Sudhana Cycle

During 1984 and guided by I’m not sure what, I emerged from TIBET HOUSE, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, India, after having spent an hour or so browsing. I'd been moved in a way I’d never before experienced and had in my hand a very small volume entitled Atisha and Buddhism in Tibet. Shortly thereafter I found myself, though I don't recall how, with a copy of Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey’s Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development. Thus began my very modest, slowly trodden path into Buddhism. A couple of years ago and quite unexpectedly the idea occurred to me to undertake a large-scale composition project. I was studying the Avatamsaka Sutra at the time, a study which needless to say continues. The thirty-ninth and last book of this gigantic scripture, a sutra in its own right, the Gandavyuha, depicts the journey taken by the pilgrim, Sudhana. He visits fifty-three spiritual benefactors, each of whom gives him guidance towards his goal of enlightenment. The Sudhana Cycle then, is a musical account of Sudhana’s journey. When completed it will comprise fifty-three stand-alone pieces which, nonetheless, might one day be performed in chronological order. The pieces are named after each of Sudhana’s spiritual benefactors.

00 Introduction 10Maitrayani
24 Sinhavijurmbhita 27Avalokiteshvara
33 Pramuditanayanajagadvirocana 34Samantasattvatranojahshri
35 Prashantarutasagaravati 49Shivaragra