Gyuto Order
Encyclopedia
Gyuto Tantric University is one of the great monastic institutions of the Gelug
Order.
colleges of the Gelug tradition. In Tibet, monks who had completed their geshe
studies would be invited to join Gyuto or Gyume, another tantric institution, to receive a firm grounding in vajrayana
practice. Both of these monasteries used to be in Lhasa, Tibet, but they have been re-established in India. At the time of the Chinese invasion in 1950, about 1000 monks were part of the monastery. 60 Gyuto monks fled to India in 1959. After initially gathering in Dalhousie, India, the monastery was established in Tenzing Gang, in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The main monastery is now based in Sidhbara, near Dharamsala, India. Today, there are nearly 500 monks in the entire order. Ramoche Temple
in Lhasa was located inside Gyuto Monastery.
Gyuto's monks are known for their tradition of overtone singing
, also described as "chordal chanting" which is said to have been transmitted by their founder. It achieved renown in the West following the release of recordings made by David Lewiston
in 1974, and in 1986 by Windham Hill Records
.
In 1995, a group of Gyuto Monks traveled to the United States and performed during a series of concerts with the Grateful Dead
. Under the name "Gyüto Monks Tantric Choir", they appeared on the Mickey Hart
/Planet Drum
album Supralingua.
.
In 2008, the Gyuto Monks assisted in the preparations for the five day visit of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama
, at the Dome in Sydney Olympic Park
. As tantric masters, Gyuto monks play a very specific role in the Gelug
tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
and thus were able to advise on, and carry out, the ritual requirements necessary for His Holiness’s program throughout the five days.
They created a full-size 2 metre Sand Mandala
of Chenrezig (also known as Avalokiteśvara
) in honour of the Dalai Lama
, Buddha
of Compassion himself and subject of the Initiation Ceremony.
In December 2008, the Gyuto Monks held their Happiness Tour of Australia at Bondi Beach Pavilion with a program of activities that included meditation, tantric art class and public talks.
In February 2009, the Gyuto Monks performed a harmonic chanting ceremony at the Sydney Premiere of the Tibet: Murder in the Snow documentary at Chauvel Cinema, Paddington, New South Wales
.
In May 2009, they hosted early morning meditation sessions for attendees to the Happiness and its Causes conference in Sydney.
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
Order.
History
Gyuto (Tibetan རྒྱུད་སྟོད་ , Wylie rGyud sTod) was founded in 1475 by Jetsun Kunga Dhondup and is one of the main tantricTantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
colleges of the Gelug tradition. In Tibet, monks who had completed their geshe
Geshe
Geshe is a Tibetan Buddhist academic degree for monks...
studies would be invited to join Gyuto or Gyume, another tantric institution, to receive a firm grounding in vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
practice. Both of these monasteries used to be in Lhasa, Tibet, but they have been re-established in India. At the time of the Chinese invasion in 1950, about 1000 monks were part of the monastery. 60 Gyuto monks fled to India in 1959. After initially gathering in Dalhousie, India, the monastery was established in Tenzing Gang, in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The main monastery is now based in Sidhbara, near Dharamsala, India. Today, there are nearly 500 monks in the entire order. Ramoche Temple
Ramoche Temple
Ramoche Temple is a Buddhist monastery is considered the most important temple in Lhasa after the Jokhang Temple. Situated in the northwest of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, it is east of the Potala and north of the Jokhang, covering a total area of 4,000 square meters .-History:Ramoche is...
in Lhasa was located inside Gyuto Monastery.
Gyuto's monks are known for their tradition of overtone singing
Overtone singing
Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or harmonic singing, is a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the resonances created as air travels from the lungs, past the vocal folds, and out the lips to produce a melody.The partials of a sound wave made by the human voice can be...
