Eight authentic Tibetan monks share their ancient cultural heritage of Buddhism at a unique cultural exchange at the WellCome Om Center.
Wearing monastic robes in shades of curry, cumin, and paprika, a group of eight Tibetan Buddhist monks, part of the Sacred Arts Tour 2024, will be sharing their ancient heritage at a special 6-day event from Feb. 12 through 17, 2024, at the WellCome Om Center in Spring Hill, Florida.
The monks are renowned for their creation of exquisite sand mandalas.
The monks are the guests of Dr. Maria Scunziano-Singh, founder of the Wellcome Om Center in Spring Hill.
“I’m honored to welcome the monks to the WellCome Om Center,” said Dr. Maria. “It offers us a rare chance to immerse ourselves in the teachings and cultural practices of Tibetan Buddhism directly under the disciples of the Dalai Lama.”
The Sacred Arts Tour monks are refugee monks and members of the Drepung Gomang Monastery, a Tibetan monastery in Karnataka State, South India.
“They come to provide a window into their ancient and precious Tibetan culture and to raise funds to educate, feed, house, and provide healthcare for the thousands of Tibetan Buddhist monks living in exile in India,” said Sue Simone, tour coordinator for the Sacred Arts Tour in the US.
Simone was the National Tour Coordinator from 2007 to 2019, scheduling the monks at places like Carnegie Hall, Rutgers, and many other locations all over the US.
The Sacred Arts Tour has been visiting the US since 1998, except during the Covid pandemic and offers a rare opportunity for us in the US to witness the ancient, sacred, living art of Tibet.
“The origins of the tour all began with a dream,” said Simone.
She explained that in 1996, the night before he ran in the New York Marathon, Andreas Kurtz dreamt he saw a man running in front of him wearing a T-shirt proclaiming “Save Tibet.” The very next day, he ran and there in front of him was a man wearing a “Save Tibet” T-shirt.
“Kurtz, spurred on by this, felt drawn to visit the exiled monks at their monastery to learn more about how he could help these Tibetan Buddhists displaced by the Chinese Army,” she said. “The first Sacred Arts Tour soon followed.”
Buddhism is one of the world’s largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. They believe the source of all human suffering is attachments and that through mind disciplines, meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior, one can achieve wisdom, peace, enlightenment …or nirvana.
Tibetan Buddhism is led by His Holiness Dalai Lama, an 88-year-old spiritual leader who fled Tibet with a group of 100 other monks following the Lhasa uprising against Chinese control in 1959. He has been living in exile in Dharamshala, India ever since. Tens of thousands of Tibetans have followed the Dalai Lama into exile, some of whom fled on foot over the Himalayas.
Simone says, “In 1969, 62 of the surviving Gomang monks received 42 acres of land in Mundgod, South India and began rebuilding the Drepung Gomang Monastic College. Since then, almost 2,000 monks have been living, learning and teaching as a part of a larger Tibetan refugee settlement of 16,000 people.”
“The Sacred Arts Tour helps raise funds to support those Tibetan Buddhists and to help them find a place where they can freely practice their beliefs, wear their traditional clothing and continue to teach their children Tibetan custom, culture, language and art,” she added.
Geshe Choeden is one of the group of monks and spokesman for the Sacred Arts Tour. His path to becoming a holy person began with his family.
“The monks came to visit my town in Tibet when I was 11 years old,” he said. “My brother was already a monk and my parents supported my decision too.”
It took Geshe Choeden a long, hard journey leaving Tibet in a truck and then walking to get to a monastery in India. He was 17 years old when he finally became an ordained monk. Since then, he has spent the past 26 years studying Buddhist philosophies and doctrines, earning the title of Geshe — a Tibetan Buddhist academic degree equivalent to a Ph.D.
One person eager to participate in the event is Spring Hill resident Gail Mongiello. Mongiello teaches a movement and fitness class at the WellCome Om Center. She is passionate about bringing “the joy of movement” using elements of dance, martial arts and healing arts using the NIA® Technique.
“What a unique and interesting experience… I am glad to have an opportunity to engage with a new experience… Stillness and focus are important in The NIA® Technique practice I teach at WellCome OM, so I am looking forward to witnessing the monks and sense the mindfulness of their culture,” she said.
“I’m honored to welcome the Drepung Gomang monks to the WellCome Om Center,” said Dr. Maria. “This is a rare opportunity to immerse ourselves in the teachings and cultural practices of Tibetan Buddhism directly under the disciples of the Dalai Lama.”
“It’s important to me that I host the monks at the center because it’s an opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of this world and bring about a personal spiritual transformation.
Just look at what is happening in our world; there’s so much turmoil, arrogance and greed. We need a spiritual reawakening.
I hope you will come listen to the monks as they deliver only positive messages of love, compassion, acceptance and nonviolent conflict resolution that can help us along that path to a spiritual reawakening.
Some Highlights of the Tour
Witness the creation of a
Tibetan sand mandala
Free to All: A work of art created to encourage healing, peace, and purification. A mandala (Sanskrit for ‘circle’) is a geometric image representing the universe and a sand mandala, dissolved or swept away after completion, emphasizes the transitory nature of all things in that universe.
The monks will build this extremely intricate traditional image in a meditative and prayerful fashion, literally one grain of sand at a time, on a five-foot square piece of wood. The process begins and concludes each day with chanted prayers for nonviolence, peace, interfaith understanding, and the growth of compassion.
Tibetan Artisan
Marketplace
The monks will also be selling unique and beautiful Tibetan crafts, prayer beads, jewelry, shawls, bags and spiritual items.
Dharma Talks, Teaching and Chantings
Delve into the profound wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism teachings and enjoy the mesmerizing chantings.
Mala Bead Making and Painting Workshops
Buddhist prayer beads, known as Mala Beads, are a precursor to what we know as rosary beads and are used for chanting and counting mantras, meditation, prayer, yoga practices and reflection. Engage in hands-on workshops to create your own spiritual artifacts.
Cultural Performances
Free to All: This is a lively, colorful, often whimsical presentation highlighting the mystical Snow Lion of Tibet, a Good Luck Dance and more.
Enjoy daily music by Hernando Arts and special literary performances. Eight local authors will showcase their books on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with readings from Toby Benoit, Johanna Bolton, Roslyn Franken, John Hanna, Aleta Harris, Ian Hogg, Sarah J. Nachin, and Susanne Whelan.
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Come experience this unique opportunity with the monks of Drepung Gomang Monastery and support their refugee community in India.
Every contribution directly supports the monks’ global journey to spread wisdom and peace. You will be helping their community in south India obtain proper food, improve their health, and provide better education facilities for the monk students to preserve their traditions and culture. Your generosity fuels their mission.
For Tickets and
Registration:
Visit wellcomeomcenter.com/2024-drepung-gomang-sacred-arts-tour
General admission is open to the public.
Certain events are ticketed with limited capacity.
