| There has been a bootleg recording | | | | copyright as so many others have done over |
| circulating now for decades in yoga and | | | | the years, robbing Mr. Braat of his duly |
| meditation communities rumored to be of the | | | | earned royalties! If you are familiar with |
| Dalai Lama chanting for a dying friend. | | | | the tradition of yoga, then you know very |
| | | | well there's a tenet of asteya, or |
| It came into my possession the way it comes | | | | non-stealing. |
| to most people -- a yoga friend gave me a | | | | |
| burned CD with the following written on it by | | | | I mean no disrespect to His Holiness (who had |
| hand: | | | | nothing to do with the perpetuation of this |
| | | | untruth), but the myth --and the robbery -- |
| 'Dalai Lama's Chant to Heal All Illness: | | | | has gone on long enough. It's time to give |
| Please Distribute.' | | | | credit where credit is due! |
| | | | |
| I immediately fell in love with this powerful | | | | The truth in the rumor is this:The mantra on |
| chant, and the story that came with it was | | | | the recording is indeed a powerful healing |
| certainly compelling. | | | | chant. |
| | | | |
| Here's how it goes: | | | | To be precise, it's the Maha Mrityunjaya |
| | | | Mantra from the Rig Veda, a prayer invoking |
| The Dalai Lama had a friend who was dying, | | | | Shiva. |
| and His Holiness chanted this healing mantra | | | | |
| at his bedside. His Holiness at first refused | | | | Its roots are firmly in the Vedic tradition, |
| to allow it to be recorded, but then relented | | | | not the Buddhist tradition of the Dalai Lama. |
| on the condition that it never be sold. | | | | (Buddhism does not recognize the Vedas as |
| | | | authoritative.) |
| What a great story. | | | | |
| | | | I hope the fact that it's not His Holiness |
| Unfortunately,the story of the 'Dalai Lama | | | | the Dalai Lama or even Buddhist doesn't |
| Healing Chant' isn't true. At least, not | | | | diminish the appeal of this mantra of healing |
| entirely. | | | | for you. |
| | | | |
| First, the recording was meant to be sold | | | | There are many other quality recordings of |
| (all those bootlegged cassettes, CDs, and | | | | the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra by other artists, |
| mp3s made over the years are illegal copies | | | | but Hein Braat's unusual devotion and |
| which infringe the chanter's copyright). | | | | hauntingly rich voice bring this mantra alive |
| | | | in a unique fashion. |
| And secondly, the person chanting is not the | | | | |
| Dalai Lama. It is Hein Braat, a Dutch | | | | The repitition of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra |
| performer and devoted practitioner of mantra | | | | over time changes your mental and spiritual |
| yoga. | | | | inner landscape, inviting direct healing or |
| | | | pointing your intention to where you might |
| How can I be so sure? | | | | find it. |
| | | | |
| Awhile back, I posted the recording on my | | | | This healing chant is also said to be a |
| yoga web site. An authorized distributor of | | | | 'liberation chant,' leading one away from the |
| Mr. Braat's work asked me to take it down. | | | | cycle of suffering and death into the realm |
| Unbeknownst to me, I had been violating the | | | | of pure consciousness. |