Tibetan Monks Return to Grass Valley this winter

Sierra Friends of Tibet is pleased to announce the return of the Tibetan monks from Gaden Shartse Monastery’s Sacred Earth and Healing Arts Tour to Grass Valley January 26th to February 9th 2024, where they will be in residence at the Banner Community Grange Hall: approximately one mile from the Nevada County Fairgrounds at 12629 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley.

This much anticipated yearly event will provide a full schedule of Tibetan cultural presentations for 15 days, giving area residents and visitors a chance to experience firsthand the unique culture of the Tibetan people and the rich traditions of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. The monks’ two- week residency at the Banner Community Guild will include the creation of a beautiful Sand Mandala, carefully constructed over the course of their visit, following ancient symbolic designs. Each grain of sand will be carefully laid down by hand, using techniques unchanged for millennia. The public will be able to observe and enjoy this moving and meditative process, as the monks work in the beautiful Hall at the Banner Community Grange. In the evenings, talks on Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy, monastic life and other presentations related to Tibetan culture and history as well as Tibetan Buddhist practices and ceremonies will be offered. There will be opportunities for the monks to visit schools, churches and organizations, and do house, land and business blessings, offering their ancient and hypnotic chants and prayers for prosperity, healing and happiness. Please be sure to check the schedule on line at www.sierrafriendsoftibet.net and on our Facebook page.

This year, Sierra Friends of Tibet requested the monks make the Manjushri Mandala. The Buddha of Wisdom. The construction of the mandala begins with the drawing of the design on the base, or tek-pu. The artists measure out and draw the architectural lines using a straight- edged ruler and compass. The mandala is a formal geometric pattern showing the floor plan of a sacred mansion. Once the diagram is drawn, in the following days you see millions of grains of colored sand painstakingly laid into place. The sand, colored with vegetable dyes, is poured onto the mandala platform with a narrow metal funnel called a chakpur which is scraped by another metal rod to cause sufficient vibration for the grains of sand to trickle out of its end. The two chakpurs are said to symbolize the union of wisdom and compassion. The mandalas are created whenever a need for healing of the environment and living beings is felt. The monks consider our present age to be one of great need in this respect, and therefore are creating these mandalas where requested throughout their world tours. When finished, to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists, the colored sands are swept up and poured into a nearby river or stream where the waters carry healing energies throughout the world.

The Sand Mandala will be painstakingly created over a period of sixteen days. The Hall will be open daily for viewing from 10:00am until 6:00 or 7:00 PM dependent upon the monks’ schedule. When the Mandala is finished on Friday, February 9 th , there will be a special ritual to bless the Mandala and mark its completion. Following the blessing, the mandala will be ritually dissolved, highlighting by example the Buddhist view of impermanence. The sand is swept up into a pile, and small portions of the sand are offered as gifts to members of the audience. This is always a standing room only event. The rest of the sand is taken to Wolf Creek in Grass Valley, where after a short ceremony it will be poured into the water as a blessing to purify the environment and all the beings that inhabit it.

According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the purpose, meaning and techniques involved in the creation of the Sand Mandala, involving elaborate symbolism and iconography, are for rituals of initiation and for meditation. Mandalas are also created to purify the immediate environment and its inhabitants, and to promote harmony in the world.

One of the biggest highlights of this visit will happen on Saturday, January 27th and Saturday, February 3rd at 10 am, when there be Tibetan art activities for the entire family. Children must be accompanied by a parent. There will be Buddhist pictures to color, butter sculptures to make, mandala line drawings to fill in with sand, colored pencils, or watercolor paint, and Tibetan calligraphy. The Monks will work with families, and an enjoyable time is guaranteed for all. The last few years were very successful, and lots of fun, and we encourage families to attend. Other events this year are Prayers for the sick, dying and recently deceased, accepting and embracing old age, and a series of lectures on the Six Perfections.

The Six Perfections, also known as transcendent perfections, are generosity, morality, patience, vigor/diligence or joyful perserverance, concentration, and wisdom The Gaden Shartse monastery has been able to continue to keep Tibetan culture and Buddhist traditions alive while being forced to live in exile from their homes in Tibet because of the kindness and generosity of communities like Grass Valley, Nevada City, the San Juan Ridge, Auburn and areas throughout the Sierra Foothills, along with many other areas in the United States. The visiting monks have always remarked that our area is one of their favorite places to visit, both for the tremendously generous and warm reception they always receive here, and because our Sierra foothills and mountains remind them of their homeland in Tibet and Northern India, where the Dalai Lama lives.

In addition, our local doctors, dentists and optometrists kindly treat the monks for free. No other community the monks visit offer this health assistance. The Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour has been visiting the United States since 1989 with a two-fold mission: to be of service to the world by helping to spread peace, compassion, and tolerance through cultural exchange, Buddhist teachings and interfaith dialog, and to raise funds that will provide for the education, medical needs, housing, food, education, and building maintenance for the monks at Gaden Shartse Monastery, located in a Tibetan Refugee Settlement near Mundgod in South India. 

Gaden Monastery is the original Buddhist monastery of the Gelug tradition of Tibet, the same lineage or tradition as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the creation of the monastery was prophesied by the Buddha 1900 years prior to its actual establishment in 1409 CE. The monastery was originally housed on a large hillside about 30 miles east of Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. Centuries ago, there were an estimated 3,300 Monks, and the population grew to 5,000 monks by the time of the Chinese invasion in 1950. The original monastery was completely destroyed during the Chinese invasion of Tibet, and was re-established in the south of India by 48 surviving monks. The original land for a Tibetan refugee settlement, including Gaden Shartse Monastery, was generously donated by the Indian government. It has taken incredible effort in the face of unthinkable challenges to keep this precious unbroken tradition of Tibetan Buddhist teachings and culture with us today. All funds raised during the 2024 tour are donated directly to the Gaden Shartse Monastery As in previous visits, people may request personal and group blessings, as well as house, land and business blessings. As always, the monks will have a table of handmade weaving, paintings, jewelry and other items for sale, made by Tibetan refugees in the Tibetan resettlement area in India.

It may be important to note that Tibetan culture is Buddhism, and Buddhism is Tibetan Culture. In the Tibetan language there is no word for religion. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, when he first fled into exile called Buddhism the “training of the mind.” Later he called it a philosophy of life, and now he states that if he has a religion, then his religion is Kindness. For a complete schedule of events go to the Sierra Friends of Tibet Facebook Page, or to  www.sierrafriendsoftibet.net more information on the Gaden Shartse Monastery tour, including bios on the individual monks, can be found at  http://www.sacredartsoftibettour.org

Animal Blessing at Animal Save, 520 East Main Street in Grass Valley in Grass Valley on Sunday, February 4th , 2024, 2:00 to 3:00 PM.

Each animal that comes with their human companion will be blessed individually. All dogs must be on a leash, all cats must be on a leash or in some kind of carrying case, and all birds must be in bird cages. Larger animals, horse, cows, sheep, goats, lamas, etc. must arrive in trailers and stay in the parking lot. The Monks will be going out into the parking lot to bless the larger animals.

Donations are encouraged. Suggested donation is $5 to $20. All donations go to the Monks. Checks can be written to GSCF. Thank you.