Monastic Music, Vocational Training, and Buddhist Education in Ladakh

Monastic rituals in Ladakh are accompanied by sacred music, enshrined in the ritual text known as dbyangs-yig. In Ladakhi monasteries (gonpas), monks perform these rituals with musical precision and religious sanctity, preserving centuries-old traditions. While these practices have historically remained intact, recent shifts have led to degradation in ritual performance, particularly due to the absence of standardized musical notation and the evolving role of monastic education. Around Leh, the capital of Ladakh, four major Gelukpa monasteries exert a strong musical influence, shaping the ritual practices of more remote monastic communities. Increased interaction between monks from these monasteries has further contributed to shifts in ritual transmission and pedagogy. This paper examines historical and social transformations in monastic music and ritual performance, situating these changes within broader discussions on Buddhist education, vocational training, and the evolving role of ritual expertise in contemporary monasticism.