Traleg Rinpoche & Donna Summer

anon · July 26, 2012, 9:54pm

The idea of a “spiritual friend” may seem very old fashioned these days, but I had such a friend in the venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, who died unexpectedly this week. I and many others will miss him. I believe the work he has done making classical Buddhism meaningful and understandable in a modern global context has been extraordinary. He consistently presented a Buddhism that is neither New Age, self-help psychology, nor superstition for the masses. For that I am grateful.

I didn’t realize until yesterday that he had a Facebook page. I was delighted to read his tribute to Donna Summer:

Some of you may be a little surprised or even and little bit shocked by this post - perhaps? Like many of you I have just learned that the disco diva Donna Summer has passed away. In the late 70s the disco fever had spread, even to the Himalayas. Even though I was cloistered in the monasteries disco music was all around us. Every time when I had the opportunity to go to Gangtok in Sikkim disco music would be blaring in the main street. While other monks were listing to Bollywood movie songs I started to take an interest in Western pop music and that went with my effort to learn English. I have good memories of listening to classic disco tracks including many of Donna Summer’s hits. Music always brings a lot of memories back- at least in my case that is so. I hope no one finds a cure to that disco fever unleashed in the 70s. I hope the oldies are still swinging from its enduring effect.

I was in two minds about putting this post up because my Facebook is suffering from some sort of identity crisis- I think, because of its personal/public (official) nature, and in some ways I too have grappled with my own identity as a Tibetan Lama living in the West. I have spent more years living in the West than I have in the East. How I perceive myself and how I am perceived by others, I find to be ambivalent and ambiguous. For instance often people say that lamas who live in the West should become more Westernised and eschew many of our Tibetan cultural trappings yet on the other hand if you behave in a very Westernised way sometimes even the same people then may accuse you of not behaving as a Tibetan lama should or must. Sometimes it seems like ‘you are damned if you do and damned if don’t’ type of situations. But these things no longer unduly concern me. Gradually over the years I personally have more or less learned to manage different roles I need to play. But no one, unless one is enlightened, can be all things to all people at all times. So therefor I know my limitations and I know that I can’t please most people, let alone all people all the time. However, disco music had zero effect on diminishing my faith in the Dharma then and my interest in things Western since then have had no corrosive effect on my continuing commitment to the Dharma. For me there is nothing more attractive and alluring than the overwhelming potency of the teachings of the Buddha.

Donna Summer gave us a lot of temporal joy and happiness through her music and I thank her for that. Donna Summer, wherever you are, may you be happy and in peace. Maybe you are playing some of your music in heaven so that the harp music can have a rest.

youtu.be/mRwjYZzvGkY

Warmest Regards,

TR.

I’ve quoted Traleg Rinpoche many times on this site, and though my ability to post here is limited lately, I will probably continue to quote him. So I suppose I thought that in tribute I might as well quote him again…

felix_dakat · July 27, 2012, 10:21pm

I am sorry for your great loss, anon, which, were I not but an ignorant fool would be my loss too. Sincerely, Felix

Oughtist · July 29, 2012, 12:29am

ditto
Ah… love ta love ya, baby!

Ierrellus · July 30, 2012, 1:45pm

So, T.R. could excuse “Gimmee some hot stuff tonight.”* ? I agree that music often transcends words. But popularity is a fickle bitch that awards mediocrity, if mediocrity is craved. Disco, IMHO, sucks because it set rock and roll back for a quarter of a century. But, if it moves a monast, who am I to disagree?

Check out Steve Allen’s reading of “Hot Stuff” as poetry!!!

anon · July 31, 2012, 9:21pm

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Ierrellus, someone on this site once reminded me of a biblical quote - “the wings of the ostrich flap joyfully”. Great quote. Disco kind of reminds me of the wings of the ostrich, or of pandas’ thumbs.

We like what we like, but I think all things can be a source of joy, if we approach things with an open and positive attitude.

Ierrellus · August 1, 2012, 1:11pm

Yes about the wings of the Ostrich. In the disco era I was into Abba–for me exhuberant music regardless of the words to the songs. I apologize if I seemed to diss Donna on words.
“She Works Hard for the Money” was a words and music complementation worth hearing. We are asked to make a “joyful noise” because the joy redeems the noise.
Rock and roll, after Guns and Roses, seems to have lost its hard edge, in your face protest. That went into rap. We old hippies are now nostalgia buffs. Our day has gone.

anon · August 2, 2012, 9:17pm

Joy often does redeem noise. I agree. People who seem plain looking to me (or even unattractive) become gorgeous when their face lights up with joy.