October 3 – October 8th, 2017
The Rime Buddhist Center is once gain honored to host the Drepung Gomang Sacred Art Tour. This tour shares the compassion and wisdom of Tibetan Buddhist culture throughout the country. The Monks will be in Kansas City and Lawrence, KS, October 3 through October 8. Events planned include a Sand Mandala creation, Tibetan dinner and family night, fire puja, in addition to Pujas and Dharma Teachings at the Rime Center. Please visit the KC tour Facebook page for event details, Drepung Gomang Tour – Kansas City.
Refugee-made goods, including jewelry, clothing, and artwork, as well as traditional Tibetan items such as singing bowls, will be available for purchase at all events. Tour proceeds assist the Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India, which strives to house, feed, and educate any monk wishing to study at this center of higher learning, including orphans and refugees fleeing Chinese-occupied Tibet.
Event Schedule
Tuesday, October 3 – October 6
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm World Peace Interfaith Mandala at Unity of Lawrence – Opening Ceremony
Drepung Gomang Monks create an intricate sand mandala for World Peace and Interfaith Compassion. Opening mandala ceremony is Tuesday 10/3 12 pm. Daily mandala construction is open to the public.
Tuesday 10/3 12 pm -5 pm
Wednesday 10/4 10 am – 5:30 pm,
Late Hours:
Thursday 10/5 11 am – 7pm
Friday 10/6 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Viewing 5 pm – 7 pm
Closing Ceremony 7 pm
Closing Mandala Ceremony
Friday 10/6
Viewing 5 pm – 7 pm
Closing Ceremony 7 pm
Chanting at the beginning and end of each day. Tibetan Handicrafted items will be on sale throughout – All proceeds go to the Drepung Gomang Monastery for food, housing, schooling, and medical support of 2000+ monks in exile in South India. Donations gratefully accepted.
Find out more on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1474960722587434
Tuesday, October 3
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Meet The Monks Potluck at The Rime Buddhist Center
Welcome the Drepung Gomang Monks back to Kansas City, for their second KC stop on this tour. The monks will arrive late the night before after a long drive, with no time to cook, so please bring your favorite vegetarian dish to share. We’ll cook so they don’t have to!
Thursday, October 5
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Fire Puja at Art Emergency
Join the Drepung Gomang Tibetan Monks for a very special puja/prayers for blessings, to remove obstacles, and protection from those who bring harm both to worldly life and the path of enlightenment.
Puja is a Sanskrit word that means “offering.” The monks chant prayers and perform rituals specific to the type of prayer being offered. Prayers are addressed to Buddha’s, bodhisattvas and deities. Their primary purpose is to overcome negativity that may be obstacles in obtaining release from suffering and to promote spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
The monks will conduct this ceremony with chants, cymbals, drums, horns, and special offerings for the world’s benefit. The actual ceremony includes an introductory talk, after which chanting begins, the fire is started, and substances are added to the fire progressively.
The major principle of a fire puja is offering. Monks casts onto a fire and flame a mixture of special selected ingredients, including the three whites [milk, yogurt and butter], the three sweets [honey, molasses and white sugar], juniper sprigs, incense, in addition to other fragrant favorites of the deities.
Prayers may be blessings, wellness, for the souls of those who have left this world, (including animals), the clearing of karma, purification of local negative energy, world peace, individual or global healing, financial security, spiritual evolution, the development of wisdom, and the removal of obstacles.
Donations ($5-$10) gratefully accepted for the food, health care and housing of the 2000+ monks at the Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India.
A Tibetan Marketplace will be open with Tibetan crafts, clothing, jewelry, and Dharma related gifts made by the Tibetan community in exile.
Saturday, October 7
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Tibetan Dinner and Family Night with the Drepung Gomang Monks at the Rime Buddhist Center
Join the Drepung Gomang Monks for a homemade Tibetan dinner, and family friendly activities. A delicious Tibetan meal will be served, complete with momos (steamed dumpling), thenthuk (throwed noodle soup), salad, and dessert. Sand Mandala, Buddhist symbol coloring books and Tibetan Playdoh/Butter Sculpture activities for the kids are free.
Suggested dinner donation $5/child $10/adult, but all are welcome regardless of the ability of to pay. Donations go towards the food, health care and housing of the 2000+ monks at the Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India.
A Tibetan Marketplace will be open with Tibetan crafts, clothing, jewelry, and Dharma related gifts made by the Tibetan community in exile.
Donations will be accepted at the door. No need to pay in advance, but please RSVP for dinner using so we know how much food to buy.
Sunday, October 8th
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Rime Buddhist Center Sunday Puja & Dharma Talk
Experience the monks perform a puja with chanting mystical prayers of spiritual wisdom and a Dharma talk.
Puja is a Sanskrit word that means “offering.” The monks chant prayers and perform rituals specific to the type of prayer being offered. Prayers are addressed to Buddha’s, bodhisattvas and deities. Their primary purpose is to overcome negativity that may be obstacles in obtaining release from suffering and to promote spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
Donations gratefully accepted for the food, health care and housing of the 2000+ monks at the Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India.
A Tibetan Marketplace will be open with Tibetan crafts, clothing, jewelry, and Dharma related gifts made by the Tibetan community in exile.