Dalai Lama goes all in on an album mixing music with mantras

Stressed out while working at a bank in New Zealand, Junelle Kunin began searching for music paired with teachings from the Dalai Lama to calm herself down and allow herself to focus.

But she couldn’t find it online. That’s when the musician and practicing Buddhist proposed an idea to The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Let’s make an album fusing music with mantras and chants from the Tibetan spiritual leader.

She was politely turned down. But on a trip to India — where Kunin says she typically gets a chance to meet the Dalai Lama — she asked again, this time writing a letter and handing it to one of his assistants.

Five years later,“Inner World” is born. The album featuring teachings and mantras by the Dalai Lama set to music will be released on July 6, his 85th birthday.

“I’d never heard him speak like this. He really was so excited ... he actually proceeded to explain to me how important music is,” Kunin said. “He leaned forward and his eyes were sparkling, and his fingers were rubbing together and he (talked) about how music can help people in a way that he can’t; it can transcend differences and return us to our true nature and our good heartedness.”

The 11-track project will be released in conjunction with a companion booklet.

On her trip to India in 2015, Kunin wrote down a list of topics and mantras she thought would be great for the album, and recorded the conversations with the Dalai Lama for “Inner World.” He recites the mantras of seven Buddhas on the album, discussing topics like wisdom, courage, healing and children.