Tibetan Buddhist Ritual Music Performance in Context


Sera Monastic University Tour

I had the privilege of serving the Abbot of Sera Monastic University, Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Jamyang, and a delegation of 10 monk ritual experts as their translator, coordinator, and cultural broker. This allowed me the opportunity to gain familiarity with Tibetan sacred liturgical ritual music performances. Hosted in family homes or temples across America by sponsors in Diasporic Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhist communities, I lived on site with the 67 year-old Abbot and ten younger monk-musicians, all of whom had received extensive training in sacred ritual performance arts. On a daily basis, I observed the various ritual performance and cultural protocols of four Buddhist cultures (Tibetan, Vietnamese, Chinese and American). This period of cultural immersion informs my understanding of the integral role of Buddhist ritual performance as a "healing" modality in monastic and community settings.

Here are materials and media pertaining to the events associated with my volunteering with the Sera Monastic University USA Tour and the Chungba Monks:


The Sera Monastic University USA Tour

H.H. The Dalai Lama with Sera University Abbot, North American Tour (one page notice)  

Houston Chronicle "Visiting Tibetan Monks Perform Ritual" (article & photo)  

Certificate of Appreciation, Buddhist Association of America  

Monk Students at Sera Monastic University, Karnataka, South India (photo)  

Eastern Internal Arts Institute, Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Jamyang (one page notice)  

Translating for Sera Abbot (photos)    

Sermey Dratsang Cultural Society (Ven. Pencho Rabgey, External Secretary, letter)  


Tibetan Jungba Monks of Sera Monastic University

"Sacred Sound, Sacred Space," Royal Ontario Museum (Brochure)  

"The Sacred Balance," 4-Part Television Series on Environment and Culture