monks chanting on stage

the tantric sect of
gyuto tibetan monks
those who follow the dalai lama
chanted for an hour or so
on the stage of crowder hall
in tucson on saturday night

an interesting event
i was forced to realize that
i am interpreting much of what i see
in the public performance realm
in terms of the thesis of guy de bord
in "the society of the spectacle"

his thesis: "what was once experienced as
reality is now to be perceived only as spectacle"
is a poignant critique of the way we go about
accessing entertainment
and even "spirituality" these days

i sat next to a woman who had paid
$40 to experience this "show"
i had the benefit of a free ticket

at one point i explained to 'kathy' that
i am a benedictine monk
and that the whole affair seemed a little strange
to me because i could not imagine
chanting the way we do in the monastery
on stage
she countered with something to the effect-
"considering the state of affairs the world is in
it is important that we get the experience of chanting out
in the open"

i guess she is referring there to the need for people to
get in touch with something spiritual
i was hard pressed to explain that the mode of prayer
characteristic to benedictine monasteries is
determined by time and place
and to take it out of those structural determinants
would be absurd at best
even while benedict expects the monks
to pray when they are not in the monastery

now it is true that the monks of tibet are in exile
and there is this sort of mission trip they are on
to bring awareness of the life of these monasteries
to the world
and they have the encouragement and blessing of dalai lama himself
and the money they "earn" goes to the eventual
creation of a monastic complex in northern california

so i sat there for over an hour
with a 15 minute break
and experienced the chant
the deep moaning incoherent chant
all worked out fairly clearly in ensemble voice
with cymbal horns drums
and the garb was elaborate by any standards

the very word "tantric" refers to a
a method of making the words of sanskrit (or other buddhist texts)
"hidden" or secret

during the question and answer period
i was intrigued with the monks who
were breaking down the set
rolling up the rugs
gathering the pillows
and curiously
removing the mini-microphones
from their heads the drums the horns

i will admit to the value of bringing something
that would otherwise be hidden
to the sense awareness of people who know nothing
of the culture of tibetan buddhism

so there was music religion
monastic practice all on display
and we were of the actuality of it all
only superficially introduced
for we know practically nothing of these people

and we will not be able ever to enter into the
form of chanting that they spend years
learning

whereas benedictine chanting
even gregorian chant is rather accessible
by comparison

there is always the effort to make
the liturgy of the church
open and worthy of participation
by just about anyone
although one would have to admit
there have ben times when
the liturgical world of christian monks
was a hidden affair
and in some cases it still is that
foir instance eastern orthodox monasteries
carry on a liturgical practice that is
quite complicated and
would be difficult to learn by anyone
other than one devoted to the life
there too it would be a bit absurd to try to
take it to the stage

there is a certain truth to be acknowledged
about liturgy place and time

but then i think of the description given by
annie dillard about teilhard de chardin sj
and his mass on the table of the world
offering all the joy and toil and turmoil
of humanity in prayer
when the elements for Mass are not available

when it comes to worship
it is always in imperfect effort

in my prayer i do not seek so much enlightenment
although it comes on occasion
i seek to know god

the degree to which that is possible
may be substance for another post