Customer Reviews
A Bitter and Beautiful Truth - By: The Wolf, 19 Jul 2009 
Originally locatedin Khamin Eastern Tibet The Sherab Ling monastery
today standsin the Kangra Valley not too distant to Dharamshala, home
to the Dalai Lama & the Tibetan governmentin exile.
It would not be there of course had China not invaded Tibetin 1950,
systematically destroying a proud & gentle people & their rich
and innately peaceful indigenous heritage.
The Karma Kagyu school of Buddhism, too, has not been without its
internal political wrangles also. There has been a fierce dispute about
the rightful leader of this sect since the death of the sixteenth Karmapa
(spiritual head) Rangjung Rigpe Dorjein 1981.
It is a story riddled with deception, intrigue & shameful misdeeds.
( See : 'Buddah's Not Smiling : Uncovering The Heart Of Tibetan Buddhism Today',
Erik D. Curren - Alaya Press 2005 ).
That the monastery has survivedin its current incarnation is
reason to be thankful of course. Picking up the ragged remains
of a brutally decimated spiritual culture & rebuilding it in
a foreign (and not entirely hospitable land) bares witness
to the bravery & stoic determination of its caretakers.
This album is a curiosityin many ways; not least because of its Grammy win
for Best Traditional World Music Album at the 46th annual awardsin 2004.
This once almost hermetically private music has now found a place on the
world stage & perhaps the world becomes a tiny bit better because of it.
The musical language will be strange & unfamiliar to unaccustomed ears.
The three piecesin this recording give a small but vivid insight into a world
where dedication to spiritual progress is paramount.
These chants are not untypical of hundreds of othersin the Tibetan monastic canon.
The recitation of sacred texts follows a prescribed pattern handed down & learned
over centuries. Ritualistic observance, not entertainment, it should be noted.
The music is, none-the-less haunting, mysterious & evocative to Western ears.
We have no near equivalent. Even the stripped-down austerity of Gregorian chant
does not come close. There is something primeval, almost feral, about these sounds.
The hypnotic drone of a collective voice punctuated by the occasional cough or
plaintive sigh; the periodic cacophony of percussion & horns startling us out
of our meditative reverie; time flowing backward & forward simultaneously.
The atmosphere & production of the recording is both faithful & respectful.
There is no accurate measure for evaluating the quality of the performance
but to remain unmoved would be next-to nearly impossible.
Wonderfully Strange - Strangely Wonderful.
Essential.
Real Chant - By: Sonic, 13 Jul 2009 
With all the 'chant' albums that are out there it good to see one that presents just the orignal with no added annoying soundtracks for western ears. The quailty is good capturing the raw sound even the odd cough which adds overall atmosphere. This is a great album for relaxing with possibly the only exception isin the first part of track 2 when horns & other instruments are played loud but by then im normallyin a good relaxed mood subconsciously smiling.
real mccoy - By: michael shame, 14 Sep 2008 those like myself searching through the morass of fakery for a genuine moment of human otherness, will find onein this recording. no new-age glittery confection this. this is from source, unmolested & with throat-clearing intact. obtain.
authentic - By: BattyBAS, 07 Apr 2008 When I play this CD I am transported back to the Himalayan foothills where I listened to monks chanting every morningin the temple up the mountain. The Tibetans are a very special people & the memories stirred by this CD are of the peace, happiness & spirituality I felt during my time living near them.
I then realised I sleptin Sherab Ling Monastry one night, on the roof with a group of friends - we were visiting to do Puja for a birthday. So this has been a happy purchase for me - do visit the monastryin Kangra if you are out that way.
weird and wonderful - By: , 16 Nov 2004 There are some very weird & wonderful sounds that emit from the mouths, throats & other instruments of the Monks of Sherab Ling.They are all perfect for anyone interestedin Meditation, relaxation or contemplation of any kind. The three tracks are an ideal duration for a Meditation session. Stopping to work with each track 3 times a day would be good for de-stressing & slowing down the pace for a while - good for calmer, Karma & Dharma!!! I would definately recommend it.
