Lama Chopa is perhaps the most popular practice in Tibetan Tantric world. It is traditionally performed on auspicious occasions for invoking the blessings of the enlightened masters for individual, communal, and environment healing. The ceremony involves chants, traditional musical instruments, and various offerings of light, food and flowers.
This practice was composed by the First Panchen Lama, Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen. The First Panchen Lama was the guru of the Fifth Dalai Lama, and perhaps the singularly most popular figure in seventeenth century Tibet. Today it is perhaps even more popular than ever, serving as something of a symbol of the endangered Tibetan civilization.
Although Lama Chopa is itself a single piece, musically, it is comprised of approximately a dozen sections. It begins with arousing the inner meditative mind of the performer and the invocation of forces of goodness from the ten directions. It then goes on through the stages of worship and meditation, and eventually concludes with a dedication to world peace.
On Thursday, June 26, at 7:00 p.m. “The Mystical Arts of Tibet” (Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery) perform a sacred ceremony: “Lama Chopa at Unity Buffalo”. Tickets on sale at Unity in Buffalo and online: www.unitybuffalo.org for $15.
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