Geshe Lobsang Yonten was born in 1976 in the Tsakhalho township of Markham County, Tibet. He was determined to study and practice Tibetan literature and Buddhism freely as a teenage monk at the local Karda monastery. Therefore, he escaped Tibet, taking the dangerous journey across the vast grasslands and high Himalayas, reaching India through Nepal. In 1991, he joined Phukhang Khangsten at Drepung Loseling Monastery in Karnataka State, India. He completed his studies of the five Buddhist Treatises (Logic, Perfection of Wisdom Psychology, Middle Path Philosophy, Ethics, and Cosmology) to achieve his doctoral-level Geshe Degree in 2013. Besides his academic accomplishments, he learned spiritual arts, instruments, and multi-phonic chantings. He has toured and constructed Mandala Sand paintings at many colleges and art centers in the United States.

I spoke to Geshe Lobsang Yonten on March 7, 2024. The conversation was made possible by Thupten Tendhar who was kind enough to translate for us. Thupten Tendhar is a decades-long scholar and practitioner of nonviolence and peace. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Rhode Island (URI) and a Geshe (doctorate) degree in Buddhist studies from Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He is a certified Level 3 Trainer in Kingian Nonviolence from the URI Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies. He serves as the director of the International Nonviolence Summer Institute teaching nonviolence globally. He also coordinates and leads training initiatives and inner peace projects at the center. Tendhar authored and published two poetry books, Peace: Rhythm of My Heart and Love: Beating My Heart. His primary research focuses on compassion, inner peace, mindfulness, wellbeing, and nonviolence pedagogy.

Thank you to both Geshe Lobsang Yonten and Thupten Tendhar for this opportunity. As apart of the vinyl that comes with the book, I used recordings from the Tibetan Zong-Kay multi-phonic chanting at Fleet Library.

In Tibetan, it’s called Zog-Kay, which literally means complete voice. In English, we call it throat singing or multi-phonic chanting. Humans don’t have multi-phonic singing ability at birth, but we practice it and then develop our voices deeper and deeper. Eventually, with practice, we can reach the skill of multi-phonic chanting. There are two different types. One comes from the throat,01 which is slightly more shallow. That one comes a lot easier. The other one is deeper; it comes from the abdomen. A deeper voice stays longer; so we practice the deeper method and train to have that ability.

We practice daily, multiple times a day, and sing. Some people may be unable to do multi-phonic chanting even after trying for a long time. It depends on people’s natural voice box and abilities. Those who have the ability, if they practice over and over again over the course of two to three years, will be able to sing well with the multi-phonic voice. We have to learn two things: the first is to produce the multi-phonic voice, or its noise, through the human vocal chord, and the next is to train to twist things and make tones. That is important because while we chant repeatedly, we are reciting verses. So it’s not just the voice but also reciting sentences and prayers, which have tones that change in pitch. This process takes two to three years, and again, some may not be able to get it even if they try. A natural physical element also plays a role in becoming good at multi-phonic chanter.

The purpose of chanting in general, particularly multi-phonic chanting, is that when we do it this way, we are highly concentrated on the verses we recite. And so this is a powerful tool that reminds us to focus more on the verses or thoughts we produce. People can also feel the message when they hear and listen to it. They can feel the vibration; they can feel the meaning. And with that, it brings more impact on their spiritual development. So, the primary purpose is to consolidate all our positive energies and combine them into a deeper voice that conveys the message to ourselves and others listening.

There are two different types of noises produced. Sentient beings, such as humans or animals, produce one kind of noise that is related to or directly related to the organs and physical body of a being. Then, there are noises produced by natural elements, such as wind or water. We also have categories for noises, such as those that some people might consider melodious or those that people consider non-melodious that might induce fear or worry in them. However, spiritual practitioners try to maximize and transform noises into something calmer and more positive. Positive noises or voices are beneficial because they remind us of doing something good that contributes to peace and calm in our spirit. Therefore, they also impact the environment, where we live, or the people we come into contact with. When we do the chanting, either multi-phonic or just regular voice, but with tunes and rhythms, the purpose is to produce voices or noises that are more positive, melodic ideas that impact or inspire people to think something good.

