LAMA KARMA CHÖTSO
End of the Sky
End of the Sky is a mix of traditional Tibetan chants, ancient Tibetan songs, and modern original songs, all sung in the beautiful clear voice of American Tibetan Buddhist nun Lama Karma Chötso. Opening with the taking of refuge in the Dharma and closing with the dedication of merit, this album is a ceremony and teaching in itself. What brings it all together is Lama Karma Chötso’s absolute conviction, whether she is singing a song of Milarepa, a Mahakala chant, or one of her own original songs, which came to her in dreams.
Guest artists such as acclaimed Indian flautist Steve Gorn and the spectacular quintet Inner Voice enhance the sense of clarity and Dharma inherent in this recording. Make no mistake—these are not empty rituals or words mumbled in a language that no one understands. Lama Karma Chötso is real and down-to-earth, living every minute of a life dedicated to Dharma. This album is an expression of that intention, aspiration, and accomplishment.
Lama Karma Chötso is a fully ordained Tibetan Buddhist lama, living and teaching in South Florida. In the early 1980s, she encountered the magnificent Tibetan teacher Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche and was inspired to take refuge in the Dharma. Being a person who doesn’t mess around, this North Dakota farm girl took it all the way, receiving her first ordination as a Buddhist nun in 1986 and completing the traditional Kägyu three-year retreat in 1990.
Since then she has never turned back. Currently living and teaching in South Florida, Lama-La’s path is the traditional Tibetan Buddhist one. Her practice and teachings are faithful to those of her closest living teacher, Lama Norlha Rinpoche, who empowered her as a full Lama in 2006.
During her time in South Florida, Lama Karma Chötso has given lectures at the Whole Life Expo, Sunshine Cathedral, St. Thomas University, Barry University, and many other venues. She has given blessings to the manatees at the Miami Seaquarium and the dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key. After having been a member of the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Council of Greater Hollywood for many years, she has served as President of the Interfaith Council of Greater Hollywood, Florida, and has taught meditation to the inmates at Broward Correctional Facility. She is also a professional volunteer chaplain for Hospice Care of Broward County, assisting in the dying process and performing Buddhist transition rituals for the deceased and their families.