Calm Abiding: Guided Meditations & Sacred Buddhist Prayers

Calm Abiding is a timely collaboration between the Tashi Lhunpo Monks and meditation expert Shan Tate. The first three tracks, each of about 15 minutes in length, commence with preparatory and blessing prayers chanted by the large ensemble of monks recorded on location at their monastery in exile from Tibet in South India. Tate then leads each short meditation with clear calm instructions. Each meditation ends with the monks singing a Tashi blessing. This is a really effective method of combining the sacred work of Buddhist monastic life with an experienced Western practitioner of meditation.

There is nothing difficult to master. ‘Breathe Meditation’ is easily accessible to anyone. ‘Meditation on the Clarity of Mind’ highlights how this can be an essential part of everyday living, and finally ‘Kindness Meditation’ is what humanity needs right now. The well-written CD booklet places this practice in a more detailed context. It is a pity that HH the Panchen Lama is unable to know about the great work that the Tashi Lhunpo monks are doing as he has been disappeared by the Chinese authorities for the past 24 years. The rest of the CD presents four beautifully chanted Tibetan Buddhist prayers. This is an essential release for the times we live in.