UU Princeton hosts Buddhist Monks of Gaden Shartse August 21 - 25

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton (UU Princeton) will host a group of touring monks from Gaden Shartse Monastery for a series of public events August 21- 24. The four monks are touring the U.S. to share their meditation practices and “paths to inner peace and compassion.”

Events including the construction of a sand mandala, and dharma talks on Buddhist teachings will be held at UU Princeton, located at 50 Cherry Hill Rd in Princeton, and are open to the public as space allows.

The touring monks will be working for two days to create a beautiful sand mandala. The mandala is an intricate and colorful sand work of art promptly swept up after its creation, symbolizing the transience of life. The public is invited to view the construction process with a suggested free-will donation at the door.

Opening and closing ceremonies use polyphonic chanting and traditional Tibetan musical instruments to create karmically appropriate spaces for creating and destroying the mandala. These ceremonies will be ticketed events with some walk-in seating reserved with a free-will donation at the door.

All four of the Venerable Monks took their fully ordained monk vows from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Asked about the monks’ experience of being on tour, Venerable Geshe Dawa, who serves as translator for the group stated, “USA is very big and is very beautiful. Having a well thought out tour is helping. A big challenge is time away from the monastery and our studies." All proceeds and donations support expanding the monastery’s dormitory housing.

The monks belong to the Gaden Shartse Monastic College, one of the great seats of learning in the Tibetan tradition. The monastery was founded in Tibet by the famous Buddhist scholar Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa in 1409 and was reestablished in Mundgod, India, in 1970 after China invaded Tibet. Currently, two thousand monks and novices study, live and practice there. The monastery and its two colleges are a spiritual and educational resource for 800 boys and young men, six to 20 years old.

Biographies of the monks and photos can be found on their website: www.sacredartsoftibettour.org

“We are honored to host the monks of Gaden Shartse at UU Princeton,” said Rev. Bill Neely, the congregation’s minister. “As a welcoming and inclusive community, we are looking forward to learning from them and inviting the public for some exciting and interesting programs.”

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton is a progressive, multi-faith spiritual community of independent thinkers and doers. Services are every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. UU Princeton also offers a weekly Buddhist meditation group and a monthly Zen Dharma talk.