Our recommendations: What to listen to, watch and read on Tibet during coronavirus quarantine
As we are all staying inside as much as possible, it is important to take care of yourself mentally whether it is listening to some relaxing music or reading a beautiful book.
We hope our recommendations below will help in some way and also deepen your appreciation of all things Tibet. This is also our way to show our support to Tibetan artists during these uncertain times.
MUSIC
Heart Strings
Tenzin Choegyal, Tibetan musician extraordinaire and one of exiled Tibet’s cultural ambassadors to the West, has been a generous supporter of ATC. Now with the pandemic, all his concerts in Australia and worldwide over the coming year have been cancelled.
Please support and enjoy his beautiful music during these uncertain times. Heart Strings is our all-time favourite.
Buy a digital album for yourself for $8 or more or send it as a gift to someone special.
Mãdro
Multi-talented activist and artist Tendor shows how Tibetans can be great at both singing and story-telling. His music is a breath of fresh air, a true labour of love, and a poetic weaving together of songs and stories. This series of eight songs/stories are a celebration of love and friendship, the everyday lives of exiled Tibetans as well as of Tibetan worldviews.
Buy a digital album for yourself or someone special for $7.92 or more.
MOVIES
The Dalai Lama – Scientist
This is the only one on the list that is not produced by a Tibetan artist, but we thought it is a fitting documentary for our times. Now more than ever, we need to listen to both science and spirituality to address the big challenges of our time. His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s life is a guide to us all.
Royal Cafe
Paris-based Tibetan filmmaker Tenzin Dasel explores the pains and pursuits of Tibetan refugees living in the French capital in Royal Cafe, a no-budget film. Her characters are not pious Tibetan Buddhists of the western imagination, nor are they the subjects of China’s brutal oppression we see in mainstream narratives, nonetheless the stories are both personal and political. These are individuals marked by their own desires and disappointments, seeking a way out of their political and personal limbo. Apart from the lead actress, all other actors appeared on the screen for the first time.
BOOKS
Enticement
“Enticement marks the English-language debut of prominent Tibetan writer and filmmaker Pema Tseden.
…These stories make use of a variety of literary styles and sources, ranging from traditional Tibetan oral tales to magical realism, surrealism, and the theater of the absurd. They humanize the Tibetan experience by stepping away from patronizing, mystic, or idealised visions of Tibet to speak with empathy and humor about the real challenges faced by Tibetans in the age of globalization.” – Amazon
Essence of the Heart Sutra: The Dalai Lama’s Heart of Wisdom Teachings
“For more than 2,000 years, the Heart Sutra has been part of the daily life of millions of Buddhists. This concise text, so rich and laden with meaning, concentrates the very heart of Buddhism into a powerful and evocative teaching on the interdependence of all reality.
In Essence of the Heart Sutra, the Dalai Lama masterfully unpacks the Heart Sutra so that any listener can benefit from its teachings – teachings meant to help us release ourselves from suffering and live with true compassion.” – Audible
Ziji: The Puppy Who Learned to Meditate
“Children will love learning the calming power of meditation alongside Ziji, a playful puppy.
…This book, written by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, one of the new generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters, will teach your child the basics of meditation in a fun and engaging way.” – Amazon