Who: Krishna Das, Lama Tenzin, Richard Gere, Former Nuns of Nagi Gompa
What: Benefit concert for Shedrub Development Fund
When: Wednesday, October 5, $50 – $500, 7:30
Where: Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 West 86th St. at West End Ave.
Why:Last November, we went to Boudha, Kathmandu, to study with Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche at his Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery, which, like most of the city, was hit hard by the earthquakes of April and May 2015. On October 5, the second annual benefit for the Shedrub Development Fund will take place at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew on the Upper West Side, once again headlined by Grammy-nominated singer Krishna Das, who specializes in the Hindu devotional chant music known as kirtan. Also returning is Lama Tenzin Sangpo, who escaped his native Tibet as a child and received his education and ordination from Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche at the shedra, becoming an accomplished chant master. The “concert of sacred music and chant,” which will be hosted by dedicated student of Tibetan Buddhism Richard Gere, will also feature a performance by the Former Nuns of Nagi Gompa, who are now based in Queens. Tickets for the concert begin at $50 for general admission and $150 for preferred seating. For $500, patrons also are invited to a catered preconcert reception with the artists. (You can watch a video of the rebuilding effort here.)