Tibetan Monks Return to Placerville for Sand Mandala Creation
Dec 09, 2015 02:02PM ● By David Norby
One of the most anticipated events of each new year in El Dorado County is the annual visit by the Tibetan monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery in India who annually take up residence in Placerville's Cozmic Cafe, 594 Main Street, for two weeks to create a stunningly beautiful and intricate "sand mandala" and offer a range of colorful ceremonies and presentations, workshops and special events, including the dazzlingly exotic and colorful Tibetan Cultural Night at the Cameron Park Community Center.
This year marks the 12th year that the monks have visited our area and as the monks have repeatedly said, El Dorado County is one of their favorite places to visit in the U.S., perhaps because the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains remind them of their exiled homeland in Tibet, or perhaps because of the warm and generous hearts of the people of our county. Either way, each year a different group of monks is sent from their home "monastery-in-exile" in India (since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959), Gaden Shartse Monastery - Phukang this year (Phukang is one of a number of monastic "colleges" within the enormous Gaden Shartse monastic college complex in India , in order to share their unique and deeply spiritual culture of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and to raise money for the the support of several thousand monks and Tibetan refugees at Gaden Shartse and in the Tibetan Refugee Zone in India.
Beginning New Year's Day, January 1, 2016, the monks open their two week residency at the Cozmic Cafe with a special opening ceremony at 4pm that begins the intricate process of creating the Green Tara Sand Mandala. The mandala, rich in symbolic figures and intricate design, is created by a long and meditatively concentrated process of carefully placed rainbow colored sand grains. Working daily through January 13th, the monks can be seen upstairs at the Cafe everyday (except Mondays), from 10am to 6pm, as they meticulously use ancient metal tools designed specifically for the creation of these sacred mandalas. This year's mandala is "Green Tara", one of the most important figures or "bodhisattvas" (great beings) of Tibetan Buddhism, who in the form of a woman symbolizes compassion and compassionate action in the world. The entire mandala is a symbolic representation of both the mind and the spiritual universe, used for over 1500 years by Tibetan monks in their meditation.
In addition to the creation of the Green Tara sand mandala, the monks will be offering a number of public presentations, all open to the public on a strictly donation basis (no one turned away for lack of funds), including: a hands-on "butter sculpture workshop" (always a big hit with children and families) where participants will learn to create various designs and figures out of butter mixed with barley flour, a traditional sacred art form (Saturday January 2nd); a monk-prepared traditional Tibetan dinner (Thursday, January 7th at the Federated Church in Placerville) featuring delicious handmade Tibetan "momos" or dumplings; a children's story hour of Buddhist animal teaching stories, similar to Aesop's fables (January 5th and 12th); a number of colorful and ornate ceremonies and rituals of the Tibetan Buddhist faith which will be offered throughout the visit; an "Interfaith Ceremony for Peace and Healing" with representatives of various faith traditions (Sunday, January 10th); a sand mandala making class for adults (Saturday, January 9th); and a number of presentations on Tibetan Buddhism throughout their visit, including one on the "Six Perfections" of "Generoisty, Morality, Tolerance, Energy (or Intention), Meditation and Wisdom. All funds donated go directly to the support of the Gaden Shartse Monastery in India and its 3000 monks, as well as the neighboring Tibetan refugee community in southern India.
Along with these presentations at the Cozmic Cafe and other locations in Placerville, the monks will be performing a special "Tibetan Cultural Night" at the Cameron Park Community Center on Saturday, January 9th at 7pm. This is a colorful evening of sacred Tibetan song and dance, along with demonstrations of the otherworldly sounds of Tibetan chant and music using ancient instruments and the twelve foot long Tibetan horns. The evening also includes a lively demonstration of the Tibetan monastic debate, a very physical and boisterous process involving body movement and hand gestures with shouted responses.