It takes a lot of familiarization to feel something. For example, when some people hear multi-phonic chanting or chanting in general for the first time, they may feel it is completely new. Because of this, it may induce some unfamiliar feelings. Our experiences with unfamiliarity or something strange may spark certain feelings, depending on our relationship with what is unfamiliar. Sometimes, it takes us getting more familiar with noise or any concept to feel more comfortable. When we feel more comfortable, we are open to experiencing or tasting it better.

Chanting and music depend on the motivations of the singer, the musician, or whoever’s producing the voice or noise. When the musician has more positive motivation, even if the audience may feel uncomfortable at the beginning, as they develop more trust and are more open-minded, eventually they feel the energy and impact of the positive motivation. Positive motivation significantly affects whether something becomes more trustworthy or favorable.

There is a great connection between physical design, the noise within us, and the noise we produce outside, and they are all linked by our minds or thoughts. For example, if we think of creating a melodious noise through our physical body, let’s say with our voice, we might try to produce something more harmoniously from the mind, giving the command to the voice.

Similarly, if our mind thinks of making some design, let’s say a sketch on paper, our mind needs to give the command to our hand, and the hand will produce it accordingly. Therefore, physical noise, and by that I mean a physical sketch or design, as well as verbal noise, is all created by the command of our thoughts and minds. But then also, if our mind wants to produce a noise, sketch, draw, etc., and we do it accordingly when we look at it, our eyes sense it, and we develop our thoughts to be able to say if something is good or needs further development, or if we should try something else. Then, by seeing with our own eyes, we also develop a different command that may change our design or voice. So, they are deeply connected with our minds and thoughts. Sometimes, when we judge ourselves or our design, the judgment also tells our mind to think differently.

Before we produce any noise, music, or design, there is a plan within our mind or thoughts, and then it’s like an outline or a blueprint of what we will produce. Based on that outline or the blueprint, we design it in our physical thing and then using our eye senses and ear senses, and so on, we can feel it, we can see it, and then we may realize, “Oh, there is something that we can develop or something that we can change, and then there is no end to the development.” There’s always room for development if we want to modify or develop it.

In meditation practice, we try to familiarize our mind with a specific or chosen object. For example, if we meditate on a particular rock, a flower, etc. Whatever object you pick should sooth you and calm your mind. This technique aims to familiarize your mind with that specific object so that your mind calmly settles on that object. This is because our mind tends to think of multiple things at once. Or, to the other extreme, our mind becomes so unclear and cluttered that we are unaware of what we are thinking. The idea of thinking multiple things at once is called agitation, but you can also think of this as the mind thinking too rapidly; the mind is feeling too hyper. Once again, that is different from the other idea that the mind is so unclear and cluttered that it is unaware of what it is thinking.

These two extremes have always existed in humans, and most people are familiar with them. In meditation, we try to shift from those two extreme opposites to somewhere in the middle, where we are aware of what we are thinking, but also we are trying not to overthink what we are thinking. So we try to focus on the specific object, and whenever our minds wander outside of that object, we simply notice it and try to bring it back to the object; this way, our mind remains mindful and aware at the same time. Humans can train our minds so that we are alert and mindful at the same time, not dull or agitated.

I have no clear childhood memory of that.

It is important to recognize the similarities among people. From this perspective, everyone is equal in the process of life, which is a process of suffering that includes birth, aging, illness, and death. These are four measures of life, and everyone undergoes these processes. When we see people, it is important to acknowledge that everyone will undergo this similar process and not look down on people who are aging or experiencing illness, and so on.

Please recognize that we are all under a similar process of life. Be mindful of our behavior. For example, if I act negatively towards someone or speak to them negatively, this brings negative emotions to them and feelings of hurt inside them. Nobody likes to experience feelings of hurt or suffering, just like I don’t want to experience that. So, because I care for my happiness and well-being, I should also care for others rather than being egoistic or disrespecting others’ feelings. If we all develop this empathetic, compassionate feeling, we will all try to be respectful and mindful in our daily lives. This way, we contribute and live in a society based on respect and acknowledgment. It is essential to repeatedly remind us of this idea so that we live our lives mindfully and positively.