Mandala Tour in Canada   

The tour will include building sacred sand mandalas, traditional Tibetan monk dances, chanting and debate, a variety of workshops for people of all ages and abilities – including Tibetan butter sculpture and Buddhist prayer writing, Dharma talks for those interested in learning about Tibetan Buddhism and an educational slideshow featuring images of the Monastery.

The proceeds from the tour will go to support the monks at Gaden Jangtse Monastery.

While in Canada the monks hope to visit educational institutions, local businesses, libraries, medical facilities, service organizations, city government affiliates and programs, churches, synagogues, mosques, and other organizations interested in hosting these community events. They are particularly interested in participating in community events involving children, the elderly, refugees, and other groups or individuals who would not normally have access to this kind of program.

Feel free to pick and choose which items you would like to present in your area. We are very happy and grateful to be able to share the Tibetan Buddhist experience with you and to give you and your organization a glimpse of this beautiful culture.

Please note that all donations listed are suggestions only. Anyone, anywhere is always welcome to participate, regardless of whether or not they can afford a donation. Also, for coordinators, you may suggest other donation amounts according to your own discretion. It is our hope however, that those who can afford to contribute will do so, so that we can continue supporting the food and medical needs of the monks living at Gaden Jangtse. All proceeds raised from this tour will support food and medical supplies and the other needs at the Monastery. Whatever you are able to contribute is deeply appreciated.

Sand Mandala

The most important aspect of each exhibit will be creation of a traditional Sand Mandala – an ancient art form of Tibetan Buddhism.

Mandalas are drawings in sand of the world in its divine form and represent a map by which the ordinary human mind is transformed into the enlightened mind. The creation of Sand Mandalas takes place over four to seven days, beginning with special prayers and chanting ceremonies. They work all day placing sand practically grain by grain as they create these incredibly rare forms of art and faith.

Upon completion of the Mandala the monks hold a dismantling ceremony whereby the Mandala is blessed a final time and the grains of sand are swept up into a pile – erasing the once beautiful work of art. Some of the sand is given to people present, as a small blessing for their home or gardens, and the remainder is taken to a nearby body of water where it is poured into the moving water which carries the prayers and blessings throughout the earth.

The Gaden Jangtse monks are renowned for their creations of the Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala, the Amitayus Mandala, and the Mandala of Chenrezig – the Buddha of Compassion.

Sacred Dances & Performances

As in most deeply religious cultures, Tibetan arts are inseparable from spiritual observance. All elements – music, dance, costume, chanting, and blessings – are intended to renew the links between the people and the divine.

Ritual performances of sacred music and dance were regularly held at monasteries throughout Tibet to celebrate spiritual festivals. People from the surrounding villages and nomadic tribes would assemble in the monastery's courtyard for three or four days of sacred music and dance.

The touring monks can perform a full program of up to two hours, including intermission. A performance may include several of the following:

• Dances may include the Black Hat Dance, Dakini Dance, Yak Dance and others. Some of these dances are held to eliminate negative energies, to remind us of the impermanence of things, or for social or environmental healing.
• Singing, chanting and blessings, such as Incense Offering and Song for World Peace.
• Demonstration of a monastic debate.
• Short talk about Buddhist Dharma.
• Ceremony for good luck.
• Questions and Answers.

Pujas

"Puja" is a Sanskrit word that means worship. The monks chant prayers and perform rituals to fit specific occasions. Prayers are addressed to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or specific deities. Their purpose is to overcome any obstacles to obtaining release from suffering and to promote spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Pujas may be performed for a house blessing, the evolution of the soul of a friend, relative or animal who has passed on, for clearing karma, purification of local negative energy, world peace, individual or global healing, financial security, spiritual evolution, or the development of wisdom.

The prayers are recited in the traditional overtone chanting, each monk singing a full chord of three notes. The prayers are often accompanied by delicate hand gestures, cymbals, drums, horn and flutes. Available pujas include:

• World Peace and Healing
• Purification
• House or Business Blessing
• Remove Negativities and Obstacles
• Tara and Guru Puja
• Tea Puja
• Fire Puja

Teachings

The tour group is led by a Geshe, a monk who has achieved the equivalent of a PhD and is considered a Master Buddhist Teacher. The Geshe will be available to give talks on Buddhist philosophy and will be happy to answer questions about the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The Geshe teaches in Tibetan and a translator who travels with the monks will translate to English. Some of the teachings that the Geshe may give include:

• Introduction to Buddhism
• Basic meditation practice
• The Four Noble Truths
• Karma
• Impermanence
• Elements of traditional Lamrim Practice
• Elements of Lojong (Mind Training)

Butter Sculpture, Prayer Writing Workshops

Hands-on workshops for all ages. Work one on one with monks to learn how to make rare Buddhist art forms.

The monks are happy to do workshops specifically for children or the elderly.

Slide Show History & Overview

A slide show of the history of Gomang, from the old black and white photos of Lhasa, to the first arrival of the monks to Bhagsa in 1959, to the settlement here in the early days, and then photos from the present day. These photos have never been seen outside the monastery. The show will be accompanied by a running commentary, including personal histories of some of the oldest living monks from Tibet.

The purposes of the Sacred Art Tour

• the monks sincerely wish to communicate a message of peace, wisdom, and compassion to heal our anxious minds in these troubled times
• the monks are eager to introduce the arts and culture of Tibet to North America
• the monastery wishes to generate funds for the food and medical supplies that are necessary to support the 2,000 refugee monks of the monastery

About Gaden Jangtse Monastery

Gaden situated near Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, was founded by Je-Rinpoche also known as Lama Tsong-kha Pa in 1409. Je-Rinpoche is the founder of Ge-lug-pa tradition or the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Gaden Jangtse Thoesam Norling Monastery, popularly known as Gaden Jangtse Dratsang (College), was founded by Horton Namkha Palsang.

In 1959 the Communist Chinese forcefully occupied Tibet with unimaginable brute force, bringing destruction and untold miseries on Tibet and killing thousands of innocent Tibetans. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many thousands of Tibetans sought asylum in India.

At the special request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Government of India, all the monasteries were initially relocated at Buxa. Later on they were shifted to south India, many to Karnataka. One of the most important educational centers to be re-established in South India is Gaden Jangtse Monastic College. When the monastery was built in 1969, in a settlement named Mundgod, it housed only 169 monks who had come from Tibet.

Over the years the number of monks has increased to 2,023, including all different age groups: the youngest novice is six and the oldest monk is 96 or so; about 500 are less than 20. Most of this younger group have recently escaped from Tibet. They escaped for various reasons, from inhuman treatment, to lack of proper human rights, or because there is no proper education in occupied Tibet. A good number of monks are from remote Himalayan regions of India. Some were born in the refugee Tibetan Settlements in India.

Because there are so many monks the original prayer hall became too small. The head of the monastery, Venerable Khen Rinpoche, and other administrators came to the conclusion that we must have a bigger prayer hall. The present prayer hall was built and was inaugurated by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on December 19th 2001.

Once you enter the main prayer hall of the Gaden Jangtse Monastery you will feel peace of mind, body and soul, you will forget the outside world for the time being. Every day, hundreds of people from different nationalities and religions visit Gaden Jangtse Monastic College and they are deeply impressed by the simple way of life of the Buddhist monks.