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MALAYSIAN
CONNECTION
The Star, Mon Aug 13, 2007 Stories
& Photos: The Star/Hilary Chiew
ELEVEN
years ago, on their first visit to Ladakh, Malaysians Datuk Sri
Norbu Wong Yeon Chai and his wife, Datin Sri Norzin Loo Chooi Ting,
heard about the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa’s mission to preserve various
holy objects and religious artifacts.
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| Winning combination: Chow
Kam Leong, 52 (left), jointwinner of the Live to Love theme
songwriting competition, with Jeffery Lim, who sang the
song. |
A
crucial part of the Drukpa lineage, these items had been looted or
destroyed, or were in a general state of neglect.
Touched
by the spiritual guru’s efforts, the couple conceptualized a
museum within the Hemis Monastery (a principal Drukpa monastery in
Ladakh) to house the valuable artifacts.
The
opening of the Hemis Museum was one of the highlights of the recent
800th anniversary celebration of the lineage. It was witnessed by
hundreds of locals and foreign Drukpa followers, among them about 40
Malaysians.
The
double-storey museum marks an important milestone in the Drukpa
legacy in Ladakh. It houses some 40 ritualistic items, like statues
of Buddha in bronze and copper dating back to the Gandhara period
(an ancient kingdom in present-day Pakistan’s Peshawar Valley) in
the 1st century.
More
recent ceremonial items include tiger and snow leopard pelts.
Representing
Norbu Wong and Norzin Loo at the opening ceremony was the latter’s
brother, Loo Chee How, who declined to disclose the expenses
incurred in setting up the museum.
“Actual
planning for the building and the curating of the display items
began five years ago. We hope this will become a tourist attraction
and generate income for the locals,” Loo said.
Another
Malaysian who made the news in Ladakh recently was Chow Kam Leong,
52, who emerged joint-winner of the Live to Love theme song-writing
competition, together with Trent Williamson of Australia.
Chow’s
Mandarin song, titled after the theme of the anniversary
celebrations, clinched the top prize of a pilgrimage to Nangchen in
Qinghai, China.
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| Historic: Hemis monastery
which houses the Hemis Museum |
An
accomplished music composer and scriptwriter, Chow has been a
follower of Drukpa teachings for four years.
The
former music teacher has produced four albums of Buddhist hymns. His
first foray into religious music was in 1987, when an ex-classmate
who’d become a monk passed him some lyrics. He composed the scores
and the 10-track album was distributed under Rocks Record.
“They
don’t sell like hot cakes but after two to three years, some 2,000
copies may be sold. My first album has sold 7,000 copies to date,”
said Chow, who plans to spend a month in Ladakh next year to seek
inspiration for his music.
The
numbers of Drukpa devotees in Malaysia has been growing since the
first visit of the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa in 1987.
The
first Drukpa center was subsequently established in Kuala Lumpur in
1995. There are now eight centers in the country, two directly under
the spiritual guru and six under Rinpoches of the lineage.
There
are more than half a million followers of the lineage outside of
South Asia, most notably in Britain, France, Mexico, Peru, the
United States, Brazil, Argentina, and South-East and East Asia.
Related
stories:
Homage
to a leader
Spread
the love
Unlocking
wisdom
Birth
of the Drukpa Lineage
©
The Star Publications |
