Get a peace of the action
The Tibetan monks of the Gaden Shartse Monastery in Southern India have been on tour for more than a year and will return to Newport from Saturday, June 8, through Saturday, June 15.
The weeklong visit will feature a full range of colorful, entertaining, enlightening and participatory public events, including ceremonies, talks, workshops, pet blessings, a benefit “monk made” dinner. The monks will also offer personal consultations, blessings, healings and more throughout the busy week. Most events will be at the Samaritan Center for Health Education unless otherwise noted.
The Lincoln County Friends of Tibet have been helping bring the monks annually to the Oregon Coast for the past several years.
The Gaden Shartse monks open their visit Saturday with the Ched Drol Ceremony, a colorful ritual where the participants are wrapped in yarn. The purpose of this ancient ceremony is to remove inner and outer obstacles.
Saturday continues with a Butter Sculpture and Sand Mandala workshop for all ages at Newport Public Library. This is a fun opportunity to try your hand at using the ancient tools the monks use for making sacred sand mandalas, and to create small figures called “tormas” out of a mix of butter and flour.
Saturday evening Geshe Champa Chodak, the senior monk on this tour, will give a talk on “Cultivating Compassion in Troubled Times,” a look at what the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism can offer in dealing with the tumultuous state of the world, along with practices for keeping an open heart in times of conflict and change, a subject the Tibetans know all-too-well after roughly 65 years of exile from their Himalayan homeland.
On Sunday morning, the monks are offering a special outdoor prayer ritual called a Smoke Offering, or Tsang Tsol, a special and rarely done ceremony on these tours. The ceremony is for protection of the earth, sky and water. This special ceremony will be offered at a private location with limited access, so those interested in attending must pre-register.
Sunday afternoon and again on Thursday the monks will offer an introductory class in Tibetan Buddhist meditation. People can attend either class or both. “Geshe” is the highest degree title of achievement at the Tibetan monastic universities. It takes 18 years or more to complete the studies to be a fully qualified Geshe. Three monks on this tour have that degree.
Sunday evening is the Vajrasattva Empowerment Ceremony, a ritual in Tibetan Buddhism believed to purify all negative actions of body, speech and mind, and is the keystone for most of the Tibetan healing ceremonies. The ceremony includes chanting, mudras (hand gestures), and the use of various ritual objects.
On Monday evening is a talk on Tibetan astrology, a much different astrological system from the Western version. It is geared more towards helping steer people towards more altruistic and compassionate lives, and is not merely predictive.
On Tuesday afternoon the monks will perform a Pet Blessing in the parking lot of Atonement Lutheran Church. The monks will hold a general blessing with the Geshe offering brief prayers and blessings for individual pets. All animals should be leashed or be brought in protective carriers. Pictures of living or deceased pets may also be brought for the Geshe’s blessing.
On Wednesday, the monks will present an evening of “The Sounds of Tibet: Traditional Chanting and Music, and a Golden Nectar Offering,” featuring the unusual and mystic sounds and instruments from the high Himalayas of Tibet.
On Thursday, the Geshe will offer a talk on “Aging Without Regrets: Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition.”
That evening, the Geshe will also offer a talk on “Exploring Tibetan Tantra — The Tibetan Path to Buddhahood.” Tantra is the core of Tibetan Buddhist practice, and there are a great many misconceptions about what it involves in the West. In Tibetan Buddhism, “Tantra” refers to the realization that there is no separation between “samsara” (the daily rounds of suffering we go through) and “nirvana,” the release from suffering.
Friday evening is the Long Life White Tara Empowerment. White Tara is said to be a manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Chenrezig, born out of tears of compassion. She is believed to grant health, long life and the healing of inner and outer wounds.
On Saturday, closing out the week of activities, the monks will prepare a special Monks and Momos Benefit Dinner at Atonement Lutheran Church. The meal will feature monk-made momos, delicious stuffed dumplings in both veggie and meat options, along with a simple side dish. Tickets for the event must be booked and paid for in advance.
During their stay, the monks will also be offering personal Tibetan astrology readings and personal and group healings as well as personal, land, house and business blessings.
All events are donation-based, with suggested amounts for the different events. All funds raised go directly to the Gaden Shartse Cultural Foundation, a non-profit charity that supports the monks at their home in the Tibetan Refugee Zone of Southern India.
The Samaritan Center for Health Education is located at 740 SW 9th Street. Atonement Lutheran Church is located at 2315 N Hwy. 101. For more information or a complete schedule, go to SacredArtsofTibetTour.org or call 530-748-9365.
Saturday, June 8
10 am - Ched Drol Ceremony, Samaritan Center for Health Education
2 pm - Butter Sculpture and Sand Mandala workshop, Newport Public Library
6 pm - “Cultivating Compassion in Troubled Times” talk, Samaritan Center for Health Education
Sunday, June 9
2 pm - Introductory class in Tibetan Buddhist meditation, Samaritan Center for Health Education
6 pm - Vajrasattva Empowerment Ceremony, Samaritan Center for Health Education
Monday, June 10
6 pm - Tibetan Astrology talk, Samaritan Center for Health Education
Tuesday, June 11
4 to 6 pm - Pet Blessings, Atonement Lutheran Church
Wednesday, June 12
6 pm - “The Sounds of Tibet: Traditional Chanting and Music and Golden Nectar Offering,” Samaritan Center for Health Education
Thursday, June 13
10 am - Introductory class in Tibetan Buddhist meditation, Samaritan Center for Health Education
2 pm - “Aging Without Regrets: Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition” talk, Samaritan Center for Health Education
6 pm - “Exploring Tibetan Tantra — The Tibetan Path to Buddhahood” talk, Samaritan Center for Health Education
Friday, June 14
6 pm - Long Life White Tara Empowerment, Samaritan Center for Health Education
Saturday, June 15
6 to 8 pm - Monks and Momos Benefit Dinner, Atonement Lutheran Church