Totally killing it -- with compassion: Jetsunma's "Revolution of Compassion" CD
Just got this CD, "Revolution of Compassion," in the mail. Wasn't sure what to make of it. Will admit to a mix of high hopes and skepticism.
It was recorded by Jetsunma Akhon Lhamo, a female Western Dharma teacher of the Nyingma School, with Broooklyn's "Totally Killing It" productions. As her bio reads, she was "the first Western woman recognized and enthroned as a Tulku or reincarnate lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. [... She was] recognized by HH Penor Rinpoche, HH Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche and Dzongang Rinpoche."
The verdict? Haven't heard it all yet, but -- so far, so good! It's got a sort of ethno-techno vibe, with a dubby world flavor, but many of the lyrics are concerned with the dharma (cultivating bodhicitta and wisdom; understanding emptiness), and even feature (sometimes exclusively) actual Tibetan mantras. The album is dedicated "to the liberation and awakenings of all sentient beings." (It's always refreshing to own a CD wherein all the thank-yous are not to agents and sponsors.)
Gonna keep listening to it, and hopefully, give it a more proper review sometime in the near-ish future. In the meantime, if you wanna buy it yourself, go here. (You can also hear bits of it here and on Jetsunma's MySpace page.) There's a lot of new Buddhist-inspired music coming down the pike: Shambhala. Firstborn. Pacific Sky Burial. And this. The Horse wants to cover it all if we can.
So stay tuned.
PS: Extra-credit points go to Ursula Ward, who's half of Totally Killing It, and designed the CD package. It looks DAMNED good!
It was recorded by Jetsunma Akhon Lhamo, a female Western Dharma teacher of the Nyingma School, with Broooklyn's "Totally Killing It" productions. As her bio reads, she was "the first Western woman recognized and enthroned as a Tulku or reincarnate lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. [... She was] recognized by HH Penor Rinpoche, HH Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche and Dzongang Rinpoche."
The verdict? Haven't heard it all yet, but -- so far, so good! It's got a sort of ethno-techno vibe, with a dubby world flavor, but many of the lyrics are concerned with the dharma (cultivating bodhicitta and wisdom; understanding emptiness), and even feature (sometimes exclusively) actual Tibetan mantras. The album is dedicated "to the liberation and awakenings of all sentient beings." (It's always refreshing to own a CD wherein all the thank-yous are not to agents and sponsors.)
Gonna keep listening to it, and hopefully, give it a more proper review sometime in the near-ish future. In the meantime, if you wanna buy it yourself, go here. (You can also hear bits of it here and on Jetsunma's MySpace page.) There's a lot of new Buddhist-inspired music coming down the pike: Shambhala. Firstborn. Pacific Sky Burial. And this. The Horse wants to cover it all if we can.
So stay tuned.
PS: Extra-credit points go to Ursula Ward, who's half of Totally Killing It, and designed the CD package. It looks DAMNED good!
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