Sierra Friends of Tibet is pleased to announce the visit of the Tibetan Monks from Gaden Shartse visit to the Grass Valley/Nevada City and San Juan communities. Because Nevada County has allowed all venues, restaurants, movie theaters, and businesses to open; we have decided to request the Monks to come to our communities. We ask all attending to follow Nevada County Covid guidelines and to wear masks while indoors.
The Tibetan Buddhist Monks will be in residence at the Banner Community Guild, in Grass Valley, approximately one mile past the Fairgrounds on the left. The dates will be January 20th to January 29th. Opening Ceremony will be on Thursday, January 20th at 7:00 pm. The sand mandala will be the Dukar, Diety of the White Parasol. It was the first sand mandala created by the Monks in 2001, and since our twenty year anniversary with Shartse Monastery was cut short by the pandemic, we still wanted to return to our first sand mandala. We will also request the Monks to teach on Life, Aging, Dying, Death and Rebirth just like in 2001. If you would like the Monks to visit your school, church, organization or schedule a house, business or land blessing, or if you want to be put on a list for a personal healing with the Monks. Email sierrafriendsoftibet@gmail.com or call 530-798-9576.
Gaden Shartse Monastic College is situated amid lush green hills and jungle in the remote countryside of southern India. It was founded in 1969 as an effort to re-establish one of the great monastic traditions of Tibet. A small group of elder monks and fifteen young boys, all of whom had managed to escape the destruction in Tibet, settled on land given to them by the Indian government in Mundgod, Karnataka.
Gaden Sharste is at the forefront of the revival of Tibetan Monastic education, with more than 1600 resident students, teachers, scholars, and spiritual practitioners. More than 70% of the members are between the ages of 10 and 25 and 80% of these were born in Tibet. To this day, young monks arrive at the Monastery weekly from Tibet, seeking shelter and education. Due to the success of the academic program and the quality of the teachers at the monastery, Gaden Shartse has established a reputation as being the leader in the field of Buddhist and Tibetan studies.
The Primary Purpose of Tour is to present the Tibetan Perspective of the Buddha’s teachings, numerous Empowerment’s, Lectures, and sand Mandalas. Secondly, Gaden Shartse needs to maintain the University Temples, classrooms, library, and texts, kitchens, food, grounds, and fields. If we were to guess $2.00(USA) is needed to maintain one monk for one day and that includes a small weekly stipend for necessities, then this represents vast sums of money, for over 1000 monks, everyday. The ongoing purpose is to be of service to the world community by nurturing peace, harmony, compassion, and tolerance. We wish and want you to come stay with us and share our life.
The Sanskrit name for the Dukar deity is Ushnisha Sitatapatra [Tibetan: du kar] which can also be translated as “The Victorious White Parasol.” Her parasol indicates her ability to protect sentient beings from natural catastrophes, diseases, and so forth. She is white in color, because the principal means by which she accomplishes this function is the enlightenment energy of pacification. Ushnisha Sitatapatra is a female form of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Like him in his elaborate form, she also has a thousand eyes that watch over living beings, and a thousand arms that protect and assist them. Thus she symbolizes the power of active compassion. She protects all beings from the Eight Great Fears of pride, ignorance, anger, envy, wrong views, avarice, attachment, and doubt. These mental factors are called fears because they cause suffering and are therefore to be feared and avoided. Dukar’s parasol, or umbrella, indicates her ability to protect sentient beings from sufferings such as floods, fires, earthquakes and other natural catastrophes, sickness and disease, as well as from interference by spirits and other negative forces. Dukar is especially revered in regions of Tibet, China, and Mongolia.
Schedule is subject to change
Unless otherwise noted all events are at the Banner Guild
Thursday, January 20th 7:00 pm – Opening Ceremony
Friday, January 21st 2:00 pm – Teaching on This Precious Life (part one) first noble truth
7:00 pm – Chenrezig, (Buddha of Compassion) empowerment
Saturday, January 22nd
2:00 pm –Teaching on This Precious Life (part two) first noble truth
7: 00pm – Medicine Buddha Empowerment
Sunday, January 23rd 10:00 am Vajravidharan Group Healing
2:00 pm Animal Blessing at Animal Save, 520 East Main Street, Grass Valley
Monday, January 24th 2:00 pm Teaching on Aging part one – 2nd noble truth (cause and effect)
7:00 pm Teaching on Aging part two – 3rd noble truth (attain nirvana)
Tuesday, January 25th
Wednesday, January 26th 2:00 pm Chay Drol Healing Empowerment
7:00 pm Teaching on Aging part three – 4th noble truth (6 perfections)
Thursday, January 27th 2:00 pm Teaching on Aging part four – 4th noble truth (eightfold path)
7:00 pm Prayers for the sick, dying and recently deceased
Friday, January 28th 2:00 pm Teaching on Dying, Death and Rebirth
7:00 pm Explanation of Dukar Sand Mandala followed by the Dukar empowerment
Saturday, January 29th 10:00 am and Closing Ceremony Sand Mandala
Noon at Wolf Creek in Grass Valley