Today, Hitco Entertainment and Khandro Music released a unique album of mantras and teachings by The Dalai Lama set to music, entitled Inner World. Released to honor his 85th birthday celebrations on July 6th, 2020, the album is be a great dedication to the decades of his vision and work for world peace and educating the heart. When asked why he accepted the request to make the album, he answered, “The very purpose of my life is to serve as much as I can.” He also added, “Music can help people in a way that I can’t.”
Inner World is an offering of the Dalai Lama reciting mantras and giving short teachings all woven to a bed of music. The album has been released in conjunction with an Inner World companion booklet, revealing the benefits of the mantras written by Venerable Robina Courtin, and exclusive, stunning artwork; a collaboration between the acclaimed New Zealand duo of Ella Brewer (classically trained Thanka Painter) and Tiffany Singh (an award-winning visual artist). This particular work of theirs is a combination of traditional Tibetan and contemporary art.
In addition to the album’s release today, Inner World will be sharing an 85th Birthday Celebration for The Dalai Lama. This dedication will be live-streamed twice, at 9am IST (Delhi) and 5pm BST (London), and will be streamed on both the Inner World YouTube channel and Facebook page. The program will include longtime student and friend of The Dalai Lama, Richard Gere as well as other special guests, birthday messages, and musical performances, including one by Anoushka Shankar, who will debut a performance of Ama La, the track from the album that she features on.
The origins of Inner World began in 2015, when one of the project’s co-executive producers and a longtime student of The Dalai Lama, Junelle Kunin, wrote to him requesting his participation, by fervently explaining her feelings that an album by such a compassionate and wise being would help people particularly who struggle with emotional stress. After reading her letter, his response was enthusiastic, saying, “This will benefit many people!”. She and her husband Abraham Kunin, both from New Zealand, spent the next five years working with a small team to bring the project to life. The Dalai Lama’s recordings have been thread through music produced by Abraham and performed on thirty-plus instruments by himself and a cast of collaborators from around the world, including a special guest performance from Anoushka Shankar on “Ama La.” The composer integrated the live performances with artful programming and production, building a peaceful bedrock for these sacred offerings.
Net proceeds from the sales of Inner World will go to The Gaden Phodrang Foundation of the Dalai Lama (Switzerland) chosen program: Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning), an international K-12 education program and part of an academic collaboration between Emory University and His Holiness; and Mind and Life Institute, which brings science & contemplative wisdom together to better understand the mind & create positive change in the world.
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