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Ani Tsering Wangmo

Background Information

Ani Tsering Wangmo fled Tibet in 1991 and is one woman that is doing her part to preserve Tibetan culture through music. Born in Lhasa, Tibet, Ani became a nun at the age of 12. After fleeing Tibet, Ani went to Nepal where she devoted her life studying the texts and teachings of the Buddha. She studied at the Yuloku Jetsun Ling Nunnery (Dickyi). Currently residing with Gochen Tulku Rinpoche in Arlee, Montana at Ewam Sang-Ngag Ling, she continues to work with religious texts as she contributes to one of the projects of Gochen Tulku Rinpoche. She is collecting and digitizing pechas in the hopes of preserving precious Buddhists texts that are in danger of being lost. Ani is also learning English and working on a musical career.

Musical Inspiration

Ani confessed to having always loved singing from a very early age. She felt like it was her natural calling that eventually “blossomed into a heartfelt joy” in the form of music (Dickyi). Loving both music and the teachings of the Buddha, she incorporates traditional Buddhist chants and themes into her songs. She sings a vast array of mantras covering subjects such as: Padmasambhava (essence of all Buddha’s power), Prajnaparamita (Lady of Immeasurable Wisdom), Chenrezig (Bodhisattva of Compassion), and Green Tara (female Buddha) to name just a few (www.phayul.com). When speaking with Dickyi, Ani said that “these prayers and mantras serve many different purposes, including bringing refuge and protection, increasing compassion, removing obstacles and difficulties, bringing an awareness of impermanence to the mind, and inspiring devotion” (Dickyi). Taking a very Mahayana approach, she attempts to benefit all sentient beings by spreading the teachings of the Buddha through her music. She believes that by simply listening to her music “others could receive blessings and generate compassion” (Dickyi).

Contributions to Charity

Ani personifies the epitome of generosity in that she donates all of the proceeds from her projects and CD’s to charities. Ani recently released a set of five CD’s called the “Immeasurable Collection”. As stated on her website, anitsering wangmo.com, proceeds from three out of the five CDs—“Immeasurable Joy”, “the Gyaling,” and the “Immeasurable Equanimity” specifically—are being donated to a medical clinic in Tibet. This medical clinic serves those in Tibet that need medical care but do not have the means to seek professional care elsewhere. The proceeds from another CD from the same collection entitled “Immeasurable Loving Kindness” are going toward the Maghada Garden. This garden is being built in Arlee, Montana to replicate the holy land of Bodhgaya which is located in a district of India called Maghada. The proceeds from the final CD of the collection, “Compassion,” will be donated to a nunnery in Nepal-the Yuloko Jetsun Ling nunnery. This is the same nunnery which Ani fled to after leaving Tibet in 1991. In her interview with Phayul, Ani shares her reasoning for having all the proceeds of her CDs donated to charities:
“The main purpose of my music is to support these causes. It is my wish that the profits from my work will only go to those who are in need. In the future I aspire to increase the number of different charities that I support, including homes for the elderly, poor, and orphans” (Dickyi).

Ani is extremely unique in this way—instead of being selfish and desiring to further her own career, she produces music to increase the awareness of the Buddha in others. Rather than marketing her discs for personal gain, Ani sells the CDs in order to help support medical clinics for those less fortunate in Tibet, to further enhance and expand the Yuloko jetsun Ling Nunnery in Nepal, and to aid in the establishment of Rinpoche’s garden at Ewam in Arlee.

Works and Sound Samples

"Immeasurable Loving Kindness"<br />
"Immeasurable Joy"<br />
"Immeasurable Compassion"<br />
"Immeasurable Equanimity"<br />
"Gyaling"<br />
"Turquoise Leaf"

For sound samples go to http://www.anitseringwangmo.com/store/immeasurable_loving_kindness.html

References

http://www.phayul.com/ads/clients/ewam/<br />
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=14957&article=Ani Tsering Wangmo, singing tunes to sacred Buddhist music-An Interview&t=1&c=5<br />
http://www.anitseringwangmo.com/about/about.html