The Monks who Won the Grammy (53 min; 2018; dvd; English & with subtitles)

 

Directed by Aparna Sanyal who will introduce the film

 

Supported by Films Division of India and the Charles Wallace India Trust

 

 

 

Screening will be followed by a discussion with Aparna Sanyal and Khenpo Pema Negi, senior teacher at the Palpung University for the Buddhist Sciences

 

 

 

The monks of Palpung Sherabling Monastic seat in Himachal Pradesh won a Grammy in 2003 for their ritual chants. The film looks at the history, mythology and philosophy of Vajrayana Buddhism through the prism of the monastery exploring the story of Buddhism’s move towards Tantricism in the 7th century and the refuge it received in Tibet over a period of time. Interwoven with tales of Palpung; the master translator of the 10th century, Marpa Lotsawa; Siddhas from India such as Tilopa, Naropa and Guru Padmasambhava; Tai Situ lineage; and finally the monks who received a Grammy for an art practice that has existed for centuries