Gyuto Monks of Tibet visit CCA

The monks, disciples of the Gyuto monastery, are masters of Buddhist Tantric ritual and tantric ideals. They are also known for their tradition of ‘overtone’ throat singing, used during their chanting ceremonies. The sound is believed to have a transformative effect, helping to clear the path to enlightenment.

Along with CCA’s Arlene Steven, I met the monks during a break in their workshops upstairs. To our surprise they revealed that they had been working on a decorated stone as a gift to the arts centre. To their surprise we told them of the earlier history of the Third Eye Centre and Sri Chinmoy’s involvement in its evolution with the then director, Tom McGrath. We all reached a point of synchronicity when I mentioned how the business model of the Californian band the Grateful Dead had influenced the shared programme in the current CCA. It turned out that an earlier incarnation of the monks had performed with the Dead in 1995 and recorded with one of their drummers, Mickey Hart!

The stone they presented to us was freshly decorated with the universal prayer of compassion that represents the central philosophical Tibetan culture of compassion, 'Om Mani Padme Hum' - 'Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus!' We are really pleased to receive this, and we want to thank the monks publicly for this amazing gift.

Francis McKee, CCA Director