, also described as "chordal chanting" which is said to have been transmitted by their founder. It achieved renown in the West following the release of recordings made by David Lewiston
David Lewiston
David Sidney George Lewiston is a London-born collector of the world's traditional music. He is best known for his recordings initially released on LP on the Explorer Series of Nonesuch Records beginning in 1967.-Biography:...
in 1974, and in 1986 by Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment specializing in Acoustic, New Age and Folk music. Originally founded in 1976 as an Independent record label by guitarist and carpenter William Ackerman and his then-wife Anne Robinson, Windham Hill was a successful and well-respected...
.
In 1995, a group of Gyuto Monks traveled to the United States and performed during a series of concerts with the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. Under the name "Gyüto Monks Tantric Choir", they appeared on the Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
/Planet Drum
Planet Drum
Planet Drum is a world music album by Mickey Hart, a musician and musicologist who was a member of the rock band the Grateful Dead.Hart's concept for Planet Drum was to play drum music with percussionists from around the world, and incorporate their different musical styles and traditions into a...
album Supralingua.
Gyuto monks in Australia
In 2003, a group of Gyuto Monks performed at the wedding of Australian actress & singer, Toni ColletteToni Collette
Antonia "Toni" Collette is an Australian actress and musician, known for her acting work on stage, television and film as well as a secondary career as the lead singer of the band Toni Collette & the Finish....
.
In 2008, the Gyuto Monks assisted in the preparations for the five day visit of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, at the Dome in Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
. As tantric masters, Gyuto monks play a very specific role in the Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
and thus were able to advise on, and carry out, the ritual requirements necessary for His Holiness’s program throughout the five days.
They created a full-size 2 metre Sand Mandala
Sand mandala
The Sand Mandala is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition involving the creation and destruction of mandalas made from colored sand...
of Chenrezig (also known as Avalokiteśvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
) in honour of the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
of Compassion himself and subject of the Initiation Ceremony.
In December 2008, the Gyuto Monks held their Happiness Tour of Australia at Bondi Beach Pavilion with a program of activities that included meditation, tantric art class and public talks.
In February 2009, the Gyuto Monks performed a harmonic chanting ceremony at the Sydney Premiere of the Tibet: Murder in the Snow documentary at Chauvel Cinema, Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
.
In May 2009, they hosted early morning meditation sessions for attendees to the Happiness and its Causes conference in Sydney.
Films
- 1974 – Tantra Of Gyüto: Sacred Rituals Of Tibet. Directed by Sheldon Rochlin and Mark ElliottMark ElliottMark Elliott is an English travel writer best known for books on Azerbaijan, and for unusual map-based route guides for Asia. Though long out of print, Asia Overland co-authored with Wil Klass garnered something of a cult following among overland travellers during the late 1990s...
. - 1989 – The Gyuto Monks: Timeless Voices
Music
- 1986 – Tibetan Tantric Choir : The Gyuto Monks
- 1989 – Freedom Chants from the Roof of the World : The Gyuto Monks, The World (Rykodisc/Mickey Hart Series)
- 1997 – Seven Years in TibetSeven Years in TibetSeven Years in Tibet is an autobiographical travel book written by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer based on his real life experiences in Tibet between 1944 and 1951 during the Second World War and the interim period before the Communist Chinese People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet in...
: film soundtrack- Track 2 : Young Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
and Ceremonial Chant (includes excerpt from "Mahakala" written and performed by the Gyuto Monks Tantric Choir) - Track 6 : The Invasion (includes excerpt from "Yamantaka" written and performed by the Gyuto Monks Tantric Choir)
- Track 2 : Young Dalai Lama
- 1998 – Tantric Trilogy : The Gyuto Monks of Tibet
- 2000 – The Practice of Contentment : A Meditation Guide
- 2001 – Om Mani Padme HumOm mani padme humis the six syllabled mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara , the bodhisattva of compassion...
: The Jewel In the Lotus - 2001 – Sounds of Global Harmony CD
- 2008 – Tibetan Chants for World Peace : Gyuto Monks Tantric Choir