And It Came to Pass—Not to Stay*
Farewell to Lopön Peter Lieberson

Prepared by: Lotus Garden News Staff
Published: 11 May 2011

Photo Credit: Lopön Peter Lieberson ©2011 Mindrolling International, All Rights Reserved

The Lotus Garden sangha mourns the passing of our beloved Lopön, Peter Lieberson. Lopön Peter passed away on April 23 in Israel while receiving treatment for cancer.

Sounding the Spiritual Depths

Peter Lieberson was born on October 25, 1946 in New York City into an artistic family. From a young age he aspired to write music and ultimately realized his dream and became a renowned composer. Peter’s inventive compositions have been presented by distinguished orchestras around the world. Artists such as his late wife, the mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianists Peter Serkin and Emanuel Ax have performed some of his most intimately crafted works to great critical acclaim.

On hearing of his death, the American Academy of Arts and Letters noted with sorrow the death of their esteemed colleague, describing Peter as “a composer who sought to sound spiritual depths beyond music, and did so in music that is both elegiac and joyful, challenging and consoling.”

Encountering the Dharma

This eulogy might well-describe the nature of the investigation Peter undertook both in his music and his journey as a Buddhist practitioner. In 1976, while studying composition at Columbia University in New York City, Peter encountered the dharma in such a startling way that both his life and his work would be forever transformed; one evening, in a downtown Manhattan loft, he met the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Peter recalled this experience as “encountering an energy that spun me like a top down the street and into the night”.

In addition to compositions which set to music the words of such poets as Rilke and Naruda, at the urging of the Vidyadhara, Peter went on to create dynamic orchestral and operatic works with boldly Buddhist titles such as Drala, The Six Realms, King Gesar, Red Garuda, and Ashoka’s Dream.

Photo Credit: The Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
(Photographer unknown)

While continuing to compose, Peter gracefully assumed the responsibility of teaching the dharma and serving as an administrator in the Shambhala community, first as a director of Shambhala Training, then later as Director of Shambhala Training International and on the Vajradhatu Board of Directors.

Meeting Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche

In 1993, several years after the passing of his guru, the Vidyadhara, Peter first met the two Mindrolling Jetsünmas, HE Khandro Rinpoche and Jetsün Dechen Paldron, during their visit to Halifax. Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche has said she vividly recalls being "struck by his wonderful intelligence and great devotion to his guru, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche."

In 2003, Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche established Lotus Garden as a new center for her growing sangha. It was at this time that Peter began studying closely with Jetsün Khandro. He also assumed leadership of the Santa Fe study group at this time, giving tirelessly of his time, knowledge, and experience to the dharma students of Santa Fe. In 2005, Rinpoche appointed Peter as one of six lopöns (acharyas, or senior teachers) to whom she would entrust the task of guiding and instructing the sangha.

Over the years, Lotus Garden students have been inspired by Peter’s facility with all the levels of Buddhist teachings. Many of us recall bearing witness to the a sharp, yet playful exchanges which would often arise between Khandro Rinpoche and Lopön Peter during Rinpoche’s teachings; one could not but be impressed.

Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche received word of Lopön Peter’s recent passing while traveling in Europe. She sat down and composed a moving tribute to Peter and sent it to the sangha, offering comfort in a time of sorrow.

Photo Credit: Peter Lieberson poses with one of his scores ©2011 LA Times

In her letter Rinpoche wrote, "Lopön Peter was an invaluable member of our sangha and every one of us who knew him could not but be touched by his brilliant wisdom, kindness, humour and elegance. His life is an example of a dedicated practitioner and a loving teacher who possessed a marvelous intellect, compassion, sanity and true grace of body and spirit."

The next day Sam Bercholz wrote of his friend Peter, "He was able to be fully in the world and at the same time practice the profound inner view of luminosity and emptiness."

One of Peter’s final compositions was entitled Remembering JFK (An American Elegy). In this work, he quoted a speech on ethics once given by John F. Kennedy. It had impressed him deeply. "In my view," Lieberson explained in his program notes, "these ethics are not simply about personal behavior but have to do with the basic intentionality with which one leads one's life." These words could perfectly describe Lopön Peter himself.

Dedicating Practice of the Vajrasattva Sadhana to Lopön Peter

Our hearts are sorrowful at Lopön Peter’s passing, but there is also joy in remembering Lopön Peter for the wonderful human being he was. It is our immense good fortune to have crossed paths with him in this lifetime.

Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche and Lopön Peter during an empowerment at Lotus Garden ©2011 Mindrolling International

The thoughts and prayers of the entire Lotus Garden community are with Peter’s devoted wife, Rinchen Lhamo, and beloved daughters Katherine, Christine and Elizabeth Lieberson.

The Mindrolling, Samten Tse and Lotus Garden sanghas will be holding the various necessary ceremonies and observing each of the seven-day periods marking the passing of Lopön Peter. The third week after the passing falls on May 14th; on that day, Lotus Garden will be dedicating a full day’s practice of the Vajrasattva Sadhana to Lopön Peter Lieberson.


* after R. Buckminster Fuller

You might also like to read:
A Day of Practice for Lopön Peter Lieberson
(19 May 2011)