tibetan Ritual  


Invocation to che goddess  
Yeshiki Mamo (Tantric Puja)  
by the Lamas of the  
Ny!ng Mapa Monastery  

(Wehra Dun)  

MADE IN HOLLAND  


MUSICAL SOURCES  


Ceremonial, Ritual, and Magic Music  
Tibetan Ritual  


Invocation to the goddess  
Yeshiki Mamo (Tantric Puja)  
by the Lamas of the  
Nying Mapa Monastery  

(Dehra Dun)