The Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery in India will be our guests again this year. They will be creating the sacred Medicine Buddha Mandala sand painting and performing their transcendent temple dances and music. This will be their last North American appearance before they return to India.
Highlights of their week-long visit from November 27 through December 4 include opening and closing ceremonies, creation of the mandala, an Interfaith meditation service, and a special event, Sacred Music Sacred Dance. Click here for a detailed schedule of activites.
Special Event: Sacred Music Sacred Dance
Saturday December 3 at 7:30 pm
The famed multiphonic singers of Tibet’s Drepung Loseling Monastery, whose sellout performances in Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center received national acclaim, will perform Sacred Music Sacred Dance for World Healing at Unity North as part of their international tour of The Mystical Arts of Tibet.
Endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the tour has three basic purposes: to make a contribution to world peace and healing; to generate a greater awareness of the endangered Tibetan civilization; and to raise support for the Tibetan refugee community in India. The performance features multiphonic singing, wherein the monks simultaneously intone three notes of a chord. The Drepung Loseling monks are particularly renowned for this unique singing. They also utilize traditional instruments such as 10-foot long dung-chen horns, drums, bells, cymbals and gyaling trumpets. Rich brocade costumes and masked dances, such as the Dance of the Sacred Snow Lion, add to the exotic splendor.
Tickets for Sacred Music Sacred Dance are $20.00 and may be still be purchased at the door. Tickets that were purchased online can be picked up at will call before the performance.
Detailed Activity Schedule
| Date / Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, November 27, both services | Chanting | Sanctuary |
| Sunday, November 27, 12:30 pm | Lunch with the monks | Holy Grounds Cafe |
| Sunday, November 27, 2:00 pm | Opening Ceremony | Sanctuary |
| Monday - Saturday, November 28-December 3, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Sand mandala construction | Sanctuary |
| Wednesday, November 30, 6:30 pm | Potluck Dinner | Holy Grounds Cafe |
| Wednesday, November 30, 7:30 pm | Interfaith Service - Meditation and Chanting | Sanctuary |
| Saturday, December 3, 7:30 pm | Sacred Music Sacred Dance | Sanctuary |
| Sunday, December 4, 1:00 pm | Completed Mandala on display | Sanctuary |
| Sunday, December 4, 2:00 pm | Closing Ceremony | Sanctuary |
| Sunday, December 4, 3:00 pm | Dispersal Ceremony | Lake Cherful, Mountain Park, GA |
About the Monks
The Medicine Buddha mandala sand painting will be created by Tibetan Buddhist Monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery in India during their visit to Unity North. The Monastery in southern India was founded to house Monks who had escaped from Drepung Loseling Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, when Tibet was overrun by the Chinese during the 1950’s. The Monastery in Tibet, established in 1416 as an institute of higher learning for Buddhists, housed over 10,000 Monks, but only about 250 of them escaped into India. The others were imprisoned or killed. Over 1 million Tibetans, including Monks and Nuns, have been killed since the acquisition of Tibet by the Chinese. Tibet is now a region of China. Tibetans are forbidden to display their flag, sing their national anthem or display pictures of their spiritual leader, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama now lives in exile in Dharamsala, India. It is our vision that eventually there will be cultural autonomy and freedom for all Tibetans.
The Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery in India have been touring North America for over 20 years to support their monastery and to preserve and demonstrate part of their beautiful Tibetan traditions. Their Monastery in India now houses around 3000 Monks, some as young as seven or eight, and two-thirds of whom are refugees from Tibet. It is a very long, difficult journey from Tibet to southern India over the Himalayas and through India. They often leave behind family, loved ones and their support community. There are opportunities for us to help these Monks by donation, monthly contribution, purchase of tickets to events such as Sacred Music Sacred Dance and by purchasing items from the Monks. One Monk, when asked what the tour meant to him, thought for a moment and said, “It means we aren’t hungry anymore.” Please consider helping these Tibetan Buddhists with your purchases and Love Offerings.
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