For a complete schedule of events, visit www.facebook.org/pvilletibet or www.sierrafriendsoftibet.org (includes schedule for other residencies by the Tibetan monks throughout our region); or email [email protected].
This year marks the 12th year that the monks have visited our area and as the monks have repeatedly said, El Dorado County is one of their favorite places to visit in the U.S., perhaps because the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains remind them of their exiled homeland in Tibet, or perhaps because of the warm and generous hearts of the people of our county. Either way, each year a different group of monks is sent from their home "monastery-in-exile" in India (since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959), Gaden Shartse Monastery - Phukang this year (Phukang is one of a number of monastic "colleges" within the enormous Gaden Shartse monastic college complex in India , in order to share their unique and deeply spiritual culture of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and to raise money for the the support of several thousand monks and Tibetan refugees at Gaden Shartse and in the Tibetan Refugee Zone in India.
Beginning New Year's Day, January 1, 2016, the monks open their two week residency at the Cozmic Cafe with a special opening ceremony at 4pm that begins the intricate process of creating the Green Tara Sand Mandala. The mandala, rich in symbolic figures and intricate design, is created by a long and meditatively concentrated process of carefully placed rainbow colored sand grains. Working daily through January 13th, the monks can be seen upstairs at the Cafe everyday (except Mondays), from 10am to 6pm, as they meticulously use ancient metal tools designed specifically for the creation of these sacred mandalas. This year's mandala is "Green Tara", one of the most important figures or "bodhisattvas" (great beings) of Tibetan Buddhism, who in the form of a woman symbolizes compassion and compassionate action in the world. The entire mandala is a symbolic representation of both the mind and the spiritual universe, used for over 1500 years by Tibetan monks in their meditation.
In addition to the creation of the Green Tara sand mandala, the monks will be offering a number of public presentations, all open to the public on a strictly donation basis (no one turned away for lack of funds), including: a hands-on "butter sculpture workshop" (always a big hit with children and families) where participants will learn to create various designs and figures out of butter mixed with barley flour, a traditional sacred art form (Saturday January 2nd); a monk-prepared traditional Tibetan dinner (Thursday, January 7th at the Federated Church in Placerville) featuring delicious handmade Tibetan "momos" or dumplings; a children's story hour of Buddhist animal teaching stories, similar to Aesop's fables (January 5th and 12th); a number of colorful and ornate ceremonies and rituals of the Tibetan Buddhist faith which will be offered throughout the visit; an "Interfaith Ceremony for Peace and Healing" with representatives of various faith traditions (Sunday, January 10th); a sand mandala making class for adults (Saturday, January 9th); and a number of presentations on Tibetan Buddhism throughout their visit, including one on the "Six Perfections" of "Generoisty, Morality, Tolerance, Energy (or Intention), Meditation and Wisdom. All funds donated go directly to the support of the Gaden Shartse Monastery in India and its 3000 monks, as well as the neighboring Tibetan refugee community in southern India.
Along with these presentations at the Cozmic Cafe and other locations in Placerville, the monks will be performing a special "Tibetan Cultural Night" at the Cameron Park Community Center on Saturday, January 9th at 7pm. This is a colorful evening of sacred Tibetan song and dance, along with demonstrations of the otherworldly sounds of Tibetan chant and music using ancient instruments and the twelve foot long Tibetan horns. The evening also includes a lively demonstration of the Tibetan monastic debate, a very physical and boisterous process involving body movement and hand gestures with shouted responses.
For a complete schedule of events, visit www.facebook.org/pvilletibet or www.sierrafriendsoftibet.org (includes schedule for other residencies by the Tibetan monks throughout our region); or email [email protected].
This visit by the Tibetan monks of Gaden Shartse Phukhang Monastery is sponsored by the Placerville Friends of Tibet and Sierra Friends of Tibet, both ad hoc volunteer organizations dedicated to supporting the Tibetan people and culture in both their occupied Tibetan homeland and in their exile around the world.